Arber Xhekaj removed from the Montreal Canadiens' lineup? Major statement on the trade finalized with the Red Wings, coming from Grant McCagg

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MarcO
August 19, 2023 (4:15 PM)

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Recently acquired from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for Jeff Petry, few Canadiens fans are familiar with the young defenseman Gustav Lindstrom.

For most people, he was expected to be a depth defenseman, having collected eight points in 36 games in 2002-2023 with the Motor City's organization.

However, as reported by Danslescoulisses.com, a former Canadiens employee sees Lindstrom becoming a key defenseman within the organization, and he made quite a statement about him.

Former scout Grant McCagg, who is now very active on social media, stated during his appearance on The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro that he could very well see Kent Hughes' new acquisition on the Canadiens' second defensive pairing to start the season.

However, he added a caveat, Lindstrom might play on the right of the second pair, should Jordan Harris or Arber Xhekaj be unable to play on the right.

All of this is mere speculation for now, but McCagg also made a statement that might not sit well with fans of Justin Barron. According to him, the Canadiens' number 52 should start the season with the Laval Rocket to ensure he continues his development properly.

Really? Should we once again send Justin Barron to the American league for a second consecutive season start?

On this point, I must say that I disagree with the former scout, as Barron proved during the second half of last season that he belongs in the NHL.

Regardless, if we return to the case of Lindstrom; if he were to start the season among the Canadiens' top four defensemen, it would mean he had an outstanding training camp and fully deserves his spot.

We'll have the answer in the coming weeks.