Joshua Roy falls ill as Montreal recall looms

For the past two games, the Habs have been playing with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. The club has no choice but to go this way, since there were no extra forwards on the road.

Christian Dvorak’s injury put pressure on the group, forcing the 11-7 format.

Because the Habs have plenty of defensemen in town and because Jordan Harris is back healthy, this wasn’t the biggest problem. But we know it’s not an ideal format.

But with Josh Anderson injured yesterday, it’s a game-changer.

Don’t expect any news today, as we’ll be taking the time to assess the player properly. But as the club has a training vacation, there’ll probably be no update on the menu this Wednesday, January 3.

What this means is that right now, as far as we know, the Habs only have ten healthy forwards for their next game. We’re talking about the ten who finished yesterday’s game. Allow me to believe that Dvorak and Anderson won’t be available tomorrow against the Sabres.

What should the Habs do?

First, it’s worth mentioning that the two forwards are not currently on the injured list. At the moment, only Kirby Dach, Tanner Pearson, Alex Newhook, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Chris Wideman are on it…

And Carey Price.

If Dvorak and/or Anderson are placed on the injured list by tomorrow night, this will open the door to one or more recalls, which could happen quite easily under the circumstances. But if not?

To make room at the top, the Habs can send Juraj Slafkovsky, Justin Barron, Kaiden Guhle and Jayden Struble to the AHL without going through the waivers. Either way, it’s not going to happen.

If the injured list doesn’t welcome any new members, the waivers may be an option. Joel Armia would be a popular option, but let’s not forget that the Habs need forwards.

Could Gustav Lindstrom be waived at 2pm this afternoon to make room for tomorrow night? It’s a possibility, yes.

If the Habs had two goalies, it would be easier to maneuver around the 23-man roster, but hey.

Ultimately, I expect the Habs to place one or two players on the injured list and recall – by necessity – one or two forwards. Remember, it could be just one recall, since the Habs can play with seven defensemen.

But the question is: who will be recalled?

In reality, it’s logical to think that Emil Heineman will get his chance. He’s the one who was recently recalled by the Habs and sent back to Laval because of the surplus of players.

But as you know, things change fast in the hockey world. In a matter of days, the surplus is gone.

This leaves the Habs with a dozen or so recall options. I’m not counting Filip Mesar and Owen Beck, who can be urgently recalled from junior hockey.

If the Habs recall two guys, the second could well be Sean Farrell or Joshua Roy. Under the circumstances, these are surely the two most popular names right now.

But then again: there might only be one recall.

It’s important to remember that Brandon Gignac can’t be recalled, as he only has an AHL contract. We’d have to see Kent Hughes give him an NHL contract, but does he want to take one of the 50 allowed contract slots to make room for him?

According to Anthony Marcotte, it wouldn’t be surprising if Sean Farrell were considered. He has four points in four games since returning from injury and finished the 2022-2023 season on top.

Of course, Joshua Roy, who has eight points in his last nine games, could also be an option for the Habs at this point. His name will be circulating on X, in any case.

But right now, he’s sick.

Note that on January 5 and 7, the Rocket will be in Utica, which is not far away. But otherwise, for the next two weeks, the Rocket will be in Laval. This could lead to a quick recall.

As for the Habs, they’ll be in Montreal until January 15. The only exception? A whirlwind trip to Philadelphia next week.

In gusto

– Really?

– Nice move by Patrice Bergeron.

– Another Guerrero in the MLB?

– PWHL: A dream come true. [JdeM]

– Interesting.

Good “aside” from the #MondialJunior in Sweden https://t.co/DPNoh5YXd6

– Stephane Leroux (@StephRDSJunior) January 3, 2024