Montreal Canadiens: Ryan Poehling should make his NHL debut

The Montreal Canadiens won’t be in the playoffs this season, and with one more game left, it would be a good opportunity for Ryan Poehling to play.

It’s frustrating to be at a point like this. The Montreal Canadiens did their best to push for that final wild-card spot but had to rely on another team to get the job done. And when the shootout ended, the Columbus Blue Jackets won, the New York Rangers lost, and the Habs were mathematically eliminated from contention. The final game of the year against the Toronto Maple Leafs was meant to be fiery and electric, and although the possibility of clinching is off the table, the Habs can still bring that energy to Bell Centre by having Ryan Poehling make his NHL debut.

The 2017 first-round pick has been in Montreal and with the team for nearly a week after signing his entry-level contract. Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be a place to play him with the Habs desperately fighting to get in. Claude Julien could’ve decided to play Poehling anyway, but as always, he chose to go with a known over an unknown. Additionally, there’s no time for developing in a playoff race.

Now things are different. It won’t be a mail-it-in game given the team’s opponent, and it’ll be a good chance to see what Poehling can do at the NHL level before the offseason. He’s already burned a year off his contract already, the Habs might as well slide him into the lineup for the finale, even if it’s on the fourth line.

Jordan Weal and Nate Thompson have been good additions for the Montreal Canadiens down the stretch, but they aren’t the future. Poehling is, and so is Jesperi Kotkaniemi who hopefully slides back to the centre spot for this game.

A night like this can seriously attribute Poehling to the atmosphere of the market. Regardless of their respective positions, the Habs and Leafs never disappoint and give fans of either team something to cheer about. Having Poehling be a part of that will be a good first step in the door of his professional career which will hopefully continue with the Montreal Canadiens next October.

However, the call is still Julien’s. He may choose to reward those who fought till the end even though the result wasn’t favourable. That’s understandable, at the same time, shifting focus on what is more important should take precedent.

The Montreal Canadiens have made it clear that the focus is and will continue to be the future. Poehling is the future, give him a taste.