Montreal Canadiens: The Significance of Peter Holland on Waivers

The Montreal Canadiens put Peter Holland on waivers Saturday afternoon. As much as it was a move to clear roster space, it could hint at something else.

By 5 PM Eastern time, all 31 teams in the NHL have to have their cap compliant rosters finalized. Considering the Montreal Canadiens were still over the 23-man roster, it makes sense that transitions would have to be made to reduce the number.

Players have been cut and others have been placed on waivers. Matt Taormina and Chris Terry have already cleared and will be reporting to the Laval Rocket. Montreal continued this trend Saturday afternoon by making Peter Holland and Daniel Carr available to the rest of the league.

Holland, as well as Jacob de La Rose and Torrey Mitchell, have been in a battle for that fourth line center position in the later days of training camp. He didn’t stand out as much, but had recently improved. In particular, the games against the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers.

Additionally, he played pretty well with Nikita Scherbak and Alex Galchenyuk. There was a slim chance that Scherbak would be back in the race to make the team after a single solid performance, but considering how the rest of the line-up is shaking up, it was possible that Holland and Galchenyuk could’ve played together again.

However, he was still put on waivers. I don’t think it was about his ability as a player. Claude Julien said a lot of good things about him, including that he believes he’s an NHL centerman.

Reading the Tea Leaves

I wrote a post a few days ago on how the fourth line center position could possibly be a one-v-one match between de La Rose and Mitchell. After this move by the team, it looks like that’s exactly the case.

Related Story: Torrey Mitchell or Jacob de La Rose?

Who’s in the lead though? It might be de La Rose since Mitchell didn’t play in either of the final two games. Perhaps the Montreal Canadiens are strongly considering moving on from the 32-year-old. He’s been on the team for the past three seasons as their defensively responsible option. Entering the final year of his contract, it was highly unlikely that he would return to the team next season.

With the emergence of Victor Mete and Charles Hudon as potential serviceable players, this may be another attempt to give the homegrown talent a chance. Additionally, de La Rose needs to clear waivers and it may not be as easy as the others.

He would definitely be a better option for Galchenyuk to play with if his only fit is on the fourth line to start the season. At the same time, Julien knows Mitchell and what he can do. If he prefers a more sturdy option on that line, then it could be the veteran instead.

These next few days will be interesting for the Montreal Canadiens management. Either choice they make will come with its risks, but hopefully it’s the right one.

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Did the Habs make the right choice in waiving Holland? Will de La Rose be the one to make the team? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.