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Montreal Canadiens: No Talks With Eric Gelinas Yet

By Omar L

MONTREAL, QC - SEPTEMBER 21: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Eric Gelinas (52) skates during the second period of the NHL preseason game between the New Jersey Devils and the Montreal Canadiens on September 21, 2017, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - SEPTEMBER 21: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Eric Gelinas (52) skates during the second period of the NHL preseason game between the New Jersey Devils and the Montreal Canadiens on September 21, 2017, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Eric Gelinas has been trying to push for a contract with the Montreal Canadiens, but not a single discussion in that category has happened yet.

The battle for spots on the blue-line for the Montreal Canadiens has been interesting. Going into training camp, the only defencemen that were guaranteed to make the team were Shea Weber, Jeff Petry, Jordie Benn, and Karl Alzner. The other three spots were up for grabs.

It’s funny to see that 19-year-old Victor Mete has been the best defenceman at camp. There hasn’t really been a clear-cut winner in the battle for spots on defence. The Habs only PTO Eric Gelinas is knee-deep in this competition.

He’s definitely been one of the better options among the other players. Joseph Morrow, Brandon Davidson, and Mark Streit haven’t looked good at all. It’s been awful turnovers for Morrow and Davidson while Streit doesn’t seem to be able to keep up.

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As bad as it is to say, that’s good news for Gelinas. His major competition is Jakub Jerabek and David Schlemko who hasn’t played a single game in the preseason.

According to an article by TVA Sports, the Montreal Canadiens haven’t started any contract talks with him yet. That makes sense. Gelinas hasn’t been nearly as bad as the others, but hasn’t been lights out either. He’s only played in three games but scored a goal in one of them.

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These final preseason games against the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators are going to be key. Gelinas will play in at least one of them, and the coaching staff will have their eyes on him. Jerabek has looked better in every appearance he’s had for the Canadiens, and if Claude Julien thinks that he will be able to handle it, he’ll make the team.

On the other hand, it’s also likely that Julien feels Jerabek would succeed in Laval. Additionally, he’s on an entry-level-contract and is therefore easy to send down. That would be the best case scenario for Gelinas, but it’ll be up to him to make sure that he does his part.

Gelinas’ last contract carried a cap hit of $1.575 million (via Capfriendly.com). It wouldn’t be surprising to see Montreal give him around $1 million per season when the time comes. However, they need to start talks first, and the best way for Gelinas to trigger those is to show what he can bring to the team.

Next: Extending the Stanley Cup Window

Do you think Gelinas will make the team? Let us know what you think down below.

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