Montreal Canadiens: A pair of moves in the organization
By Omar L
After their 2-1 win against Ottawa Wednesday night, the Montreal Canadiens made a pair of moves involving Daniel Carr and Zachary Fucale.
The Montreal Canadiens are on their second winning streak of the season. Now they’re one step closer to that final spot in the Atlantic Division. However, that wasn’t the only news that came after the game. The Habs announced that Daniel Carr will be joining the team from the Laval Rocket while goaltender Zachary Fucale is on his way back to the Brampton Beast of the ECHL.
He’s Back
Carr getting called up was a long time coming. The 26-year-old has been on a mission all season to get back to the NHL as he’s had a point-per-game in the AHL. Carr made his debut in Laval with a bang as he scored a hat-trick which included the overtime winner (assisted by then-teammate David Schlemko). Now he has stood out as the team’s best forward with a total of 12 goals and nine assists in 20 games.
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Similarly to Byron Froese, Carr hasn’t been able to duplicate these numbers in the NHL as he only has 18 points in 56 games with the Montreal Canadiens. However, what he does bring is energy and willingness to do whatever it takes to win.
Speaking of Froese, as much as we want to say this call-up was because of the Habs acknowledging Carr’s efforts with the Laval Rocket, it also has waiver implications. Andrew Zadarnowski of Habs Eyes on the Prize tweeted this after the announcement:
If Byron Froese plays one more game in the NHL he becomes waiver eligible again, so I suspect that he will be sent down to the AHL to make room for Daniel Carr.
— Andrew Zadarnowski (@AZadarski) November 30, 2017
It may not be the ideal circumstance to be given an opportunity, but at the end of the day, that’s what it is. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of impact Carr can have on the Habs. The fourth line has been alright as of late in generating pressure in the offensive zone. What they’ve been lacking is a finisher to convert on their chances. Hopefully, Carr can do that.
Going Beast Mode
The Montreal Canadiens have also sent 22-year-old Fucale to the Brampton Beast.
BREAKING: Goaltender Zach Fucale has been reassigned to the Beast from the AHL's @RocketLaval #RoarAsOne pic.twitter.com/4zREABA9zw
— Brampton Beast (@BramptonBeast) November 30, 2017
There’s a clear goalie jam in the organization which is a good thing, but also means that someone needs to be pushed down. What’s amazing is how far Michael McNiven has come after playing last year with Owen Sound, starting in the ECHL, and playing well enough in the AHL where he isn’t the first option to go.
Fucale isn’t new to Brampton as he started with them last season sporting a 25-12-2 record and a .898 save percentage. He was much better in the playoffs though with a .932. Fucale’s numbers with Laval haven’t been that good either, but you have to look at the whole team for that one.
This is most likely just to give the young goaltender a chance to play some starting minutes. At the same time, it allows the Montreal Canadiens to take a longer look at what they have in McNiven.
Next: Plekanec Won't Be Traded
How do you think Carr will play with the Montreal Canadiens? How would you rank the three young goaltenders in the organization? Let us know down in the comments.
Acknowledgements: AHL stats are from eliteprospects.com