The Montreal Canadiens have made their choice sending Ryan Poehling to the Laval Rocket while Nick Suzuki and Cale Fleury officially make the team.
Well, there it is everyone. The focus heading into this season was on whether one of Ryan Poehling or Nick Suzuki could break through and make the Montreal Canadiens.
Many had Poehling in the runner’s seat for the opportunity given his NHL debut last year and his performance at development camp. That continued into the Rookie Tournament and preseason and there was ample evidence to say why Poehling should make it. Unfortunately, the concussion sustained in that game against the Florida Panthers derailed things a bit and kept him out of action despite returning for the exhibition match.
At the same time, it doesn’t help that Nate Thompson refused to back down and take a seat to the younger centre playing a style of hockey Claude Julien will appreciate.
While all that was happening, Suzuki grew and added more points to his resume as to why he should make the team. Whether it was playing along the wall or down the middle, the 2017 first-round pick found a way to make his presence known on the ice and not only offensively.
He proved he was responsible enough to play in the top six of an NHL lineup and his overtime winning goal against the Ottawa Senators was the cherry on top.
The sweet surprise was Cale Fleury. As far as defencemen go, many Montreal Canadiens fans looked to Josh Brook to be a dark horse to make the team out of camp, and it seemed as if the coaching staff was giving him an opportunity to do that. He was initially paired with Brett Kulak for some preseason games, but he looked at times overwhelmed getting outworked by the opposition.
While that was happening, Fleury was steady. He used his body to separate players from pucks and made smart decisions in the defensive zone.
It’s a win for the Habs organization as they’re able to add more speed, skill, and youth to the lineup. As for Ryan Poehling, he’ll get his opportunity one day. For now, he’ll be one of the key pieces on a Laval Rocket team hoping to make it to the playoffs.