It’s going to take someone to eat into Noah Dobson’s playing time

Marc-Olivier Cook
It’s going to take someone to eat into Noah Dobson’s playing time
Credit: YouTube

Noah Dobson's injury doesn't mean the Canadiens are going to be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

It doesn't mean the Canadiens have no chance of going deep in the playoffs either. The Montreal team still has weapons that can help them succeed.

But it does mean one thing in particular: the Habs will have to find a defenseman to cover Noah Dobson's minutes. And that's where it could get tricky.

In fact, Dobson has averaged over 22 minutes per game since donning the Montreal Canadiens jersey.

He's one of the defensemen Martin St-Louis relies on the most, and his absence is sure to have an impact on the ice. People who say Dobson is overrated might (finally) understand why he's so important to the Canadiens… and I'm not the only one who thinks that, either.

We'll need to find a player (or players) who can match up against the best opposing trios.

We'll also need to find another player who can take Dobson's spot on the second power-play unit. Let's be clear: logically, we can expect Mike Matheson to take on more responsibilities on the ice until Dobson returns.

But Matheson already plays a lot at five-on-five and is also one of the team's key players on the penalty kill. Will Martin St-Louis want to use him on the power play, in addition to relying on him on the PK and at five-on-five?

Could we see Lane Hutson (or Nick Suzuki) stay on the ice for the full two minutes of a power play until Dobson returns?

Hutson and Matheson are likely to see a lot of ice time, to put it another way. But we know that overusing a player can also come with certain risks and consequences…

One thing is certain: Martin St-Louis will have some tough decisions to make on the bench during the team's upcoming games.

Especially when you consider that Alexandre Carrier is still sidelined right now… 


In a nutshell

– Nice. 

– Stay tuned.

– RNH turns 33.

– Who's going to win the Norris?

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