The Montreal Canadiens have introduced their Rookie Camp roster forward of the 2024-25 season. There are a number of forwards that followers are excited to see resembling Owen Beck and Filip Mesar. However just like the competitors on the blue line for the Canadiens roster, there aren’t many spots out there up entrance with the forwards both.
Associated: Canadiens Blue Line Spots Not as Open as Folks Consider
Whereas there are a number of one-way NHL contracts at common supervisor (GM) Kent Hughes’ disposal, there may be nonetheless a small opening {that a} younger ahead can push their means into and crack the roster.
Canadiens Traces
The development of the strains by head coach Martin St. Louis tends to fall beneath two classes. Traces that play with vitality and tempo and contours that may play a possession recreation. Whereas the highest line can do each, and the second line under is also constructed to do the identical, the choices on who so as to add to the lineup will relaxation on what fashion St. Louis desires to see from his backside six strains.
The highest line is actually set with Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky. They scored 81 targets final season, completed one-two-three in targets for the group, and have the ability to develop into a line that may rating 100 targets. The second line is sort of set with newly acquired Patrik Laine and Kirby Dach. The query with this duo is who will full the road. The reply rests on who would be the third-line middle. Will it’s Alex Newhook or Christian Dvorak? If St. Louis is trying so as to add a playmaker on the second line, Newhook would match the invoice, leaving the third-line middle function to Dvorak, who’s within the last yr of his contract.
Assuming Dvorak is on the third line, that is the place the roster might begin to open up a doable place for a teenager to take management of. Whereas Josh Anderson needs to be on this line, and he has loads to show after a disappointing 2023-24 season, he’ll nonetheless want a powerful camp to cement himself in that spot. That is very true since Joel Armia is coming off of a stable yr with a career-high 17 targets final season. This implies the left-wing function could possibly be up for grabs, and that’s the place the competitors for the youthful gamers will start. Whoever loses the battle between Armia and Anderson will drop to the fourth line and be part of Jake Evans together with coronary heart and soul participant Brendan Gallagher. Because of the heavy mileage he has placed on himself, there’s a probability that Gallagher might injure himself once more this season, which might open the door for others later within the yr.
Canadiens Hopefuls
There’s a function out there because the thirteenth ahead. Michael Pezzetta has the within observe as a result of he has crammed that function for a few seasons. He’s a recognized amount for St. Louis who can depend on him to have the ability to sit within the press field for a number of video games, are available when known as upon to play a fourth-line vitality function, and convey some physicality to the lineup. One other participant with a respectable probability at that function is Alex Barre-Boulet who signed a one-year take care of his hometown Canadiens. Barre-Boulet is a talented and aggressive smaller ahead, nevertheless, he’s extra more likely to play with the Laval Rocket within the American Hockey League (AHL) the place he will likely be a top-line participant and supply veteran management to a really younger group.
The function of third-line winger is the place the actual drama at coaching camp is more likely to play out for the forwards. It’s up for grabs and will likely be hotly contested by at the least two forwards. The primary is Joshua Roy, who’s the incumbent as he needed to step into the function final season. After a formidable begin to his rookie AHL season with 32 factors in 41 video games, he earned the call-up the place he scored 4 targets in 23 video games whereas averaging 12:08 minutes of ice time. His dependable two-way play and skill to play a puck retrieval function give him a great foundation to construct on. The opposite participant could look like one from out of left discipline however actually isn’t. That participant is Oliver Kapanen.
Whereas taking part in in Liiga, a notoriously defensive league based mostly in Finland, Kapanen scored 34 factors in 52 video games taking part in in a top-six function at middle. Including a middle to the wing gives one other layer to his recreation for the Canadiens. His playoffs final season is when he lept up the depth chart for a lot of watching, as he scored seven targets and 14 factors in solely 13 video games.
His robust play earned him a contract within the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), signing with Timra IK but in addition his entry-level contract (ELC) with the Canadiens. He was then advised to skip rookie camp and put together for only for foremost camp. His new coach within the SHL goes so far as to say that Kapanen can steal a spot on the Canadiens roster. He’s a gifted playmaker that has a great shot from the skin, is extremely cellular, and performs with tempo. If he can’t crack the roster, he’ll return to the SHL.
Canadiens Choices for Name-Up
With the Canadiens’ latest historical past of accidents, the most important alternative this coming season for the very deep pool of ahead prospects will likely be as harm call-ups. With a number of now graduating to the skilled ranks in North America and including vital youthful ability to the Rocket, there will likely be competitors there to show themselves prepared for the decision to fill a spot, even quickly, in Montreal. Gamers resembling Emil Heineman, Luke Tuch, Beck, and Mesar are some names to observe this season with Heineman already having some NHL expertise as nicely.
That is all based mostly on if there are not any trades between the rookie camp opening in September and the beginning of the common season. Whereas it’s unlikely to occur, a commerce opens up extra prospects. What’s extra vital than giving the prospects NHL taking part in time, nevertheless, is making certain that the main focus is positioned on giving them the correct instruments, degree, and placement to totally develop their video games.
