Montreal Canadiens Recall Michael McCarron and Nikita Scherbak
The Montreal Canadiens announced Sunday that Michael McCarron and Nikita Scherbak have been recalled from the Laval Rocket.
With injuries to David Schlemko and Ales Hemsky, it was a matter of time before the Montreal Canadiens recalled someone.
Both Michael McCarron and Nikita Scherbak have had solid starts to their season. Scherbak is leading the team in points with a goal and eight assists while McCarron isn’t too far back with four. Perhaps it was the fact that the team has played close enough for management to see them whenever they wanted, but they have looked world’s better than they did in the preseason.
This could be more than just an injury call up. The Habs are in need of a spark to help get them out of this slump. Hemsky hasn’t been the best player even before his injury. The power play time Claude Julien has given him since the start of the season could be better put to use in the hands of someone like Scherbak.
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The next question is where they play in the lineup. Although two spots opened up because of injuries, there’s only one spot available among the forward lines. If Julien doesn’t want to scramble the lines up again, Scherbak will play with Artturi Lehkonen and Tomas Plekanec. He’s the most likely between the two to get first crack at playing based on his success with Laval.
McCarron could play as well, but someone else would have to be taken out. The easiest choice would be Jacob de La Rose considering he’s spend time in the press box this season already. Additionally, his size and aggressive play, in combination with skill, could be another beneficial addition to the Montreal Canadiens roster that they’ve been lacking.
The Habs don’t play until Tuesday, so Julien has time to work things out in his head and decide on the best course of action. No matter who plays first, it’ll be interesting to see how well they do.
Next: Edmonton as a Trade Partner
What do you make of the call up? Could either of them play well enough to remain with the Montreal Canadiens? Let us know your thoughts down below.