Jordie Benn has been the odd man out for the Montreal Canadiens a handful of times this season, and he hasn’t been happy with it.
Is it me or have the Montreal Canadiens been a little more outspoken lately? There were the emotion-filled words from Max Pacioretty after the team’s shootout loss to Philadelphia Flyers hours after the Trade Deadline where he shared how it was for him dealing with the possibility of a move to another team. Recently Paul Byron spoke out on the team’s effort, and now there is a new name sharing his thoughts.
Jordie Benn was held out of the team’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. It wasn’t the first time the 30-year-old had to watch his teammates from the press box, in fact, that made it healthy scratch number four. However, that didn’t ease his frustration on the decision, and he voiced it to the media saying:
"It’s bad and it’s nauseating, but what can I do. I’m not going to scream and get carried away with that. I’ll wait for my turn, that’s all (Translated)."
Claude Julien brought up the notion of the defensive rotation as a reason for Benn sitting out. At the same time, you have to think that the head coach is continuing to implement a level of internal competition and evaluation for the future. As good as Noah Juulsen and Mike Reilly have been, the Montreal Canadiens don’t want them to feel complacent. It’s still an audition for the young defenceman to prove they can be everyday NHL players.
At the same time, the team has to see what they have in David Schlemko who hasn’t seen too many games this season with all the injuries. Revamping the blue line is going to be something on Marc Bergevin‘s to-do list, and that requires taking note of what a player does for and against the lineup. Sometimes the best way to do that is seeing how they play without you, and hence Benn sits.
There are still two games left in the season, and Benn could get into either one of them or both. However, when he does, it would be in his best interest to have some good performances.
Next: From the Toronto Maple Leafs to Joni Ikonen
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