Hockey

Alexandre Carrier in the stands: he can’t be above the call of duty
Lena Clotteau
Alexandre Carrier in the stands: he can’t be above the call of duty
Credit: Screenshot Twitter/Entrevue à la Classique KR

Some potential decisions are disturbing, not because they're shocking, but because they upset a status quo we took for granted. Alexandre Carrier is one of those players you'd never think you'd see in the stands… until the day reality hits: nobody is untouchable. Especially not in a National League where results dictate hierarchies.

In recent weeks, Carrier's name has come up in discussions not for his performances, but for what he's not doing.

At the moment, we're wondering whether we shouldn't take advantage of Adam Engstrom's presence in town to give Alexandre Carrier a turn for a game. If Jayden Struble is healthy, the Canadiens have seven options at the blue line.

Being sidelined is rarely a trivial matter, even less so for an established defenseman who has already seen significant responsibility on a third pairing, sometimes even in a second pairing role when depth was lacking.

The facts are stark and quantified. On X, the @HabsOnReddit account didn't mince its words. It says that Carrier was on the ice for a team-high five goals allowed at five-on-five during the recent three-game trip away.

A statistic that sums up the current spiral: when he's in the heat of the action, it too often turns in the opponent's favor.

So, is this idea a message? A punishment? A strategic analysis? A bit of all three.

Because in the modern NHL, team identity is less and less about loyalty and more and more about logic. If someone plays better than you, if someone fits your style better, if someone makes fewer bad decisions with the puck… he has to play. Point.

Carrier, at his best, is reliable. Not spectacular, not transformative, not dominant: just reliable. A defenseman who plays simple, who closes space, who blocks shots, who can stabilize defensive depth. There's a place for that kind of player… but only if his game remains consistent. And that's where the problem lies.

There's a slight drop-off. Not a collapse, but enough of a gap to open a door. A young defender pushing forward. A veteran finding his rhythm. A coach who wants more transition, more offensive rebound, more clean first pass.

And the popular assessment doesn't stop there. Alex Carrier is playing like a shadow of his former self this year. Impossible to recognize him compared to last season.

At some point, the chair is no longer reserved.

And this is where the story gets interesting: it's not a condemnation, it's an opportunity. An opportunity for Carrier to question himself, to adjust his game, to once again become an essential piece rather than an interchangeable choice.

The mere fact of being in such discussions makes you feel that the tide has turned.

He's in that uncomfortable zone where every presence, every turn, every one-on-one duel becomes an audition. The margin for error is shrinking. The urgency grows.

But this isn't the first time he's experienced this kind of turbulence. His career has been built on resilience. On proving that he deserves not just a place, but a role. We sometimes forget that it's often these players, not the stars, who constantly have to fight to keep their seat in the league.

So the question isn't: Why should Carrier be left out? The real question is: What will he do with it?

Because there are two possible reactions. Take offense, close up, wait for an injury or defeat to reappear, or use this wake-up call as fuel.

And if his track record is anything to go by, his response is likely to be the latter.

In this context, the team wins too. Internal competition creates movement, prevents self-piloting and forces each player to earn his or her place. You don't build a winning culture with immobile certainties, but with a mentality where nobody is above the possibility of being replaced.

So yes, raising the idea of seeing Alexandre Carrier in the stands may come as a surprise. But maybe it's exactly what was needed. Because a player with nothing left to lose sometimes becomes the most dangerous.


overtime

– Phew… it got hot!

– Where does Vegas really stand right now?

– A career that continues to speak for itself.

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