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If the Canadiens wanted to give Joshua Roy an important role, they would

 Sarah Jones
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If the Canadiens wanted to give Joshua Roy an important role, they would
Credit: Getty Images

This morning, the Canadiens announced that the Oliver Kapanen experiment is over – for now. The center is off to Sweden, where he will be placed in winning conditions.

Was it the right thing to do? Surely, yes.

After all, he wasn’t getting much playing time and wasn’t producing much. The magic of training camp was no longer present, which tends to prove Antoine Roussel right about the place of youth.

To take his place among the club’s 13 forwards, Lucas Condotta was recalled from Laval. He is now on the road with the other members of the Canadiens for the rest of the season.

Clearly, the organization respects him. He’s the one who’s been recalled and he’s the captain down in Laval.

For the second time this year, he was recalled when the Habs could have called up Joshua Roy or even Alex Barré-Boulet, who started the season with the Canadiens.

Condotta, for the second time, went ahead of Roy.

The first time, the Habs simply needed a guy “in case” Josh Anderson couldn’t play. Calling Roy back to sit in the stands or giving him bad minutes wasn’t worth it. It made sense to put him in front.

But this time?

If the Habs don’t intend to give Condotta big minutes (he could even be the 13th forward if Michael Pezzetta were to play), not calling Roy back was the right thing to do.

That’s the most likely scenario in my eyes.

If Condotta starts playing crazy, it’ll be a (big) message. But in the meantime, I look at it this way: the Habs needed a guy while they waited for Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, who is making progress toward a return to action.

Condotta will probably go back down if RHP comes back and everyone’s healthy.

Let Roy continue to break things down below, and if the Habs feel like calling him back up, he will. But in the meantime, it’ s clear that the club has no desire to make room for him… and that, too, is a message.

After all, giving him big minutes wouldn’t be that hard. It’s not as if the Habs’ top-6 is made up entirely of indispensables.


Overtime

– You still have time to ask us questions: the text isn’t out yet.

– A name to keep in mind?

– Good question.

This content was created with the help of AI.

This content was created with the help of AI.

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