(Brossard) No one has been spared injury at the Montreal Canadiens this season. And even if the emphasis has been on learning, the young players who have spent the last few weeks on the sidelines ensure that they have been able to continue their progress even if they have not set foot on the ice.
“Even when you’re injured, you come to work every day,” defender Kaiden Guhle said Monday. You have to follow your rehabilitation program, you spend time in the gym.
“This is not a vacation. There are still things to do,” he added.
Guhle will be limited to 44 games in his first NHL season due to injuries to both legs. His last game was March 16, when he sprained his left ankle against the Florida Panthers.
Among the Canadiens’ other rookies, Jordan Harris has played 65 games, Arber Xhekaj, 51, and Juraj Slafkovsky, 39. Cole Caufield was limited to 46 games in his second full season in the NHL, and Kirby Dach, who is 22 years old, 58 meetings.
Head coach Martin St-Louis has already mentioned that the physical preparation program will be overhauled at the end of the campaign – like everything else. However, the players all argue that it was mostly bad luck that hit the Canadian.
“I hope it doesn’t happen again,” said Slafkovsky, who took to the Bell Sports Complex ice rink on Monday for the first time since suffering a left knee injury on January 15 against the New York Rangers. York.
“Other teams haven’t been as hurt by injuries, so you can’t blame the intense NHL schedule. I’m sure it will be better in our case next season,” he continued.
Xhekaj injured his right shoulder in a fight against Vincent Desharnais on Feb. 12 against the Edmonton Oilers. He admitted to having done some soul-searching since the incident.
“Maybe I’ll think a little more about my long-term career and think a little more about the situations when I throw down the gloves,” said Xhekaj, who has fought nine times this season.
“I don’t have to prove myself anymore. I think I already did. I will obviously continue to play robustly, and whatever happens will happen. I still think it was a bad accident, as we have seen many this season, “he added.
The three young players made available by the Canadiens on Monday all talked about the work to be done while watching the games from the heights of the Bell Centre. They also highlighted the important contribution of Adam Nicholas, director of hockey development at the Habs.
Nicholas sent video footage to injured players featuring not only them but other NHL stars as well.
Guhle said he watched footage involving Josh Morrissey of the Winnipeg Jets, Ryan McDonagh of the Nashville Predators and Brandon Montour of the Panthers.
For his part, Slafkovsky revealed that Nicholas used Matthew Tkachuk, of the Panthers, as a model that the young Slovak hockey player must emulate.
“Because of the way he plays, what he can do on the ice,” Slafkovsky said of the NHL’s fifth-leading scorer as of noon Monday. He’s a pretty good player! I can learn a lot from him. »
Xhekaj also said he learned some tricks of the trade by watching Canadian veterans, including Mike Matheson, David Savard and Joel Edmundson.
“I have a few things to improve; for example protecting the front of the net, positioning and working with the stick, Xhekaj pointed out. I had never noticed how much it was the kind of details that make players who they are and that make them have long careers. »
Although St-Louis reminds us that the repetitions obtained by the players on the ice this season cannot be bought, the young players hope to have also taken advantage of each day off the ice in order to be even better next season.
“We have a great future on the blue line, and on offense as well,” Guhle said. The next few years will be exciting. »
If time on the sidelines wasn’t wasted time, it might just be true. We’ll have a better idea next fall.
