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Montreal Canadiens: Top 3 Roster Battles To Watch At Training Camp

By Ken MacMillan

MONTREAL, QC - APRIL 06: Ryan Poehling #25 of the Montreal Canadiens skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs in his first career NHL game at the Bell Centre on April 6, 2019 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-5 in a shootout. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - APRIL 06: Ryan Poehling #25 of the Montreal Canadiens skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs in his first career NHL game at the Bell Centre on April 6, 2019 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-5 in a shootout. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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LAVAL, QC – DECEMBER 22: Noah Juulsen #44 (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
LAVAL, QC – DECEMBER 22: Noah Juulsen #44 (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

3. Who is going to be the third right defenseman?

As mentioned earlier, the Canadiens top five defensemen will be Shea Weber, Jeff Petry, Victor Mete, Ben Chiarot and Brett Kulak. It is likely that Mete will start the year with Weber on the top pairing and that Kulak and Chiarot will slot in behind Mete on the left side, with one of them playing in the top four with Jeff Petry.

On the bottom pairing, whether it is Chiarot or Kulak may change depending on the given night. The real question though, is who will be on the right side? There are a handful of candidates.

The favourites:

Noah Juulsen

Juulsen made the Canadiens out of training camp last season. As a 22 year old first round draft pick, you would think that means he has the inside track on the job. However, when he made the team last year, Weber was injured, opening up an extra role on the Habs blue line. Also, Juulsen was injured after being hit in the face with two pucks against the Washington Capitals and has not played a game since December.

Juulsen is a solid two-way defender and has a future on the Habs blue line for sure. Whether that includes opening night of the 2019-20 season will depend on how he performs during training camp.

Christian Folin

After Juulsen was injured the Canadiens acquired Christian Folin from the Philadelphia Flyers. He played 19 games with the Canadiens and though he scored just four points he played a sound defensive game and was a reliable third pairing guy. He is not flashy, nor is he the best puck-moving defender, but he is an experienced NHLer who brings a physical element and limits his mistakes.

The longshots:

Cale Fleury

Cale Fleury had a solid first pro season with the Laval Rocket a year ago. The 20 year old scored 23 points in 60 games. He is an average sized right shooting defender but he plays a physical role and moves the puck well for a young defender known more as a defensive presence than a power play specialist.

Fleury looked like a future NHLer with the Rocket last season, but is in tough to beat out Juulsen and Folin for a role this October. He will have to be excellent in training camp to start the year with the Canadiens.

Josh Brook

Like Fleury, Brook appears to have an NHL future, but it is not likely to begin this fall. He had an excellent season for the Moose Jaw Warriors last season, scoring 16 goals and 59 assists for 75 points in 59 games. He finished the season with the Laval Rocket, scoring one point in seven games.

Brook is an exceptionally gifted offensive defenseman. He is just 20 years old, but the Canadiens had an abysmal power play last season, and Brook’s specialty is running a team’s man advantage. He could steal a job with an outstanding camp.

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