A sobering season

Now, is there any rush for the Canadiens to call him up?

Not yet… but it feels like it could change.

The Swede is an exceptional Matheson skater. He’s improving defensively week by week, even if, as we saw again yesterday on a Bulls goal, positioning details still need fine-tuning and a little more nastiness wouldn’t hurt in his territory.

The fact that the Rocket’s #56, the ^92nd overall pick in 2022, hasn’t suffered any major injuries since arriving in Laval and can play on the right side without any problems, seems to have given him a slight edge over Reinbacher.

But Reinbacher hasn’t said his last word. In fact, he was EXCELLENT last night against Belleville, recording a goal and an assist in the process. He just has to learn to avoid exposing himself too much to injury, especially on blocked shots…

Patience… if possible!

After a decent practice camp in Montreal, let’s not get carried away with Engstrom’s good start to the season in Laval.

At the start of his 2nd season in America, let’s not lose sight of the fact that he’s just beginning to dominate on a regular basis in the American Hockey League, having probably been Laval’s best defenseman in the playoffs after a good end to the season.

So, all in all, we’re talking about, at most, half a season of really solid play in the AHL.

Ideally, as with Reinbacher, we’d like to give him a little more time to build up his confidence and become a true AHL monster.

He needs to dominate at this level, not just because of his above-average skating. He needs to become even more alert defensively and continue to improve his game-reading in all three zones.

As long as Struble, Xhekaj and Carrier can hold their own up top without being a nuisance (to be followed very closely!), the Habs can afford to let Pascal Vincent complete Engstrom’s development to AHL level. We seem to be on to something with him, and we mustn’t let him slip away.

But how long will it be before we break the status quo in the organizational defensive hierarchy?

Will we be tempted by a recall ahead of next week’s Western trip against talented clubs Utah, Vegas and Colorado?

Engstrom and Reinbacher must be ready.

Dobes as number one

Montembeault clearly needs quite a long time to recover.

The wear-and-tear injury that manifested itself in the playoffs against the Caps seems to have derailed his summer preparation or something. He’s just not himself anymore.

He’s already been given a chance to get his bearings, but it’s just not working. Since the start of the season, Montembeault has caused his club to lose more often than not.

With that in mind, Martin St-Louis must now turn to Jakub Dobes as his #1 goalkeeper.

Dobes hasn’t been perfect lately, but he hasn’t really been given the chance to establish himself as a true #1.

With Montembeault’s contract set to expire in June 2027, this seems to me to be a pretty good time to really test Dobes.

At 24, the organization needs to know how he can perform in the starting role.

Fowler? Kahkonen?

If Dobes and Montembeault don’t settle down by the holidays, what will the organization do?

It’s not uncommon to see an NHL club use three or four goalies in a single season. It’s often because of injuries, but Dobes could also return to the AHL without having to go through the waivers.

Kaapo Kahkonen, 29 years old, 140 NHL experience, .913% in the AHL, could get his chance if things don’t work out at the top.

Even the young Fowler, who turns 21 this week, could get a call-up at some point this season if things continue to fall apart in Montreal.

Also destined for a bright future, Carter Hart, Spencer Knight and Yaroslav Askarov all played at least one NHL game before the age of 21..

Fowler didn’t have as enviable a profile as them when he was drafted in 2023, but has been seen for more than a year as a goalie in the same category, that of good future NHL goalies.

To be continued..

And the forwards?

While we wait for Hage and Zharovsky, there’s no savior in Laval. We know that.

But with the prolonged absences of Laine, Newhook, Dach and possibly Evans, the stage is set for some real auditions.

Roy and Davidson were already there, and now Florian Xhekaj will get his first chance on a Saturday night at home against Toronto.

If need be, even veteran Laurent Dauphin, the AHL’s leading scorer, could help out by signing a deal with the Canadiens.

That said, Kent Hughes is surely busy on the phone. Over the years, the end of November has become a rather hectic time for GMs across the NHL.

If he’s on the move, will he be aiming for the long ball or the short, Carrier-style hit?

It all depends on how much he and Gorton want the organization to progress in this season of injuries and adversity.

If the slide continues, with a very promising first round next June, perhaps they’ll tell themselves that a little step back could be very profitable in the long run.

Needless to say, this season has not finished making us think…