Montreal Canadiens 2024 Rookie Camp -players to watch
The Montreal Canadiens opened up their 2024 Rooking training camp on Wednesday Sept 11. In all, 23 players were invited, and they spent better part of the first day of camp taking part in physicals. Thursday and Friday will be on ice drills. Followed by a Prospects Showdown on Saturday and Sunday vs the Toronto Maple Leafs rookies. Both games will be held at the Bell Centre.
In total, Montreal Canadiens invited 23 players. And this is the most impressive and anticipated rookie camp in many years, as many of them will be looking to impress to not only make the main camp in two weeks time, but to be on the opening day roster.
Fans attending the games this weekend at the Bell Centre are in for a treat, as the Canadiens will unveil their brand new centre ice jumbo scoreboard.
According to Canadiens.com, the previous scoreboard was installed in 2008 that was 29’ x 16’ on all four sides. The new board measures 41’ x 21’ along the length of the ice and 32’ x 21’ facing the ends – a total video surface of nearly 2,900 square feet. It features an ultra-high-definition image with 2.5 times the resolution of its predecessor and integrates rounded corners to allow for enhanced visuals that incorporate 360-degree video and forced perspective. Additionally, two angled screens measuring 21’ x 6’6” will be installed below the longer sides of the board to provide better viewing angles for fans in lower seats.
The Montreal Canadiens injury situation is pretty ugly right now. Losing Christian Dvorak for the whole season is a big blow – he was starting to come into his own as a two-way center. To make matters worse, there are two more centers also injured. Plus, Goalie Carey Price being sidelined puts more pressure on the goalies remaining in the team.
The Current Long-Term Injury List Isn’t Pretty
Currently, 3 key players are out for the remainder of the season. Worst still, the Montreal Canadiens have had a bad run of injuries with 3 Centers out.
This is a huge blow to the Canadiens playoff. Finishing in the top 3 from the team’s current 6th position will be tough. The team is 9 points off 3rd place Canadian rivals the Tronto Maple Leafs, who have played 1 less game. A win for the Leafs would create an 11-point gap.
Long-Term Injuries – Players out for the remainder of the season
Christian Dvorak: The Center is out until September due to a pectoral injury.
Carey Price: The Goaltender is also out for the rest of the season, as he’s not expected back until July.
Kirby Dach: The Center is out until October with a knee injury and will also miss the rest of the season.
Is there still hope with the return of Pearson, Wideman, and Newhook?
There is some light at the end of the tunnel. The return of Defenseman Wideman will strengthen the Montreal defence, which has been a resal problem. Plus, the threat of Pearson coming in from the left is back on the cards in January. On top of this, at least 1 Centre will be back in the mix, adding to the team’s offence threat, something the team has been unsurprisingly lacking with 3 Centers out for so long.
Tanner Pearson: The Left Winger is out but expected back this month (January).
Chris Wideman: The Defenseman is out with a back injury but is expected to return in February.
Alex Newhook: The Center is expected to return from his ankle injury in mid-February, but there are a lot of games between now and then. His return may be too late for a season revival.
Younger Players Filling the Gaps Isn’t Enough
Some younger and less experienced talent in the team has a tough time since the team has 6 key players out. They have been called up to fill gaps, but it is clear they have some development before replacing talented and experienced players like Dvorak, Dach and Price.
Lack of Chemistry
The other problem is with such a large number of players out, we’ve been seeing a lack of chemistry. Experienced players tend to lead the team and ruffle the opponent’s feathers. Yet, we are not seeing anyone stand up and take responsibility to fill in for the disastrous injury list the Montreal Canadiens have suffered.
Widening NHL Odds to Reach Playoffs
Combined with the lack of chemistry, injuries, and mounting losses, the team’s NHL odds for playoff qualification have dropped dramatically. With stats showing that the team has the 4th most shots against per game in the league and the sixth lowest shots ratio, the NHL odds for reaching the playoffs have grown longer. Canadian sports betting fans may see value in the widening betting odds, especially with the return of a Centre, Left-Winger, and Defenseman, which in theory, should help improve both stats.
Maybe Next Season?
Undoubtedly, younger and less experienced players are getting their chance maybe earlier than they usually would. Although opponents are taking advantage of the team’s weaker players, regular gameplay they may not have otherwise had without being hit by injuries will certainly help their development. It could be that next season, we’ll see a huge overall improvement across the team, giving them more depth for the 2024/25 season. Yet, a series of losses could also have the reverse effect.
Risk of Further Injuries Kill Off the Season
The healthy players left on the roster have a mountain of responsibility on their shoulders if this team wants to stay in the playoff hunt. Guys playing bigger roles than expected can often overdo it and wind up injured, too, which is a real risk.
The Key to Playoff Success is the Return of Pearson, Wideman, and Newhook
The return of Pearson, Wideman, and Newhook could make all the difference as long as the rest of the team can avoid more hits to their depth chart. And it’s hard not to wonder about the mindset in that locker room lately. Morale has got to be low with all the losses piling up and the injury bug running rampant.
If the playoffs start fading out of view past this mid-season period with key players out, there is no doubt this will begin to sap motivation.
The Canadiens may be forced into some trades to sure up their lineup. But it’s tricky to make beneficial deals from a position of weakness when injuries are already forcing your hand.
