Oliver Kapanen #27 of Team Finland during the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship (Photo by Dale Preston/Getty Images)
The Montreal Canadiens are already suffering from the injury bug and the season hasn’t even started yet. But, they’re not ready to panic just yet.
Losing Patrick Laine for 2-3 months and then David Reinbacher for 5-6 months in a matter of minutes is some serious bad luck.
Despite wanting to stay in the mix for a playoff spot throughout the entire season, the Montreal Canadiens don’t appear in the market for a quick fix.
As a previous source had mentioned to RG, the Montreal Canadiens are looking for true, long-term upgrades to their roster and not quick fixes to try and squeak into the playoffs.
“The team wants to bank on their youth to keep them afloat and help push for a playoff spot,” said the source. “Don’t expect a rush or panic trade, it’s not coming.”
Instead, the organization is seemingly looking within.
Canadiens Youth Coming Of Age
The Montreal Canadiens appear ready to turn to their youth to try and fill the gap of Laine’s loss.
According to a well-placed source within the Canadiens organization, upper management is considering keeping Oliver Kapanen on the roster to start the season.
Kapanen’s situation is a little more complicated than other prospects, because he is under a valid contract with Timra IK in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).
That means that Kapanen has to make the Canadiens’ main roster if he wants to stay in North America, as he cannot be sent to the AHL.
Given his continued strong performances during the preseason so far, it seems that Kapanen will be on the roster to start the year. Being 21 years of age, Kapanen’s entry-level contract has already kicked in, regardless of where he plays this season; meaning that there isn’t a risk in playing him for 10-20 games in the NHL and sending him back to Sweden for more seasoning.
Joshua Roy’s Opportunity
Yes, Oliver Kapanen could very well crack the roster due to Laine’s injury, but Joshua Roy is the player that has the most to gain from this recent rash of injuries.
The youngster already impressed a great deal this pre-season and has NHL experience as is; making him he clear candidate to replace Laine.
The 21-year-old looked like a bonafide NHLer last season, and, according to the same source, the Canadiens are hoping he can step up and take the next step in his development.
Roy’s combination of elite Hockey IQ and vision make him one of the only available Canadiens prospects that could realistically hope to be a top-6 forward.
He’ll be afforded every opportunity, including regular power play time, to grow his game further and make the Canadiens and even deeper team once Laine returns.
Don’t Hold Your Breath
The Montreal Canadiens appear to want to take the “wait and see” approach to test the fabric of the team and see if they can pull themselves out of the basement of the NHL standings.
The young core, even prior to Laine’s acquisition, was looking to compete for a playoff spot, so the pressure is on the players, not management, at this point.
Overall growth is the key for the organization moving forward this season, so one shouldn’t expect a stop-gap solution, when the Canadiens feel they have internal solutions that deserve a closer look.
Marco D'Amico is a beat reporter covering the Montreal Canadiens and the NHL Draft, while also being a recurring guest on TSN690 and BPM Sports. His work primarily on NHL CBA breakdowns and prospect analysis, all while covering the Montreal Canadiens on a day-to-day basis.
