(Brossard) The Canadiens hope to take advantage of their depth in attack this season, but to achieve this, the Montreal club’s players will obviously first have to stay healthy.
The Habs lost Kirby Dach in the fourth period of the regular season last fall. That forced head coach Martin St-Louis to move Alex Newhook to center. The team also had Sean Monahan at the time.
Christian Dvorak, meanwhile, was still sidelined after knee surgery. He missed the first month of the season. Dvorak then suffered a torn pectoralis major, sidelining him for three months and returning in time to play the final five games on the schedule.
And when he was in the lineup, Dvorak was limited to five goals and four assists in 30 games.
“First of all, I want to stay healthy,” the 28-year-old American said Sunday. “The last two years have been tough, with major injuries, having surgeries and being sidelined for long periods of time. It’s not fun being sidelined and not being able to help the team win.”
While there’s an element of bad luck behind every injury, Dvorak noted he’s done extra things this summer in hopes of avoiding visits to the infirmary too often.
“I’ve been doing extra treatments, extra stretching, little things like that, nutrition wise, etc. Hopefully that will increase my chances of staying healthy,” he said.
Dvorak is about to enter the final year of a contract that carries a $4.45 million annual payroll impact. Asked if his contract situation is something that’s been on his mind these days, the former Arizona Coyotes second-round pick said he’s not worried about it.
“It’s been tough being injured the last two years, it’s tough mentally. I’m focused on what I can do to help the team win,” he said.
However, Dvorak stressed that it was easier for him to start the season with the rest of the group, compared to last year, when he played his first game on November 4.
“Last summer, I spent my time in rehab,” he said. “I started skating in August, missed camp and had to come back during the season. It’s not easy! That’s why it’s exciting this year, to have enjoyed a full summer. I want to have a good camp and we’ll see what happens next.”
Dvorak’s teammates are aware of the importance of the role he can have as a center on the third or fourth line.
“He’s an important player in the locker room and on the ice,” defenseman Arber Xhekaj said. “He adds depth to our group. It’s good to see he’s healthy.”
Dvorak has been paired with Joshua Roy and Josh Anderson since the start of camp.
Anderson was healthy last season, but is also hoping for a fresh start after a frustrating season in terms of his production.
Dvorak is confident Anderson will find his touch again, as he has looked comfortable on the ice since the start of camp.
“He looks good. He scored in scrimmages and in practice today,” Dvorak said. “It’s always good to score, even in practice. It helps with confidence. He’s a good player and I’m sure he’ll bounce back this season.”
These players will likely play an important role if the Tricolore manages to be “in the mix” until the end of the season.
The Canadiens will kick off their preseason schedule by hosting the Philadelphia Flyers at the Bell Centre on Monday night.