Canadiens fan favorite at risk of losing his spot in the lineup due to roster congestion
With the acquisition of Patrik Laine via trade, the Canadiens' lineup for the upcoming season is starting to take shape.
The organization will have important decisions to make, particularly concerning the forwards who will form the team's fourth line.
As reported by the site Marqueur, journalist Eric Engels has identified a player who could potentially be left out due to the congestion in the Canadiens' offense at the start of the season.
Could Michael Pezzetta's time in the Canadiens' lineup soon be over? The ongoing camp will give us the answer
In his tenth season covering the Montreal Canadiens for Sportsnet, Eric Engels has identified Michael Pezzetta as the player who could lose his spot in the lineup.
Here are his explanations:
I'm not sure if they will immediately prove this during training camp, but I don't think it's far-fetched to say one or both could make Pezzetta more expendable in the near future.»
- Eric Engels
Engels has clearly identified Florian Xhekaj, the brother of the other Xhekaj, and Luke Tuch as forwards who could take on a similar role to Pezzetta in the near future.
However, he also stated that he expects number 55 to start the season in Montreal.
Even if he isn't in the lineup at the start of the season, the chances of seeing Pezzetta sooner rather than later in the formation are quite good, as a player of his caliber is always useful to a team.
Moreover, during the past two seasons, Martin St-Louis left him out of the lineup for the first game of the regular season, but he ended up playing 63 and 61 games, respectively.
It's known that the Toronto Maple Leafs have openly admitted wanting to add more toughness and grit to their lineup, and they would likely love to get their hands on a Michael Pezzetta (especially since he's from Toronto). However, we can bet that Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton will make sure to avoid that scenario.
Source: Marqueur
Canadien: Un attaquant bien aimé des partisans montréalais pourrait quitter l'organisation prochainement
| POLL | ||
Which player do you think has the best chance of being in the Canadiens' regular lineup over the next two seasons? | ||
| Michael Pezzetta | 53 | 7.8 % |
| Florian Xhekaj | 150 | 22 % |
| Luke Tuch | 24 | 3.5 % |
| Owen Beck | 456 | 66.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
