The Montreal Canadiens managed to call-up Charlie Lindgren on an emergency basis, but they should find a way to make sure that he stays in the NHL.
The Collective Bargaining Agreement is a very in-depth and complex piece of literature. Fortunately, it helped the Montreal Canadiens and allowed them to recall Charlie Lindgren from the Laval Rocket yesterday. There’s still some confusion as to how they were able to do that and bring Noah Juulsen up as well.
According to Capfriendly, the Habs made use of one of their Goaltender Exceptions. The CBA allows teams to bring up a third goaltender in the event of one of them being injured or suspended even if the 23-man limit is already reached. That allowed Lindgren to be up and Carey Price to get the night off without going on injured reserve.
It’s essentially an emergency recall. Once Price is ready to go again, Lindgren will have to go back to the AHL similarly to when Zachary Fucale was recalled after Al Montoya went down back in November. We don’t necessarily know how long this will last. Claude Julien said that Price would be evaluated to see if there is anything major after taking a shot to the side of the mask. For now, that’s Lindgren’s window.
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But is the Laval Rocket the best place for the 24-year-old? The Habs have already made it clear – or at least they’ve appeared to – that Lindgren is part of the future. Antti Niemi has been a solid backup goaltender for Montreal since being claimed, but he isn’t. If there were ever a time to try to find a trade partner to acquire Niemi’s services, it would be now.
Jakub Jerabek was traded because management ‘didn’t want him to leave and get nothing in return.’ Considering the 34-year-old is also a UFA at the end of the season, the same approach should be taken with him.
There are enough games left in the season for Lindgren to get back in NHL form. Additionally, having him up provides Fucale with a spot in the AHL to play instead of continuously bouncing back and forth between the Laval Rocket and the Brampton Beast.
It’s easier said than done obviously, but Lindgren playing games should mean more the organization than Niemi playing games. If the plan for next season is to bounce back and make the playoffs, then the young goaltender will be a big part of it.
Do you think Lindgren should remain with the Habs for the rest of the season? Let us know in the comments below.