Montreal Canadiens: Three Lineup Tweaks Dom Ducharme Must Make Now
Make Jeff Petry the #1 Defenceman
The biggest change that Ducharme needs to make is to elevate Jeff Petry to number one defenceman status. Since Shea Weber was acquired, anyone scratching Habs lines together would always have Weber as the team’s top pairing right defender.
That’s fair because that is how Weber has always been used. But it’s finally time to admit that Petry is the superior player, plays a more well rounded game and should be getting more ice time than anyone else on the team.
Petry’s partner this season, Joel Edmundson has fit in well and found chemistry with Petry almost immediately. The pairing could stay together and continue to play against difficult competition without issue. They aren’t being sheltered at the moment, and Edmundson leads the entire league in plus-minus at plus 18.
Petry’s defensive game is good enough to be a top pairing defender and he is currently leading the team in points with 18 in 20 games. He is a weapon on the power play, can handle the penalty kill and is terrific at even strength.
Elevating him to top pairing minutes wouldn’t even be a huge adjustment. He is already averaging 22:08 per game, he just needs that increased to about 23:30. Though it’s a small tweak, it sends a big message to elevate Petry to number one status as it moves captain Shea Weber down to the second pairing.
As mentioned earlier, Ducharme should also break up the Weber-Chiarot duo and move Chiarot down to the third pairing. Who plays with Weber? That’s up for grabs and all of Victor Mete, Brett Kulak and Alexander Romanov should get auditions next to the captain. May the best man win.
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Petry has already done enough to prove he is the best defenceman on the Canadiens. It’s time the head coach recognizes this and shakes up the defensive pairings and assignments to give the Habs their best chance of snapping out of a prolonged funk.