History looks to be repeating itself yet again, at least from an injury standpoint for the Montreal Canadiens. After leading the league in man-games lost the last few seasons, they’ve started accumulating more than their fair share so far in 2023-24.
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Roster spots have opened up as a result, which can be good news. At the very least, it’s a silver lining, as it translates to an opportunity for a few prospects, who otherwise wouldn’t have gotten a shot so soon.
That too can be history repeating itself, with several call-ups having proven themselves successfully the last few seasons. Looking purely at American Hockey League call-ups to the main roster so far in 2023-24, here are the likeliest to have a lasting impact with the Canadiens:
5. Joel Armia
You have to believe this isn’t the last Canadiens fans have seen of Joel Armia. His deal, which is still one of the worst Canadiens contracts, only expires in 2025. Seeing as the Habs resorted to sending him to the AHL out of training camp, instead of, say, trading him like Mike Hoffman last summer, clearly there were no takers.
So, there’s a fairly good chance Armia stays with the Canadiens up until his contract expires, especially as it looks like they don’t see the value in trying to build up his anymore. However, it’s hard to call the few games he’s gotten in this season due to injury (and the few games he almost inevitably will in the future) as a lasting impact. Logically, as soon as the Habs can, they’re cutting all ties to the Finnish forward.
4. Gustav Lindstrom
Speaking of the Mike Hoffman trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins, it indirectly led to the acquisition of defenseman Gustav Lindstrom. However, in accommodating Jeff Petry with a fast exit out of town (upon his acquisition), it was clear the Canadiens left a lot on the table when they turned around and dealt the veteran to the Detroit Red Wings.
In Lindstrom’s case, what they seemingly left on the table was a bona-fide future asset. Not only did they retain salary in the transaction, but all they got for Petry, who was a few seasons removed from being the Canadiens’ No. 1 defenseman, was a fourth-round pick and Lindstrom, who was on the relative outs with the Wings.
Despite Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes going on record as saying team scouts were high on Lindstrom, he didn’t make the team out of training camp. That’s a problem, as he’s 25. With well over 100 NHL games played in his career, it’s hard to call him a prospect at this point. His prospects with the Canadiens aren’t so hot, as a result.
3. Mattias Norlinder
In comparison, Mattias Norlinder’s training camp was seen as a rousing success, even if he failed to make the final cut. That’s because many had written the defenseman off as being a part of the Canadiens’ future. Yet, disproving unfounded rumours he was done with the Habs altogether by appearing in camp in the first place, he survived until the very end.
Norlinder does have a lot going for him, based primarily on his puck-moving skillset and mobility. He can also play both sides, speaking to his versatility. However, just having been called up with Jordan Harris having gotten injured, he’s also running out of time to establish himself as an NHLer at age 23.
Ultimately, as great as Norlinder’s training camp was, his season so far with the Laval Rocket has been underwhelming. He’s scored just a goal and an assist in 14 games, which aren’t the numbers you want to see from a supposed offensive defenseman. For context, Logan Mailloux, who got cut before Norlinder in training camp, has four goals and five assists in 16 games.
There are obviously many contributing factors to stats like that. And, to Norlinder’s credit, there’s something to be said for the Canadiens wanting him up with the organization right now. Unfortunately, it’s easy to get the impression he’s purely insurance in their eyes and running out of runway to boot.
2. Jayden Struble
Defenseman Jayden Struble just made his NHL debut Nov. 22 against the Anaheim Ducks as a relatively surprise call-up following the recent injury to Arber Xhekaj. Even so, it’s easy to see why the Canadiens chose him to replace the rugged Xhekaj, as he’s 6-foot, 205 pounds and plays a well-rounded game with a physical edge.
That having been said, Struble is a left-handed shot. You already have Mike Matheson, Kaiden Guhle, Harris and Xhekaj at the position in the NHL (when everyone’s healthy). He’ll have a hard time standing out at the position just because of Xhekaj, saying nothing of prospects on whom the Canadiens seem to be fairly high like William Trudeau, Lane Hutson and Adam Engstrom.
So, Struble has his work cut out from him, but you have to start somewhere. The 11:20 he got against the Ducks (one hit) was his. Hopefully, Canadiens fans will see more of him in the future.
1. Arber Xhekaj
Okay, this is admittedly cheating. However, officially speaking, Xhekaj was not on the Canadiens’ opening night roster. To maximize how much they can use of Carey Price’s cap hit with the goalie on long-term injured reserve, they cut Xhekaj (only to immediately call him back up) as a paper transaction.
Xhekaj was never really in danger of playing anywhere else but with the Canadiens to start the season… or at any other point this season in the future. He’s become a fan favorite and a legitimate NHL player, which is all the more impressive as he’s an undrafted free-agent signee (who’s proven many people wrong along the way, this writer included).
Not only that, but the 6-foot-4 behemoth (240 pounds) has rounded out his game considerably. He’s no longer just seen as an enforcer. He’s always been played in a fairly offensive role with time on the power play, but his five-on-five play has improved too.
To a degree, Xhekaj’s deployment helps in that regard. He only plays 14:45 per game, which is the lowest among the team’s seven defensive regulars. However, that’s got to be someone and the Canadiens and their fans seem exceptionally happy it’s him… exceptionally happy with him in general. Assuming he gets healthy, he’s a mainstay.
