With only two preseason games left, decision time is coming in a hurry for Montreal Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] coach Martin St-Louis. On Saturday night, the team trimmed its roster, retaining some players who have yet to be identified as roster players: Owen Beck, Alex Belzile, Samuel Blais, Lucas Condotta, Sean Farrell, Oliver Kapanen, Joe Veleno, and Florian Xhekaj. Then on Sunday afternoon , Belzile, Farrell and Condotta have been placed on waivers. Unless there are injuries, Belzile and Condotta are not getting opportunities with the Canadiens. They are still good player and essential to the organization, but in a leadership role with the Laval Rocket. Canadiens: Montreal Makes Big Cuts [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-montreal-makes-big-cuts] Canadiens: Three Takeaways From A Surprise Win [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-three-takeaways-from-a-surprise-win] Former Canadiens Forward Hits Waivers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/former-canadiens-forward-hits-waivers] Farrell, has done well at camp and had a great second half of the season with the Rocket last year, but he hasn’t done enough to be genuinely in the running. This leaves the organization with four players for two roles. One role will be playing wing alongside Zack Bolduc and Alex Newhook, and the other will essentially be what Michael Pezzetta did last season. Stick around as the 13th forward and remain ready if called upon. That 13th forward road shouldn’t fall to a young player who’s still developing. It would do no good to the likes of Beck, Xhekaj, and Kapanen if they haven't done enough to deserve a spot on the roster; they should be sent down to the Rocket, even if it will be a disappointment for them. The Canadiens will also likely consider the fact that they can both be sent down without going through waivers. While Xhekaj had a great first pro season last year, St-Louis has already said that he needs to improve when it comes to defensive reads, so I don’t see the younger Xhekaj starting the season with the Habs. However, I’m confident we will see him later this season. The grit and sandpaper he brings wouldn’t go amiss in the lineup, but he still needs some AHL seasoning. I see Samuel Blais getting the 13th forward role. He’s a veteran who won’t suffer from a development standpoint, and he has played that role on other rosters in the past. To me, the battle is between Veleno, Kapanen, and Beck. If Veleno were to be sent down, he would have to clear waivers, but at this stage, it would be surprising to see a team pick him up. The decision will really depend on whether the organization believes Beck and Kapanen can still benefit from spending time in Laval with Pascal Vincent and co. At this stage, I’m not sure which of the three should be getting the role, but I think Kapanen’s last game might have given him a slight edge. This is truly going to be the battle to watch in the final week of training camp. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Karine on X @KarineHains [https://x.com/KarineHains] Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/karinehains.bsky.social] and Threads @karinehains [https://www.threads.net/@karinehains]. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/] for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens. Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] on The Hockey News.
