Montreal Canadiens: Don’t Forget About Jakub Jerabek
By Omar L
The play of some of the younger defencemen on the Montreal Canadiens, seems to have made us forget about Jakub Jerabek who could still push for a spot.
This has been an interesting training camp hasn’t it? Not only are there a handful of new faces in the Montreal Canadiens organization, but the younger faces are making Claude Julien‘s job a little harder.
There were initial question marks around Charles Hudon ahead of camp this year. Sure he’s been a prolific point-getter in the AHL, and was good in his six NHL games, but could he do it every night on the Habs? However, after his performances in the scrimmage and preseason games, It’s safe to say that he’ll be on the team this year
The future blue-line has been where the most excitement has taken place. First, the hype was around Victor Mete. It took a lot Habs fans by surprise to see him paired up with Shea Weber in practices and during the scrimmage match. Julien gave the 19-year-old a lot of praise, and it looked like he may be getting a long look ahead of the regular season.
After Monday night’s preseason game, the talk transitioned to Brett Lernout. The Canadiens lost the game, but he was one of, if not, the standout of the night. He was physical, agile, and was very effective in disrupting Boston’s attempts at getting a play going. Additionally, he has a pretty heavy shot.
Related Story: Lernout Stands Out in Montreal's 3-2 Loss to Boston
Joe Morrow also got some praise from Habs fans. Ignoring his turnover that led to the first Boston goal, he showed flashes of what made him a first round pick. Whether he could reach those heights is another question.
Finally there’s Noah Juulsen. He’s been dubbed the Montreal Canadiens best defensive prospect by many. All eyes have been on him starting at the Rookie Tournament, where he served as captain, to now. Juulsen doesn’t really have a loud game where he’s at his best when he makes those simple plays that coaches love. However when he stands out, he stands out.
At one time or another, each of these defencemen have been plugged into the line-up somehow, but there’s one name we may have left on the back burner.
Don’t You Forget About Me
Saying that we have forgotten about Jakub Jerabek may be a little aggressive. However, his, “Player of Interest”, meter has dropped in the last week or two.
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He hasn’t really stood out, unlike the other defencemen in the pool. His play during Sunday’s scrimmage game didn’t help either as he was pretty shaky. However, we may have to give Jerabek a lot more slack than before.
Going from the KHL to the NHL isn’t an easy transition, especially for a defenceman. With the smaller ice, you have less time to make decisions which is key for a blue-liner. Jerabek’s skating ability may be able to save him there though.
The Canadiens play their second preseason game Wednesday against the Washington Capitals. Hopefully Jerabek gets the nod to play so we can see how he does. If he struggles in that game and future ones, it’ll make Julien’s decision regarding where he plays a bit easier.
Remember that Jerabek is on a one-year entry-level-contract. If the Habs wanted to, they could send him down to play for the Laval Rocket to start the season. There he would get more exposure and comfort to the smaller ice and have a chance at excelling against weaker competition.
Will benefit Jerabek in the long run? Maybe or maybe not. It could be better to let him find his legs in the NHL, but that’s Julien’s final call. We all know that defence is a big thing with him, and if he can’t do that well, then we know where he’ll end up. We based all our excitement on Jerabek on what he did in another league, let’s give him the chance to show us what he can do for the Montreal Canadiens here.
Next: Thank Columbus For Charles Hudon
Are you still excited to see what Jerabek can do? Have the other defencemen passed him that much? Let us know your thoughts down below.