Some put forward the name of Nick Suzuki, others of Brendan Gallagher. What if the next captain was Joel Edmundson instead?
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“He’s definitely one of the guys who will be taken into consideration,” agreed Martin St-Louis without wanting to get too wet on the process that will be put in place to designate Shea Weber’s successor.
Because there will be a successor next year. Kent Hughes confirmed this in the first days of his hiring.
And if it were up to the Canadiens players, Pierre Gervais could sew the letter C on the number 44 jersey before retiring.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the guys voted for him,” admitted the head coach of the Canadiens.
Because, apparently, taking a seat on the blue line of the Habs is the only thing the Manitoban has still not done for the team since the start of the season.
By the way, the possibilities of seeing him back in uniform over the weekend are quite great.
“He’s close,” St. Louis said 24 hours into the game against the Seattle Kraken.
The smile on the lips
For the past few months, he’s been the one who demanded the song’s return Fix you, from Coldplay, when the Canadiens players jump on the ice at the start of the game. He is also the one who is responsible for the musical choice after the victories. Most recently, he was the chief organizer of the rookie dinner in Vancouver.
Obviously, acting as a GO is not the number one criterion when it comes to choosing a captain. However, for several weeks now, the ascendancy of the 6’5” and 224 lbs colossus has been felt in the team’s locker room.
“He’s an incredible player, who won the Stanley Cup. His impact on the team is immense, even if he does not play. It’s like a big brother to everyone, said Chris Wideman. The way guys gravitate to him, you don’t see that often. »
” He’s a good guy. He always remained positive. It’s been a tough year for everyone, but even more so for him,” Jake Evans said, matching his voice to that of Wideman.
Martin Chevalier / JdeM
Jake Evans
In addition to struggling with recurring back pain, Edmundson experienced the pain of losing his father in January after a battle with cancer. Like many of his teammates, the defender was also hit by COVID-19 during the season. In terms of pitfalls, the 28-year-old athlete got his money’s worth. And yet…
“Seeing him around the locker room always brings positive energy. He is a real leader. He helps guys and always wants to get involved,” Evans continued.
More difficult decisions
Since he still hasn’t played a game, it would be surprising if Edmundson was part of the trade talks. Which is probably not the case for many of his teammates.
However, less than ten days before the deadline for transactions, Tyler Toffoli is the only one to have changed his address.
Although the Canadiens’ recent successes have some Habs fans hoping otherwise, it would be surprising if Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton’s plan had changed. However, it’s possible the two hockey men will be scratching their heads with a little more intensity.
“We’re playing good hockey and I’m sure we’re making it harder for management to decide whether or not to trade certain players. She will have difficult decisions to make,” said Josh Anderson.
With his size and his speed, Anderson is the type of player who does not run the streets. The length of his contract, which will remain for five seasons at the end of this campaign, could cool the enthusiasm of some general managers. Possibly to the delight of Hughes who will not have to make a decision in his case and of Anderson himself.
“I didn’t sign a contract of seven in order to be traded. So far, I’ve loved every second of my time here,” Anderson insisted.
“Guys who have signed long-term contracts with the team want to stay,” he added. Some players have had a tough time, but don’t forget we were in the Stanley Cup Finals last year. It’s not something that just happens with luck. There are a lot of good players here. »