MONTREAL– Veteran defenseman Joel Edmundson, who is recovering from a lower back injury that kept him out of the roster this season, resumed skatingindicating that a return to the active Montreal Canadiens roster is on the horizon.
The back injuries are quite tricky and there is no timeline yet for his return, however, it would be wise to take stock of the current play of the Canadiens’ defensive core as there will be movement once ‘Edmundson will be cleared to play.
Several teams have shown interest in trading for the Canadiens’ assistant captain, preparing strong offers to acquire Edmundson’s services, but at this stage Kent Hughes is unlikely to move the veteran fullback. This may become a more attractive option at the traded deadline.
With a host of inexperienced players on the blue line, one would assume it would be easy to find several good candidates for assignment to the AHL-affiliated team, the Laval Rocket, but given the solid play of several of their defenders, the decision will be a little more complicated than expected.
Based on their underlying numbers alone, Kaiden Guhle is the first name that comes to mind. Although it would be unfair to punish the 20-year-old defender for his use, which leaves him up against the opposing team’s best players, players such as Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Auston Matthews.
It should be noted that despite some questionable possession numbers, Guhle’s numbers have steadily improved as the season progressed.
Guhle has also shown that not only can he manage a high number of minutes early in his professional hockey career, but he has some untapped offensive potential that should be explored further throughout the season.
Nick Suzuki stays true to the game and takes advantage of his own rebound to bring the score to 2-1!
First NHL point for Kaiden Guhle too! pic.twitter.com/x3LricSssF
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla) October 18, 2022
Jonathan Kovacevic is another player whose name will be thrown around once Edmundson is cleared to play, but the 25-year-old has done some good, if not great, work since coming off waivers for the Jets in Winnipeg.
Kovacevic has done a fantastic job mitigating the shots allowed by his opponents while on the ice, leading all defensemen in this regard, and currently has a 52% share of total shots during his shifts, the second highest mark on the blue line.
His low acquisition cost may lead to another visit to the waiver wire, but as a right-handed defender he would become one of the most coveted players to go through waivers early in the season.
That leaves Arber Xhekaj and Jordan Harris, both of whom can be sent to Laval without waivers.
But the fact is, both rookies have performed far beyond expectations since coming out of training camp.
Harris doesn’t just generate a ton of shots on net, although that’s certainly a fantastic attribute for a young NHL defenseman. He also boasts a positive shooting share this season of 51.6% and the best expected goal percentage of any defender. The Canadiens also outscored their opponents 5-1 while Harris is on the ice, and while that’s not a sustainable rate, his expected goal share tells Harris he’s having a positive impact on the team.
That leaves the Sherrif, Xhekaj. On the ice this season, the team has controlled 53.7% of the shots, an impressive number considering Xhekaj was not drafted.
But the Habs struggled to control high-risk chances and high-risk goals while he was on the ice, leaving Xhekaj bottom of the defenseman standings when it comes to those all-important numbers.
However, it should be noted that Xhekaj brings something to the team that none of the aforementioned players can provide.
He embodies entertainment.
His name is Lyle Odelein 2.0, and for those lucky enough to see Odelein play, that’s the highest compliment possible for a defender trying to find his place in the league.
WATCH: Arber Xhekaj intimidates Zack Kassian during fight
Besides his ability to ragdoll NHL veterans with reckless abandon, like an angry Hulk throwing himself around the helpless Loki, Xhekaj can also absorb much of the opposition’s anger, making life easier for the rest of his teammates.
Right now, he’s probably the most likely player to go to Laval once Edmundson returns, but he still has time to improve his numbers and maybe force management’s hand. .
Regardless of the player sent to the AHL, the mere fact that there is a discussion about which rookie deserves to be fired is a very positive sign for the team and its youth movement on defense, given that the discussion revolves around the group of young defenders defying all reasonable expectation.
(Statistics via NaturalStatTrick)
#Edmundsons #return #lead #tough #defensive #decision