The Canadian is sticking to his recovery plan. Five rookies make up his 23-man roster at the start of the season.
Four of those are defensemen, including Johnathan Kovacevic, who was acquired from the Winnipeg Jets on waivers. Two of those players will be assigned to the Laval Rocket when Joel Edmundson and Mike Matheson are able to play.
We can assume that Kaiden Guhle will not be. The Habs’ first draft pick of 2020 showed in training camp that he’s capable of playing in the National League this year.
Jordan Harris starts with a lead over Arber Xhekaj, but Xhekaj’s strength of character and fiery temper could allow him to shuffle the cards.
Slafkowski had to stay
It would have been disappointing for Juraj Slafkovsky if he hadn’t started the season in Montreal.
A stay in Laval would not and would not be the end of the world if the situation required it. But his status as the first choice for the 2022 vintage gave him an advantage.
Now it’s up to him to make progress.
The 18-year-old would silence a lot of people if he managed to stay at the big club all winter.
This would be cause for celebration for the organization and its supporters.
Fans want to be able to live with hope during this time of reconstruction. Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield have earned their trust, but they’d love to see another youngster or two break into the Habs this season.
It would set the course for the years to come.
The future is in the future, as the late Larry Chiasson, Expos’ first director of media relations, said reassuringly.
Four Burning Falls for St-Louis
On the other hand, we have to see how Martin St-Louis will compose with Jonathan Drouin, Joel Armia, Mike Hoffman, Evgenii Dadonov, four players at a crossroads.
Here we will be able to judge the power of the young coach.
If those four players don’t get the job done and St. Louis stays true to itself, he’s not going to put up with it for very long.
Drouin’s last chance
Eyes are mostly on Drouin, a man from home who has been making everyone hungry since arriving in Montreal.
Can we still believe in Drouin?
Putting aside the injuries that have weighed on his last three seasons.
It was hoped Dominique Ducharme, who had managed him at the Halifax Mooseheads, had some influence on him.
The desired effect did not occur.
Well, if Drouin is as lucky as he says he is to play under St. Louis orders, let him prove it.
His coach will give him a chance, but he has to go full throttle and be more aggressive in his game overall.
Drouin plays his last card.
And not just in Montreal…
