The Canadian | Edmundson’s imminent return will shake up the defense

Good news for the Canadian: Joel Edmundson is obviously very close to a return to play.

Simon Olivier Lorange
The Press

Bothered by a back injury which deprived him of the entire training camp and of the seven meetings of the CH this season, the 29-year-old veteran flew away on Wednesday afternoon with his team in the direction of Buffalo, first stop of an eight-day trip that will continue to St. Louis, Minnesota and Winnipeg.

Wearing a jersey excluding contact on the ice, Edmundson took part in two full practices this week. Wednesday morning, his colleague Corey Schueneman was transferred to the Laval Rocket, in the American League. Since it’s unusual for a club to travel with just six healthy defensemen, it’s assumed the Manitoban will quickly be available to his coaches to jump into the fray.

There is no doubt that the moment he is ready to play, Edmundson will be inserted into the lineup. The Montreal defense has held up so far, but the presence of four rookies in a match situation has already begun to show its limits.

Edmundson “looks great on the rink; I’m sure he’s ready and excited to play,” Kaiden Guhle said after practice on Wednesday. “He will bring a lot of calm and confidence to our young group. Whenever we can get help, we take it. It’s exciting to see him back. »

We therefore wonder who the presence of Edmundson will send to the stands. The exercise may seem surprising, knowing that this defensive unit is not a strength of the circuit, but some elements deserve attention.

David Savard can sleep in peace. Stéphane Robidas, coach of the Habs defenders, hailed his “reassuring presence” on Wednesday.

Despite their young age, Kaiden Guhle and Jordan Harris will also most likely be spared. Guhle consistently plays more than 20 minutes per game and, with Savard, he faces the opposition’s top lines. Harris stands out more and more for his defensive reliability. “He deprives the opponent of time and space”, analyzed Robidas.

The American inherited 25 minutes last Tuesday night after Guhle was forced out of the game with an ear injury.

“I felt prepared,” Harris said. You have to be ready for all possibilities. »

That leaves Johnathan Kovacevic, Arber Xhekaj and Chris Wideman. Arguments exist for and against each of them. Let’s talk about it.

Kovacevic: for

“He’s good defensively, he’s a big guy; he has a good stick, plays shorthanded and blocks shots. It’s a nice addition. Stéphane Robidas had nothing but good things to say about the man who joined the Canadiens at the very end of training camp. With Harris, he usually takes on the opposing second line, a considerable loadout for such a green duo. He is also right-handed.

Kovacevic: against

He is clumsy. On the Wild’s winning goal on Tuesday, he didn’t make the weight against either Ryan Hartman or Frédérick Gaudreau. Robidas’ list of compliments could also fully apply to Edmundson’s profile.

Xhekaj: for

Undeniable surprise from training camp. The toughness he brings is unmatched on defense, possibly on the whole team. Robidas, like others before him, praised the fluidity of his skating for a player of his size.

Xhekaj: cons

His inexperience more evident than with Harris and Guhle. In the last two games, his indiscipline betrayed him.

Wideman: for

It is, quite literally, the club’s only viable option on the power play. Pure offensive defender, he is employed on the first wave. Robidas also likes to see this veteran on Xhekaj’s duo at even strength. And he’s a right-hander.

Wideman: cons

Everything else. Despite his human qualities, Wideman would struggle to break through a top 6 elsewhere in the NHL. He barely plays 14 minutes per game at five against five.

In fact, if the choice was purely on merit, Wideman would probably be the one to pay. Against the Wild, he was particularly roughed up. And his performance on the power play is not inspiring, like that of his teammates elsewhere.

Removing him or Kovacevic from the lineup, however, would mean sending a southpaw down the right flank, an option not all coaches love. Both Harris and Guhle played on the reverse side during rookie camp or training camp. Harris has also done it in the past at Northeastern University and at World Juniors. “It’s something I practice. And I want to help the team in any way I can. I can also become a guardian, if they want! he laughed.

Changing side defenders is not taboo for Stéphane Robidas. A right-hander himself, he had to play on the left on three different teams during his career on the ice.

In any case, he recalled, it is up to Martin St-Louis to decide. And we know that the head coach is not afraid of extraordinary experiences.

Maybe that’s what he’ll do again to solve his problem. A happy problem, all the same.

In short

Nicolas Beaudin acquired from the Hawks

The Canadiens acquired Quebec defender Nicolas Beaudin from the Chicago Blachkawks in return for forward Cam Hillis. The two clubs thus exchange two players who no longer had a place in their organization. Beaudin, a first-round pick in 2018 (27^e in total), has seen its star fade from year to year. In his fourth season in the professional ranks, he has only played 22 games in the NHL. At the end of the Hawks’ training camp, he went on waivers, but was not claimed. Hillis, meanwhile, is in the third and final year of his entry-level contract. However, he seems far from the big league, he who was transferred to the Lions of Trois-Rivières, in the ECHL, for the second consecutive year. A third-round pick, also in 2018, he only played one game with the Canadiens, mostly due to the organization’s roster shortage at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

More fear than harm for Guhle

The stitches decorating Kaiden Guhle’s left ear aren’t the most appetizing sight, but they won’t stop the defender from playing in the next game. The youngster was hit by a puck during Tuesday’s game against the Minnesota Wild and had to leave the game early to receive first aid. His inner ear, however, was not affected, he said.

Armia and Slafkovsky wait

Even though they accompany their team on the road, it’s unclear whether Joel Armia and Juraj Slafkovsky will be playing soon. Armia suffered an “upper body” injury during a preseason game and is still continuing his rehabilitation. Slafkovsky was also hit in the “upper body” a week ago. He practiced for the first time on Wednesday, wearing a jersey that allowed him to give and receive contacts. After training, however, the club said they had still not received the green light from doctors to play.