With the fourth line and Artturi Lehkonen showing up on Friday for the Montreal Canadiens, Charles Hudon may have to force himself into the lineup again.
There was a flurry of emotion ahead of Friday’s Montreal Canadiens game. Fans were excited that Artturi Lehkonen was returning to the team after missing the last 16 games, but upset that it was Charles Hudon who was made the healthy scratch. Regardless of the success, the fourth line was having together; many were married to the idea of Byron Froese getting scratched instead.
That narrative changed after the game was over. Froese finished the game with a goal and an assist, and the entire line was a force once again. Additionally, Lehkonen had a great performance and was directly responsible for Brendan Gallagher‘s game-winning goal.
Now we have a problem. It’s not like Hudon has been playing horribly. In fact, he’s been one of if not the team’s best forecheckers all season. The only issue with Hudon was his inability at times to capitalize on his opportunities.
It’ll be tough for Claude Julien to find a way to have Hudon and Lehkonen playing at the same time while still maintaining the fourth line. Anyway, you look at it; there just isn’t any room for him right now.
However, this could work to Hudon’s advantage later on.
Prove It
Unlike newcomers such as Jonathan Drouin and Karl Alzner, Hudon wasn’t guaranteed a spot on this team. He had to work and stand out at training camp and in the preseason to prove to the coaching staff that he has what it takes to be an NHLer.
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Most of that work came with a little more production, but it’s not ideal to compare production in preseason to regular season. Hudon is going to have to force Julien’s hand one more time and steal someone’s job. There’s also the chance to fill in if someone is injured, but you don’t want to wish that on the team especially since health is something the Habs have had to deal with already.
Hudon will have to wait for another chance to be thrown his way, and this one might be longer if Montreal continues to play well. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out considering Julien is a big proponent of the 23-year-old’s game. We saw what Lehkonen did on his first night back; fans should expect something equal to or even better when Hudon get his shot.
When do you think Hudon will play again? Would you have taken someone else out instead of him? Let us know in the comments.