Montreal Canadiens training camp commenced on Wednesday. Fifty-nine players were invited to the main camp and there are many intriguing names among them.
Preseason action doesn’t begin until next week with the Canadiens opening up the preliminary schedule at home against the Flyers. Which players will we see get a look at cracking the Habs roster and what spots are available heading into camp? Let’s look at the outlook for the Montreal Canadiens training camp.
Montreal Canadiens Training Camp
What Spots are Available on the Canadiens Roster?
Forwards
Heading into camp, the Canadiens roster is virtually set. When looking at the forwards, there are still lots of veterans under contract that are littered in the bottom six. Names include Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson, Christian Dvorak, and Joel Armia. This isn’t to say that a rookie can’t work their way onto the team, however. Joshua Roy is currently expected to make the squad but someone could outperform him at camp and force the Canadiens hand. We saw last year when Armia was sent down to Laval following a poor showing at camp that Kent Hughes isn’t afraid to make tough calls and make room for younger players on the roster. Michael Pezzetta and Jake Evans have been staples in the bottom six for the last couple of seasons. However, they are names who are expendable and therefore shouldn’t feel safe heading into camp.
Defence
Then when you look at the defence things become a bit more unclear. Matheson, Guhle, and David Savard are the only locks to make the team. That leaves the likes of Lane Hutson, Arber Xhekaj, Jayden Struble Justin Barron, and Logan Mailloux. Jordan Harris and Jonathan Kovacevic were shipped out in separate deals earlier in the summer. This leaves four spots open for five guys. Some would also throw in names like David Reinbacher and Adam Engstrom but they would benefit from a full pro season in North America before making the jump to the NHL.
One can assume that Xhekaj and Barron are front runners for the jobs. Both are newly resigned to two-year deals and Barron is now waiver-eligible. Hutson has a high chance of making the team based on what he’s shown thus far and the hype surrounding the prospect. The final spot likely comes down to Struble and Mailloux with Mailloux having the outside chance. Mailloux can earn a spot with a strong showing at camp and Struble can pass through waivers. Mailloux being able to play the right side also gives him an advantage,
Which Rookies Have the Best Chance of Making the Team?
Hutson, Roy, and Mailloux have the best chance of making the team out of camp, as previously discussed. Hutson and Roy are playing to lose their spots while Mailloux is playing to earn his position on the team. However, there are still other prospects who can earn positions with strong training camp showings.
Owen Beck, Emil Heineman, Sean Farrell, and Oliver Kapanen are some names to consider. Farrell already has some NHL experience under his belt after appearing in six games with the Canadiens. He has struggled to transition to pro hockey but has the highest skill level of any of the four. Emil Heineman is a big, strong, power forward who would fit nicely in the Canadiens bottom six. He’ll have to push someone out to do it, but with Rafael Harvey-Pinard injured his odds have increased. As for Beck and Kapanen, they are looking to snag that fourth-line centre spot from Evans or Dvorak. If they earn it, it’s possible that we could see a trade before training camp ends.
Will we see a Trade before Puck Drop?
The Montreal Canadiens would like to offload some of the veteran contracts on their team. This includes some of the bottom six forwards like Anderson, Dvorak, Anderson, Armia, as well as Savard on the back end. But there is no rush to do so. Several of those deals expire at season’s end and could be intriguing trade deadline chips. It’s up to the rookies to manifest a deal by showing that they’re ready to become full-time regulars. If that’s the case then we will likely see a veteran name on the trade block before the puck drops on October 9th.
Main Photo: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
