Montreal Canadiens: It’s a golden opportunity for Michael McCarron

Michael McCarron has a chance to make one final impact with the Montreal Canadiens in his latest call-up to prove that he’s a player worth investing in.

The Montreal Canadiens have been able to make the most out of a playoff-less season by giving their younger players bigger roles. Noah Juulsen has been rock steady on the blue line since making his NHL debut, while Nikita Scherbak is continuing to display the top-six skill many hoped he would eventually bring to the table. With the latest injuries to Phillip Danault and Andrew Shaw, Michael McCarron is going to get his shot as well.

The Habs recalled the young centre Wednesday night after the Laval Rocket loss to the Toronto Marlies, and regardless of the team’s place in the standings, there will be a level of pressure that comes with stepping on that NHL ice. McCarron was up with the Montreal Canadiens at the end of October and saw eight games with the big club.

He didn’t have the kind of impact that he or the coaching staff was hoping for, despite lining up at times with skilled players in Scherbak and Alex Galchenyuk. It was back to the AHL after the team’s 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights, but there weren’t any clear signs as to whether he would return.

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Since then, McCarron has grown his ‘crash and bang’ game improving the difficulty of opponents playing against him. He’s made strides defensively, put up some points (7 goals and 17 assists), racked up a lot of penalty minutes (109), and looks ready to show the Montreal Canadiens what he’s got.

The timing couldn’t be any better. The Habs have been challenging their younger players to make their presence known on the ice, and McCarron has a golden opportunity to do that in these remaining games. The 2013 first-round pick is an RFA at the end of the season, and this will be a good chance for management to track the progress that he’s made. Apparently, he’s been groomed in Laval this year to serve a third-line shutdown role, and that’s where Claude Julien will most likely roll McCarron out.

Pace, skating, and reliability are a few things the Habs will be looking for from the 23-year-old. It’s going to be tough as the Pittsburgh Penguins are in town, but what better time to show some growth than right now.

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Do you think McCarron has grown? What can he bring to the Montreal Canadiens? Let us know in the comments below.