Canadiens: Potential Surprise Players to Watch out for in Training Camp

Jean-Sebastien Dea

Considered to be the Canadiens least noteworthy addition in free agency thus far, I feel as though there’s a lot more to Jean Sebastien Dea’s game than meets the eye, and could see him filling a similar role to a certain set of players in the 2018-19 season. While it’s been mostly forgotten in the present day, the Canadiens brief fourth line of Kenny Agostino and Michael Chaput was one of the most intriguing choices the Canadiens front office have made over the past few seasons.

Dressing two AHL players who had seen little in the way of NHL action? Well, in spite of the obvious concerns present in that decision, both Chaput and Agostino played key defensive roles for the Canadiens that season, and briefly found success with other teams down the road, whether through waivers or trades.

In that same sense, I could see Dea filling a similar role and being one of the biggest surprises for the Canadiens come 2021-22. A former undrafted pickup by the Pittsburgh Penguins out of, like Belzile, the QMJHL, Dea has managed a few cups of coffee in the NHL, with a career-high of 2-3-5 totals over 20 games with the New Jersey Devils in 2018-19. This past season, Dea appeared on most people’s radars after being slotted in on the Buffalo Sabres first line during their dreadful 18-game losing skid. While the experiment produced few results, Dea nonetheless got his opportunity, and has managed to be a continually consistent offensive threat in the AHL.

While its unlikely he earns a roster spot straight out of training camp, I could see Dea being a prime call-up candidate for the Canadiens, and another feel-good story from the Laval native. Either way, Dea should continue to produce for the Rocket and potentially see himself with another Agostino-like opportunity, as the Canadiens look to build on what was an immensely successful season in 2020-21.