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    Karine Hains
    Karine Hains
    Sep 26, 2024, 11:00

    The fourth instalment of the behind the scenes show about the Montreal Canadiens' rebuild is now streaming on Crave and fair warning, there's a lot of injury talk.

    The fourth instalment of the behind the scenes show about the Montreal Canadiens' rebuild is now streaming on Crave and fair warning, there's a lot of injury talk.

    The Rebuild: Inside the Montreal Canadiens Episode 4

    In the fourth episode of The Rebuild: Inside the Montreal Canadiens, we witness Jayden Struble's professional debut, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard's ankle sprain, and we get to know a bit more about Jordan Harris. The blueliner has now left the organization after getting traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets to bring sharpshooter Patrik Laine to town.

    Harris explains how he loves the city of Montreal, how it's possible to get to everything he needs by walking, and how he feels about internal competition—interesting since it eventually sent him packing.

    Harris was Struble's teammate for three years in NCAA college before making the jump to the pros at the end of the 2021-22 season. When Struble was called up last November for the team's road trip to California, he enjoyed the five-hour plane ride with his former teammate.

    They didn't get to play together right away, though, as Harris was called back to Montreal after the injury he had suffered in a previous game, which turned out to be more serious than first thought. In a way, this is the story of the Canadiens' last few seasons.

    In the part about Harvey-Pinard, the forward explains he suffered an ankle sprain and adds that he hasn't been injured long-term since he was 17 years old. Eight years without missing serious time is quite respectable in a contact sport like hockey. Unfortunately for him, he was reinjured last Summer, breaking his leg, and he was ruled out for four months.

    He explains how injuries can affect a career since a hockey player is always fighting for his spot, making the very good point that every year, teams draft a lot of new players who could be ready to vie for a spot on the team in the next three to four years. This training camp is a great example of that. While Harvey-Pinard is nursing his broken leg, the likes of Oliver Kapanen and Owen Beck are drawing both attention and momentum. 

    The episode wasn't all doom and gloom, however, as it also covered Samuel Montembeault's contract extension. A waiver pickup in early October 2021, just days before Carey Price entered the NHLPA Player Assistance program, the 27-year-old goaltender has been a godsend for the Canadiens, progressing well every season.

    Now, in the first of the three-year extension he signed with the Habs, there's no doubt Montembeault will be eager to prove that he should be part of the Canadiens long-term, including when the team is ready to contend. Once again, though, there will be a lot of internal competition by them as Jacob Fowler is slowly but surely progressing towards the NHL. 

    It will be interesting to see what the organization decides to do with Cayden Primeau at the end of the current season, as his contract will expire.

    The next two episodes will be available on Wednesday, October 2. According to the previews, we'll see St-Patrick return to the Bell Centre, but as a member of the New York Islanders and behind the bench. 

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