Nicolas Beaudin wants to play more, whether in Laval or elsewhere

As everyone knows, there are a lot of defensemen in the Montreal Canadiens organization right now.

And when I say a lot, I’m implying that there’s congestion on the blue line, especially considering that many defensemen aren’t even under contract with the club yet.

The hierarchy is therefore very long, and this doesn’t give the various defensemen on the roster much room for manoeuvre, unless they seize the opportunity offered to them with both hands.

Such was the case with a certain Jayden Struble, who jumped at the opportunity he was given and hasn’t looked back since.

He’s overtaken many a defenseman in the pecking order by making his mark on the NHL with the Habs.

To overtake a crowd favorite like Arber Xhekaj, it really took a more than successful audition, and that’s what Struble did.

In short, there’s congestion on defense, which explains why it’s playing with elbows.

It’s good to have this great internal competition between young defenders, even if it pushes other players to the edge who no longer find themselves with as important a role as before.

This is unfortunately the case for Nicolas Beaudin, who feels he’s not playing enough.

He wants a better chance to play more, whether in Laval or elsewhere.

Beaudin’s desire to play more is understandable, especially considering that it’s not his fault.

He hasn’t played or performed badly, he’s just a victim by default of current circumstances, i.e. congestion at the blue line.

With all the defensemen younger than him, Beaudin (24) finds himself stuck behind.

It’s only natural that the organization prefers to use its younger defensemen, who are believed to have more potential.

The organization logically places Logan Mailloux, Arber Xhekaj and William Trudeau ahead of Beaudin, as these are the guys they want to see develop further.

While at 24, Beaudin still has some potential, especially as a former first-round pick (27ᵉ overall in 2018), it’s hard to give him more ice time than the club’s other defensemen.

There’s a surplus of defensemen, which is a nice problem right now, but could become a more complicated problem than anything else soon.

In a way, the current situation with Beaudin is a first warning of what’s to come in the coming seasons, both for management and for the club’s other defensemen.

Management will have to make some very important and agonizing choices, while the club’s various young defenders must understand that they must waste no time in making their mark and reaching the next level if they don’t want to end up stuck like Beaudin.

In short, the Quebec defenseman is a victim of congestion on the blue line, and the situation clearly won’t improve for him if he stays in Laval with the potential arrival in the coming months and years of the Lane Hutson, David Reinbacher and Adam Engstrom of this world.

Beaudin is understandably reconsidering his future with his agent.

It remains to be seen whether he’ll be traded, or whether he’ll actually be given a chance.

After all, when the Habs acquired him, Kent Hughes promised Beaudin that one day he’d get his chance, something he still hasn’t had.

En Rafale

– Speaking of the Rocket.

– A file to follow.

– To be continued.

– Victory for Germany.