The Montreal Canadiens may be getting some extra veteran help on the defensive side of things sooner than it seems. While it’s not a perfect remedy, and after all, the defense core has been performing far better than many would have expected.
There’s been a heavy reliance on David Savard to help anchor the Montreal Canadiens’ defense core. While the younger players have outperformed expectations and been great, they have also had some areas to improve.
Savard cannot carry the defense core, and Chris Wideman needs a reset. Mike Matheson remains injured, but Joel Edmundson is inching closer to a return. It sounds like he may be awaiting medical clearance before joining the Habs.
Naturally, Evgenii Dadonov’s sudden need for treatment on consecutive days after being scratched is fuelling a lot of reasonable speculation that he’ll eventually be waived to free up a roster spot for Joel Edmundson, who doesn’t yet have the green light from docs.
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) November 1, 2022
Engels notes in the tweet that he does not have the green light yet, but he is at least with the team on the road trip. Though he did not play against the Wild, there is food for thought that Edmundson may be able to suit up in the near future, even if not on the road trip.
Montreal Canadiens will benefit from Joel Edmundson returning.
While the Habs started the season without Edmundson as he deals with a nagging back injury, it sounds like they will get back a nice veteran to help reduce the workload of Savard. Even relying heavily on Savard and his performance, he keeps getting the job done.
The seven-year veteran was acquired via trade back in 2020 when the Habs got him from the Carolina Hurricanes for a fifth-round draft choice. Edmundson has since spent two seasons with the Habs organization. Last season things were abbreviated as Edmunson made a late entry to the season.
In 2021-22, Edmundson only played 24 games, where he had three goals and three assists for six total points. In 2020-21, Edmundson managed three goals with ten assists for 13 total points over 55 games played.
He’s a defensive-minded player who excels in the defensive zone. He’s going to bring help to the team’s defense core and help limit the opposition’s scoring chances. The bottom line is that Edmundson will benefit the Habs as soon as he returns.
That return could come sooner than expected as Edmunson is not only on the road with the team but also practicing. Here’s a clip of him from a few days ago.
#Habs defenceman Joel Edmundson is still wearing a blue non-contact jersey so practice in St. Louis but he is skating very well #HabsIO pic.twitter.com/BhJKQdeTu6
— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) October 28, 2022
While a return is not imminent, and a few practices in a regular practice jersey will be needed. It sounds like the Habs are not too far from getting much-needed help on the team’s back end.
Again, I want to point out that the team is off to a far better start than expected. Even with some bumps & bruises and areas of concern, the Habs have done well to this point. They have made do with what they have, and adding Edmundson will help even more.
He’s going to jump into the defense core and likely be able to assist on special teams and help Savard from not having to play what feels like 25-30 minutes a night, or at least help give him a rest at times.