Montreal Canadiens: Where Does Ryan Poehling Play Next Season?

The Montreal Canadiens finally have some center depth in their organization. There is no rush to get Ryan Poehling to the NHL, but is that where he is going to start next season?

The Montreal Canadiens went out on a limb in the 2017 NHL Draft when they took Ryan Poehling with the 25th selection. Poehling had just finished his first year of College hockey with the St. Cloud State Huskies.

You would expect a first round pick out of College to have scored quite a few points. Even late in the first round, you might not get a point-per-game guy, but something pretty close you would hope. Poehling however, had just 13 points in 35 games that season, his freshman year in the NCAA.

The Lakeville, Minnesota native was young for a College player. He didn’t turn 18 until halfway through his first season with St. Cloud. Poehling fast-tracked his high school courses so that he could go to College a year early.

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So the Canadiens were not overly concerned with his offensive numbers in his freshman season. They said his two-way game impressed them and when he built up a little more strength he would start to score more at the NCAA level.

He did just that in his second and third seasons with the Huskies. Both years Poehling played 36 games and scored 31 points. He also played an impressive shutdown role both seasons for the team that was ranked first in the country for most of those two years.

National titles did not come his way, but Poehling played well enough to suit up for USA at the last two World Junior tournaments. He played a depth role as an 18 year old but dominated at both ends of the ice as a 19 year old.

Team USA won a bronze medal in 2018 and a silver medal in 2019. Poehling didn’t get the medal he wanted but he did win MVP of the most recent tournament after scoring five goals and eight points in seven games.

Poehling’s College season came to a crashing halt, literally. The 6’2″ center was cutting toward the opposition’s goal as he often does, but was taken out and slammed hard into the boards in the Huskies first playoff game. He wouldn’t return due to a shoulder injury and the team’s season came to an unexpectedly early end.

His College career was over but Poehling signed his entry-level contract and made his professional debut in the Canadiens last game of the season. They had just been eliminated from playoff contention so it was the most meaningless game of the year, but Poehling made it one of the most memorable.

In his only NHL action, Poehling scored three goals against the rival Toronto Maple Leafs and added a shootout game winner for icing on the cake. It was about as impressive a debut as you could ask for from anyone.

Now, we can’t expect him to score three goals every time he steps on the ice, but can we at least expect him to crack the NHL roster and jump right over the Laval Rocket of the AHL?

Well, if the team’s development camp was any indication, he is far and away above any of the other prospects on the team. Watching the development camp scrimmages was like watching a bunch of kids playing shinny until one of their older brothers shows up and just dominates. Poehling’s size, smarts and two-way play showed he was a step above everyone else in the system.

He might be just 20 years old, but he is definitely ready to play a role in the NHL. How much ice time he can handle will be up to him to decide by his play. It is clear though that there is no need to force him to prove once again in Laval that he is NHL ready.

He already showed it by being the leader and two-way dynamo for the best team in NCAA Hockey for the past two years. He showed it by dominating at the World Juniors, shutting down the opposition and scoring over a point-per-game, taking home the MVP. He showed it in his one game of NHL action, scoring three times on the Maple Leafs and he showed it again at development camp that there is no more developing needed.

Poehling is an NHL player already. His two-way game is going to eventually turn him into a Ryan O’Reilly or Jonathan Toews type player. He has that much potential. There is no need in making him prove at the AHL level that is ready to play with the big club.

Sure, the Habs have a few good centers already in Phillip Danault, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Max Domi. They also have some competition for the fourth line spot in Nate Thompson, Jordan Weal and Nick Cousins.

However, Poehling is already a better player than Thompson, Cousins and Weal. He will beat them out for the fourth line role. It won’t take him very long to earn an even bigger role and perhaps push Domi back to the wing so there is room for him in the top nine. Just give him the chance and he will prove he belongs.