2023-10-01 12:45:40
Casually, the Montreal Canadiens’ preseason schedule is coming to an end, with only two preseason games left to play.
There will be one Monday once morest the Maple Leafs in Toronto at 7 p.m., and a last Saturday on October 7 in Ottawa once morest the Senators.
Between the two games, the CH will be on a closed retreat so that the guys on the team can get closer and to promote cohesion before starting the regular season.
Being only 10 days away from the start of the 2023-2024 season, it is normal that training is taking shape more and more.
At the start of the camp, CH had invited 72 players.
The first cuts first took place following the Red vs. White intra-team match, when four players were scratched from camp, bringing the number of players to 68.
Subsequently, we had to wait until yesterday to see this number drop once more.
At the start of the followingnoon, four players were cut and placed on waivers.
64.
Then, three hours later, BAM, the big wave of cuts happened, as 26 players, including Joshua Roy, were cut.
Before the game once morest Toronto, there were 38 players left in camp.
Then, following CH’s 3-1 defeat, we saw five other players, including David Reinbacher, removed from camp.
He still left a nice business card →
— DansLesCoulisses (@DLCoulisses) October 1, 2023
This leaves us with 33 players currently at the Canadiens camp.
To start the season. CH must have a roster of 23 players.
We might therefore logically say that there are 10 players left to cut.
But not so fast.
There are three injured among the 33 players still present.
Christian Dvorak, Chris Wideman and Carey Price are injured and will not start the season on October 11.
Dvorak is expected to return in November, Wideman is a doubtful case, while Price…
And unfortunately, when in doubt, we can count Mike Matheson as injured. He skated alone yesterday morning, although he was hampered by a slight injury.
Mike Matheson is skating solo this morning.
To submit this photo for an Antoine-Désilets prize, click here pic.twitter.com/JEsy3kgKPq
— Guillaume Lefrançois ???????????? (@glefrancoisLP) September 30, 2023
He’s not just playing as a preventative measure, but remember last season, his two-month absence to start the season started with a preventive measure of this kind.
So there is reason to be a little concerned.
In short, there are really seven (or six) players left to be removed from the CH camp.
Who will they be?
Here are the players still in camp, excluding the injured except Matheson.
Attackers: Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Alex Newhook, Josh AndersonLias Andersson, Joel Armia, Kirby Dach, Jake Evans, Brendan Gallagher, Rafaël Harvey-PinardEmil Heineman, Philippe Maillet, Sean Monahan, Tanner PearsonMichael Pezzetta, Juraj Slafkovsky and Jesse Ylönen.
Defensemen: Justin Barron, Kaiden Guhle, Jordan Harris, Johnathan KovacevicGustav Lindstrom, Logan Mailloux, Mike Matheson (incertain)Mattias Norlinder, David Savard and Arber Xhekaj.
Guardians: Jake Allen, Samuel Montembeault and Cayden Primeau.
In bold, I have put the players who, in my opinion, are guaranteed to make the club.
There’s obviously room for debate, but that’s what I think so far.
So that makes 12 attackers, five defenders and two goalkeepers.
There would therefore currently be four places (or chairs) left to fill for the 23-player roster.
If we take into consideration the fact that the CH staff strongly considers the idea of a menage a trois in front of the net, this means that Cayden Primeau will remain in Montreal.
So there are three spots left, and one of those spots, in my opinion, will go to Arber Xhekaj in defense.
I didn’t put it in bold because he is exempt from waivers, but between you and me, I definitely believe that Xhekaj will start the season in Montreal.
There are only two places left.
And in my opinion, these places will go to an attacker and a defender.
So, if we take into consideration that Phillippe Maillet, without disrespect, will not make the club, well it comes down to Lias Andersson, Michael Pezzetta, Jesse Ylönen and Emil Heineman.
I sincerely believe that it is Pezzetta who will earn this last place just for his style of play.
And this, even if Heineman had his best game yesterday.
And in defense, the remaining place risks being given to Gustav Lindstrom, given that the latter would be eligible for waivers.
Barron would therefore start the season in Laval once once more, while Mailloux and Norlinder will have left very nice business cards.
Hats off to Norlinder, who had been pretty much forgotten in the CH hierarchy.
In short, keeping Primeau up will cut off a good spot for another player (attacker or defender), but if that is the decision of the staff, there is nothing we can do regarding it.
It will be really interesting to see which players complete the famous roster of 23.
We must not forget that Mike Matheson is currently uncertain, and that if he does not start the season, a guy like Norlinder or Barron might be kept as an extra with the CH.
A lot of
– Exactly.
I saw several people criticizing the decision of #CH to send David Reinbacher back to Switzerland and I understand your points but you should know that the caliber of the NLA is very high from now on and that Reinbacher had/will have A LOT of ice time in Kloten.
It also leaves…
— Marc-Olivier Beaudoin (@MOBeaudoin1) October 1, 2023
– Horrible scene yesterday.
Difficult scene, as Samuel Savoie leaves the ice rink on a stretcher following a fall in a Blackhawks preparatory game.
— Alexandre Pratt (@alexandrepratt) October 1, 2023
– Letang vend maison.
Kristopher Letang sells his residence in Boucherville (@JolicoeurNews)
— Le Journal de Montréal (@JdeMontreal) September 30, 2023
– Alvarez remains champion.
Canelo Alvarez remains the undisputed super middleweight champion
— La Presse Sports (@LaPresse_Sports) October 1, 2023
– To be continued.
Dusty Baker’s men can even hope to win the American West title.
— Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) October 1, 2023
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#players #left #cut
