Alexandre Carrier will have to work hard to unseat a defenseman

Marc-Olivier Cook
Alexandre Carrier will have to work hard to unseat a defenseman
Credit: YouTube

Alexandre Carrier is still injured.

The defenseman hasn't played since March 29, and on the 31st, the Canadiens announced that he would be out for two to four weeks.

Carrier has started skating again, but…

But it will be difficult for him to displace a defenseman from the rotation right now, as Bruno Gervais mentioned this morning on BPM Sports.

And it's not because Carrier isn't good or skilled: it's simply the reality he's facing right now…

There's a reason that explains all of this. And it's actually pretty simple to understand.

Carrier's spot isn't guaranteed in Martin St-Louis' lineup because right now, Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble are playing good hockey. But it goes deeper than that, too.

If the Canadiens face the Lightning in the first round of the playoffs (there's a 70% chance that will happen), things are going to get heated. There will be physical play on the ice, much like we saw in last night's game at the Bell Centre.

And it makes you wonder if the Habs would rather have a guy like Xhekaj or Struble in the lineup because those two are capable of playing a more physical style. Carrier isn't the biggest or most physical player, as we know…

Reminder: we shouldn't forget Kaiden Guhle in the mix either. He's the one who'll step into the lineup in place of Engström when he's ready to return to action… 

Martin St-Louis will have some big decisions to make.

Struble and Xhekaj may not be the two most reliable guys on the ice, although Struble has been playing well for the past few weeks… but we know they can bring something different to the table, unlike Carrier.

And it's not as if the Quebec native is having the best season of his career either.

Yesterday, we saw just how much of a difference Struble and Xhekaj made. And with the playoffs approaching, maybe the two defensemen just sent a pretty clear message to Martin St-Louis: if things get heated, they'll be there to help the team.

Especially if the Habs face the Lightning in the first round…


In a nutshell

– Good question.

– And rightly so!

– Big trade in the NFL.

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