DETROIT — It was striking how Alexandre Carrier came to Montreal last season and immediately looked like he had been playing with the Canadiens for several years.

What became evident with each passing game was how well his style of play fit with theirs. The five-foot-11, 174-pounder proved to be a fearless defenceman willing to ritually chase down pucks and transition them quickly and efficiently. He played hard, fast, directly, and in a way that fed the exact style of game the Canadiens were built to play.

We thought it was a homerun trade on the December day it was made. The Canadiens were desperate for some experience and a right-handed shot on the blue line, and trading fledgling prospect Justin Barron to acquire it from Nashville felt like a wall-clearing shot, especially with Carri

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