The Montreal Canadiens are wrapping up their first week of training camp and a few players have already been let go.
They began the camp with 70 players on the official roster, but have reduced that number a few times already.
Earlier today, they dropped the number of players trying out for a spot on the NHL roster by one when they released Daniil Sobolev from NHL training camp.
Sobolev was a 5th round pick of the Canadiens in the 2021 NHL Draft. The Russian is a slender defenceman but he has good offensive instincts and tools. At 5’10” and 154 pounds, he isn’t the most physical defender, but the right hand shot makes up for it by making good reads with the puck and getting things transitioned from defence to offence in a hurry.
The 18 year old played last season in Russia’s Junior league, and he will play the upcoming season with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League.
It is no surprise that the young player is being sent down now. He was drafted in the 5th round a couple months ago and is set to play his first season of Junior hockey in North America. The Spitfires season begins next Thursday, October 7th so sending him down now gives him a week to get adjusted to Windsor and then he can hit the ground (ice) running (skating) with the Spitfires.
Sobolev will now join Joshua Roy, Xavier Simoneau and Joe Vrbetic who were previously sent back to Junior by the Habs. Factoring in Shea Weber’s injury and there are now 66 players taking part in training camp, though a handful are injured.
The Canadiens next preseason games are this weekend when they face the Ottawa Senators on Friday and Saturday night. The Laval Rocket should open camp later this week as well which will result in more than a dozen players being sent down to the AHL level in the near future.