Noah Juulsen should still have a role on the Montreal Canadiens

Noah Juulsen has had a difficult story with the Montreal Canadiens since making his NHL debut, but he should be next in line to get a contract.

After the Montreal Canadiens selected Alex Galchenyuk third overall in 2012, the fan base went through years of crossing fingers hoping first-round picks would pan out. Michael McCarron in 2013 was a direct response to being physically dominated in the playoffs against the Ottawa Senators while Nikita Scherbak came with a series of cautious optimism after an impressing rookie season with the Everett Silvertips. Noah Juulsen, on the other hand, was a true bright light.

The Habs already had options on the right side with Andrei Markov, P.K. Subban and a newly acquired Jeff Petry. But there was a lot of positivity looking ahead to Juulsen.

He was a defenceman who generated buzz out of the WHL being on the ice for a lot of scoring while being able to use his size and skating to put himself in favourable positions. Juulsen wasn’t the player the Montreal Canadiens needed at the exact moment – with goal scoring and the search for a number one centre still in full effect – but he was a prospect to track for the future.

Juulsen wasn’t the best scorer, and a lot of that was from the system the Silvertips were enforcing at the time in ‘defence first always’, however, he was still able to have decent offensive seasons. Those numbers didn’t transition into his first professional season in the AHL with the Laval Rocket, but his overall play was reassuring.

When Juulsen made his NHL debut in the season where the Habs couldn’t escape injuries and managed to make Karl Alzner better, it was clear the Canadiens had a gem on their hands. At the same time, it’s ironic how the rest of the story played out for Juulsen. Injuries brought him up, but they also kept him down.

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His eventual debut was preceded with a foot fracture that kept him out for the first six weeks of the 2017-18 season. Juulsen made the team out of camp and took two pucks to the face leading to facial fractures. He was able to return to the Habs before being sent back down to the Laval Rocket. Unfortunately, issues with his vision shut down his season, while headaches delayed his play for the current season.

Juulsen played in 12 games before being shut down once again for an extended period of time, returning for a game against the Belleville Senators on March 11th. The 23-year-old had two shots in the 3-0 victory playing on the top pair with Otto Leskinen.

He made smart decisions, fired off some crisp passes and looked confident. Juulsen’s confidence on the blue line was very reassuring for a defenceman who hadn’t played much in the year, and the play away from his puck, something that was highlighted in his draft year, was on point.

With the AHL shutting down their season, Juulsen likely played his last game of the season. The Montreal Canadiens could call him up once/if the season restarts, but it would be highly irresponsible to do so. The downside though, is that Juulsen is a pending restricted free agent.

The Habs have already extended Gustav Olofsson and Alex Belzile while signing 2018 second-round pick Jesse Ylonen to an entry-level contract. Juulsen is one of ten remaining RFAs in need of contracts, and I see no reason for Marc Bergevin not to sign him.

Petry is in the final year of his deal, which may see him extended or moved based on the performance of the team while Shea Weber is still here for the foreseeable future. Even if Josh Brook and Cale Fleury, who made the Montreal Canadiens out of camp, are in the fold, Juulsen should still be signed.

The defenceman has had a lot of hardship come his way, and if it weren’t for injuries, he would’ve been in the NHL a lot sooner. Juulsen is an NHL defenceman, and if given the opportunity, he can become something greater.