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Montreal Canadiens Call Up Dale Weise

By Ken MacMillan

LAVAL, QC - OCTOBER 04: Laval Rocket right wing Dale Weise (21) waits for a faceoff during the Cleveland Monsters versus the Laval Rocket game on October 04, 2019, at Place Bell in Laval, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LAVAL, QC - OCTOBER 04: Laval Rocket right wing Dale Weise (21) waits for a faceoff during the Cleveland Monsters versus the Laval Rocket game on October 04, 2019, at Place Bell in Laval, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The Montreal Canadiens announced this evening that they have called up Dale Weise from the Laval Rocket.

The Montreal Canadiens have announced tonight that they have called up Dale Weise. The veteran right winger has been playing for the Laval Rocket and is getting his first call up to the National Hockey League this season.

Weise played nine games with the Canadiens last season. He was re-acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers along with Christian Folin in exchange for David Schlemko and Byron Froese. He was held pointless in those nine games, but scored two goals in three games with the Rocket.

Weise has played 27 games with the Rocket this season and has three goals and four assists for seven points. The 31 year old is in the last year of a five year contract signed with the Flyers that has him earning $2.35 million.

Weise played parts of three seasons with the Habs before signing that contract in Philadelphia. He set career highs with 14 goals and 29 points during that time and was infamously used on the first line for a lengthy stretch with Max Pacioretty.

Calling up Weise seems a bit odd at this time. The Habs are definitely fighting the injury bug, with Paul Byron, Jonathan Drouin and Joel Armia all injured. They have already dipped into their farm system by calling up Ryan Poehling, Lukas Vejedmo and Riley Barber. I would have thought Jake Evans would be the next one up, but Weise gets the call instead.

Evans is on fire offensively for the Rocket. He leads the team with 24 points in 35 games played but has been lighting it up lately after a slow start. He had just four points in his first 17 games but has 20 points in his last 18 contests. Weise on the other hand, has one goal and one assist in his last 15 games.

In the bigger picture, the Habs calling up a right winger in Weise, instead of a natural center in Evans is bad news for Brendan Gallagher. Gallagher left last night’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes early after being hit by Jordan Staal and falling hard into Ben Chiarot, hitting his head on the defenceman’s knee.

The Canadiens choosing to call up a right winger might signal Gallagher will be out of the lineup when the Habs take on the Lightning tomorrow night. They haven’t officially said that yet, but all sings are pointing toward a Gallagher injury, which should surprise no one who saw him go down late in the second period against the Canes.

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I still think it would make more sense to call up Evans, even if he has to move to right wing. Weise has been around the league a long time, and we know what little impact he will have on the lineup. Why not give Evans a shot? He has been playing far better hockey than Weise in Laval and we haven’t seen what he can offer at the NHL level yet.

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