Ryan Poehling has been having success so far with the Laval Rocket, but fans are still waiting for his opportunity to play with the Montreal Canadiens again.
News of the Montreal Canadiens 23-man roster came with optimism and angst. Many were excited about the idea of both Nick Suzuki and Cale Fleury, making the team out of camp, given how reliable in the preseason. However, seeing Ryan Poehling get sent down to the AHL wasn’t the finale most predicted after his NHL debut and progress throughout the summer.
A concussion sustained against the Florida Panthers fizzled that reality out, and the play of Nate Thompson made the difficult decision easier. Additionally, the possibility of Max Domi getting moved to the wing – which was another way the Habs could’ve made everything fit – wasn’t entertained once. That’s not to say Claude Julien made the wrong decision keeping Domi at centre as he’s tied for the lead in team scoring with three goals and six assists.
Fans accepted Poehling’s demotion with the belief that it wouldn’t last too long anyway.
“I don’t have a timeframe, but it’s not going to be for long,” says Marc Bergevin about sending Ryan Poehling to Laval.
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) October 1, 2019
At the very most, the 2017 first-round pick would play two or three games before the Montreal Canadiens made some kind of move to get him back in the NHL.
It’s been three weeks since and Poehling has played seven games with the Laval Rocket. He’s establishing himself as a leader on the team with two goals and two assists, which is only behind Alex Belzile in scoring. At the same time, Julien is loving what Thompson is bringing to the lineup both at 5v5 and on the penalty kill.
As the games go by, it’s continuing to look as if the Montreal Canadiens are prepared to leave Ryan Poehling in the AHL all season. He’ll likely be the first to be called up if there is any kind of injury down the middle, but it seems unlikely he plays if the team is healthy.
The top line centred by Phillip Danault is getting back into its groove of 5v5 relentlessness. The Habs are still trying to find Jesperi Kotkaniemi more ice time while Domi doesn’t seem to have lost a step off his production from last season.
This whole situation would be easier to manage for Montreal if Thompson wasn’t able to keep up with the rest of the team. Instead, his heavy play works on either end of the ice, and he has the trust of the coaching staff to play him, including moments where the team needs to hold on to a lead late in the third.
It might be better this way. Poehling has an opportunity to gain more confidence and take the lead of a Laval Rocket team who are getting off to a better start than they’ve had in years. A year of dominance can translate to the NHL fairly quickly, and it’s worked for Nick Suzuki so far as he’s found his offensive finish in the last week with the Habs.
At this point, the only way Poehling can get on to this roster is on the wing, which is still a little congested. Joel Armia is dealing with injuries, but the Montreal Canadiens still have extras in Jordan Weal. Poehling could get a call and play on the left-wing If the injury bug remains over the Bell Centre, and they lose another forward.
Again, that all comes down to injuries, which isn’t the most reliable (or warranted) event to hope for. There isn’t any room for Ryan Poehling right now, and as frustrating as that might be, it also speaks to how things have changed for the Montreal Canadiens.