Top 8 Montreal Canadiens who should be first to get a recall this season
By Omar L
The Montreal Canadiens had several players in the system who easily could’ve made the team and in turn, have a deep pool of call-ups from the Laval Rocket.
A recall can mean many things during the NHL season. Most of the time, a player on the main squad is unavailable to play, be it by injury or suspension, and the team needs to have someone to take their place. Other times, a prospect is ready to get a taste of the big leagues and gets the tap on the shoulder that way. But either way, it’s essential to make sure your organization has a wealth of talent in the system, and the Montreal Canadiens have that heading into this season.
It won’t be like the 2016-17 season when a number of key players were injured without close to or equally effective replacements. The Habs have depth, and it’s going to help them stay competitive throughout the year. Not only has it come from players the team signed over the offseason, but also simple growth and progression from prospects in the system.
Assuming the Montreal Canadiens don’t pick and choose specific names and instead go for the best player available, you could argue there is a priority ranking as far as who should get the call.
Forwards
Ryan Poehling
This is kind of a no-brainer. Ryan Poehling here. Poehling was one of the prospects fighting for a spot and unfortunately, a concussion sustained in the preseason against the Florida Panthers held him to two games. The 2017 first-round pick still did enough to make the team in the little games he played and being sent down seems to be more of a short-term objective.
The Habs will find a way to bring Poehling up from the Laval Rocket in some way or another. The only issue is what his role will be once he’s up. Is it best for Poehling to play on the fourth line for the majority of the season or do the Montreal Canadiens free up a spot down the middle? Either way, if a centre goes down, Poehling is getting recalled first.