Paul Byron getting suspended opened a window for the Montreal Canadiens to play Matthew Peca and Charles Hudon and the spotlight is on the latter.
The Montreal Canadiens are one game away from having Paul Byron return to the team. The speedy winger was handed a three-game suspension for his hit on MacKenzie Weegar. Since then, Matthew Peca and Charles Hudon have split assignments playing with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Joel Armia on the third line.
And thus the battle began. Peca already had the edge over Hudon before puck drop considering his usage on special teams. The Habs lost a penalty killer in Byron and Peca filled that void. However, after both games passed, it’s safe to say Hudon has taken a slight lead
Peca
- Win against Columbus
- 11:51 TOI (16 shifts) | 0 shots on goal
Hudon
- Loss to Philidelphia
- 15:13 (21 shifts) | 3 shots on goal | -1
Hudon had a lot going for him offensively being a lot more noticeable in the first period of the Flyers game then Peca was in the entirety of Friday night. He was on the ice for seven scoring chances where four of them were by his doing. Additionally, the line had control of the play with an on-ice Corsi-for of 70.83% vs. the 46.67% when Peca was on it.
That may not be completely fair though given the quality of competition. The Blue Jackets and Flyers are two different teams one being far more porous in terms of scoring chances allowed than the other. Yet the Montreal Canadiens were in control of Saturday’s game, at least in the first period, and Hudon’s efforts were a large part of that.
Several questions arise as we wait to see who gets the final game against the Arizona Coyotes before Byron returns.
- Who has actually won the internal competition?
- Does it even matter?
- What happens next?
Watching both games, as I mentioned earlier, should have Hudon on top. He generated a lot more and seemed to add the same level of offensive urgency that Byron brings when he’s there. But Claude Julien may see Hudon as something the Habs don’t need favouring Peca’s penalty killing and defensive play over the scoring potential.
On the other hand, the powerplay is still fluttering and is still last in the NHL at 12.6% which is an area Hudon could work in.
Answering the second question ties in directly with the first and what the criteria is. If we base this on overall play, I can’t say Hudon isn’t on top. It’s not only in the offensive end where he’s showing up but in the d-zone as well. Think back to the block he had which led to the Habs being able to clear the puck. Those kinds of plays are what Julien looks for and should keep Hudon in the good books on top of the generation.
What happens next? Who knows really? An article in The Athletic (subscription required) mentioned a text Byron sent Hudon when he was suspended basically saying to take a spot if the got the opportunity. The shape of the Montreal Canadiens, especially on the wing, make that a tough call. But what Hudon can do is keep himself as the first player to get inserted in when something goes awry.
At the same time, this competition leads fairly well into the trade deadline. Hudon may not get a true opportunity to play regularly on the Montreal Canadiens but that doesn’t mean he can’t get one on another team looking for youth, speed, and offence.
Acknowledgements: Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick.