Ben Chiarot has been mentoring since the start of camp and it’s far from bothering him, but head coach Dominique Ducharme has said he expects answers soon about his defensive squad.
After having had Mattias Norlinder under his wing since the start of the camp, Chiarot found himself alongside Sami Niku on Wednesday.
Ducharme said Norlinder, struggling with an injury the nature of which has not been disclosed, will likely miss Friday and Saturday’s preseason games against the Ottawa Senators. Niku could therefore dispute both.
We know that Ben Chiarot, Jeff Petry, David Savard and Joel Edmundson (if he recovers from an injury that is slow to heal) will be in training on October 13 when the Canadian starts his season, against the Maple Leafs in Toronto. . For the rest, training therefore remains uncertain.
“We will have answers over the next few weeks,” noted Ducharme. We would like to have six consistent players. We want to build on each player’s strengths, depending on the situation – are we early or late in the game, etc. I believe that the next preseason games will give us answers on how we can work. “
A battle is therefore underway for the last two positions of regular player, and that of seventh defender with the club. Alexander Romanov is ahead of the game, although he hasn’t had an extraordinary camp so far. Niku, Norlinder, Kaiden Guhle and veterans Chris Wideman and Brett Kulak are therefore fighting for the last positions.
Niku was hired last Friday, days after his contract with the Winnipeg Jets was terminated by mutual agreement.
He has accepted a two-part deal with the Habs and hopes to take this second chance to establish himself in the NHL.
“It was my decision. I don’t care about the money, I wanted a new start to have the opportunity to play hockey, ”said the Finn, who will be celebrating his 25th birthday.e birthday on October 10.
“I am more mature than a few years ago. I want to prove that I can play in the NHL. “
Chiarot rubbed shoulders with Niku in the Jets, and they even formed a duo during a few meetings in 2018-19. “At the time, he was a prospect with great potential,” said Chiarot. He was calm with the puck and he wasn’t afraid to fake it to the blue line or carry the puck out of his crease. He was one of the Jets’ good prospects, but things changed after injuries. “
Ducharme praised the attacking qualities of Niku, named the American Hockey League’s Outstanding Defenseman after a 54-point campaign in 76 games with the Manitoba Moose in 2017-18.
The Canadiens coach made similar comments when talking about Wideman. And since three of the Canadiens’ four veteran defensemen have comparable defensive defensive profiles, it’s no wonder the team is looking for a more offensive player. “I’m an offensive defenseman who moves the puck well and skates well, but I have to work harder in my zone,” Niku admitted, describing his play.
Despite good performances since the start of the camp, everything indicates that Guhle and Norlinder will not remain in the entourage of the team at the end of the exercise. Guhle will likely return to the Prince Albert Raiders in the Western Hockey League, while Norlinder has an agreement to return to Sweden with Frölunda HC.
Guhle looked good in his first preseason game on Monday. Norlinder was also showing great things so far in camp, before falling in battle.
“He’s not far from the NHL,” Chiarot said of Norlinder. He is a good skater and has a good offensive instinct. He does not lack confidence, and it seems that he has been facing men for a few years already. His game is already very mature. “
So these are not the options that will be lacking in Ducharme when it comes time to reduce the number of defenders in the camp and to compose pairs that will be more similar to those who will start the season.
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