Jonathan Drouin may have had a nasty surprise when he learned of the line-ups before practice on Monday.
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You wish he hadn’t taken a sip of coffee or a bite of toast before watching them.
Despite the last players cut, the Quebecer was one of the attackers in excess on the ice. Michael Pezzetta also ended up with the same role.
During drills, Drouin alternated with Mike Hoffman in a unit supplemented by Sean Monahan and Kirby Dach. A special situation for the one who is in his last year of contract with the Canadian.
Asked regarding this, Martin St-Louis did not want to add fuel to the fire.
« Il [Drouin] missed time during the camp, explained the CH head coach. He is a little behind physically. He is coming back from an injury.
Photo Martin Alarie
Head coach Martin St-Louis spoke with Jonathan Drouin on the ice at the Brossard Sports Center on Monday during training for the Canadiens.
“We are 15 attackers. It’s something I have to deal with. »
St-Louis assures that Drouin is still in the team’s plans.
However, it wouldn’t be surprising if the forward was left out for Wednesday’s regular season opener once morest the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre.
“Each of the guys in my locker room has value,” added St-Louis. It is their responsibility to raise their value.
“Whether you are in training or not, your value is important. Those who are not, I have a plan to help them increase their value every day. One shot that “Jo”’s value will be in the right place, he’ll be in a position to be successful on the ice.
“Yes, he is in the plans. As soon as a player is here, I will train him until he is gone. »
Lack of synchronism
The main interested party did not hide. His timing is not yet at his usual level.
“It’s still going a bit fast,” said Drouin. It will take me some time to get used to it. »
We must not forget that Drouin had wrist surgery last season. During training camp, he still missed games due to a virus.
long campaign
During his absence, other players took the opportunity to stand out. Number 27 will have to work hard to regain his place in the training.
However, he does not want St-Louis with whom he has good communication.
“The season is long and a lot of things can happen,” Drouin said. All I can do right now is hang my head and work hard on the ice and off the ice. »
For their part, Justin Barron, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, Otto Leskinen, Cayden Primeau and Jesse Ylönen were removed without too much surprise. They will join the Laval Rocket, which has also announced that Quebec forward Alex Belzile will be its captain for the next campaign.
In the notebook…
Christian Dvorak, Mike Hoffmanand the captain Nick Suzukiwho missed the last preseason game, were back in training with their teammates.
Once once more, the CH clinic is crowded. The defender Joel Edmundson skated alone. His rehabilitation continues. The date of his return to the game is not yet determined.
Joel Armia (upper body) and Emil Heineman (thumb) will be out of the game for a few weeks. Armia will need seven to 14 days to recover from his injury. For his part, the Swedish striker might miss up to six weeks of activity.
As for Mike Matheson, he is still hampered by a lower body injury. The defender’s condition is assessed on a daily basis. Martin St-Louis does not know if he will be able to count on his veteran for the opening match.
The retarded guys Madison Bowey et Corey Schueneman were not claimed on waivers. They will now report to the Laval Rocket.
