(Mont-Tremblant) Martin St-Louis hammered home throughout training camp how many “options” he had on hand to complement the work of Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. After Sean Monahan, Alex Newhook and Josh Anderson, it is Rafaël Harvey-Pinard who will be employed on the first line this Saturday evening in Ottawa, for the last game of the exhibition calendar.
In the morning, St-Louis did not want to make much of this promotion for Harvey-Pinard. He called his first line “a little headache” that the coaching staff is “trying to sort out.” “We’ll see what happens,” he added, without commenting on his expectations. He nevertheless maintained that if the Quebecer found himself in this position, it was not because he did not appreciate the work of the three other attackers mentioned above.
It was Harvey-Pinard himself who, in answering a question, revealed to journalists the composition of his evening trio. Ironically, he had just touted the chemistry he developed with Kirby Dach during training camp on a unit complemented by Juraj Slafkovsky, the only one that remained intact through three games.
“I don’t look at the lines too much,” he assured. But for sure I want to play as high as possible in the team. If I have a chance to start in the top 6, I would be extremely happy. On the other hand, one of my strengths is being able to play on all lines. »
He described it as a “great challenge” to complete the club’s most dynamic attacking duo. “All the preparatory parts are an evaluation,” he recalled. The coaches do tests to see the different connections. It’s a great opportunity to have good minutes of play and to show that I am capable of playing with these guys. »
In attack, the Dach-Slafkovsky duo will welcome a new winger in Alex Newhook. Sean Monahan will pilot the third unit, centering Emil Heineman and Joel Armia. Michael Pezzetta, Jake Evans and Jesse Ylönen will form the fourth line.
In front of the net, Samuel Montembeaut should play the entire match. Cayden Primeau will be his deputy. This therefore means that the latter will not have a final chance to assert itself before the final cuts scheduled for Sunday and Monday.
If the identity of the offensive players who will start the season in Montreal is relatively predictable, struggles continue on defense. The three defenders most likely to be cut will also be in uniform this Saturday evening.
On the right flank, Gustav Lindström finds himself in a privileged position, while he will be paired with Mike Matheson on the first duo. Behind them, Mattias Norlinder will play to the left of Justin Barron, while Arber Xhekaj and Jordan Harris will form the third pair. Note here that Harris, a left-hander, will play on his opposite side, which is not uninteresting knowing that the search for a partner for Kaiden Guhle does not seem to be over.
In the coming days, Lindström or Barron will likely inherit the last position on the right, while the other could be ceded to the Laval Rocket. The Swede should, if necessary, go through waivers. As for Norlinder, he will want to prove that he is the club’s best option among offensive defensemen and that he can be entrusted with a position on the power play.
Here too, Martin St-Louis wanted to put the seriousness of the issues into perspective.
“Players aren’t just auditioning to get a jersey in the first game,” he continued. They want to be part of the depth [of the formation] during the season. They all want to be part of the team. But ultimately, you need more than 20 guys to be successful. I really like our depth. »
Note also that Tanner Pearson will not be in the lineup that will face the Senators on Saturday night. The one who missed the vast majority of last season due to a hand injury will therefore only have played two exhibition games.
Asked about the place that the 31-year-old veteran is called upon to occupy, St-Louis did not get wet, if not very little.
“You see he’s a pro,” he said. He’s a guy who can play a lot of roles. He knows what he is. His place, for me, is in the team. But in what role exactly? We will see. He’s a guy you trust when he’s on the ice. This is a great example for many young players. »
However, it remains to be determined how often he will find himself on the ice.