Montreal Canadiens: Joel Edmundson To Make Season Debut

The Montreal Canadiens are gearing up for the trade deadline which will arrive in just over a week.

While they will be shipping out some key veteran players ahead of the March 21st deadline for deals, they just got news that one veteran who plays a big role in the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final last year is set to return to the lineup.

Joel Edmundson has not been able to play yet this season, but he will be in the lineup when the Canadiens play tonight.

The Habs have dealt with many injuries this season, en route to sitting last in the NHL standings for long stretches of the season. Edmundson is one player that played a top four role on the blue line last season, but has not been able to play a single shift yet this year.

Edmundson was acquired for a fifth round pick from the Carolina Hurricanes shortly before he was slated to become an unrestricted free agent. The Habs quickly inked him to a four year contract with a cap hit of $3.5 million.

The big, rugged, defensive defenceman was partnered with Jeff Petry for much of last season and filled the role admirably, shutting down the opposition and allowing Petry to flourish offensively without worrying about leaving Edmundson out to dry since he was quite capable of handling defensive duties.

Edmundson had a back injury at the start of training camp that lingered far longer than anyone predicted. He is finally healthy and ready to go tonight, though he likely won’t partner with Petry tonight. Petry will likely play well over 20 minutes while Edmundson eases back into the lineup.

The Canadiens take on the Seattle Kraken tonight at the Bell Centre after a road trip out west wrapped up with a loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday.

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