Canadiens’ St. Louis flush with options to fill out forward group

BROSSARD, Que. — And then there were five.

That was how many players were left in the race for the last two forward spots on the Montreal Canadiens after a series of cuts came over the weekend. And based on what coach Martin St. Louis said after Mondayâ€s spirited practice, it would seem all of them have a chance of playing for this team at one point another this season.

“The way weâ€re going to start Oct. 8, thatâ€s just one day, one game,†St. Louis said. “I donâ€t know how long itâ€s going to stay like that.â€

Itâ€s something for Oliver Kapanen, Owen Beck, Florian Xhekaj, Joe Veleno and Samuel Blais to all keep in mind as this week plays itself out and the Canadiens reduce their roster size from 29 to 23.

Frankly, itâ€s what every player still in the mix — and even some of the ones who were already demoted to Laval — should keep in mind.

If the reality things could change quickly wasnâ€t a present thought for some of the more established Canadiens players on Sunday, it had to have been one ahead of Mondayâ€s practice.

Thatâ€s when St. Louis mixed up two of his lines in a way that ultimately changed the pecking order of his forwards.

Before Monday, Patrik Laine and Kirby Dach were on the second line with Ivan Demidov.

But with Demidov shifted to a line with Kapanen and Alex Newhook for Mondayâ€s practice, it sure felt like Laine and Dach were skating on a third that was completed by Zachary Bolduc.

St. Louis was pressed on the way he saw it. He was asked in a variety of ways why he was making the change.

But all the coach said was that it was something he wanted to test out.

St. Louis then said: “You think I have all the answers?â€

Itâ€s only normal that, 11 days from the start of the season, heâ€s still searching for some.

St. Louis has two locked lines — Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky on one, and Jake Evans, Josh Anderson and Brendan Gallagher on the other — and heâ€d probably like to have a third one by now.

But St. Louis also must like that the competition for the job on his last one remains extremely tight, and that there are so many players still in that competition.

“I know I have options,†he said. “I feel Iâ€m equipped with more options than Iâ€ve ever had in the past, which is a good problem to have. So, weâ€re trying stuff.â€

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What St. Louis is trying currently gives Kapanen a narrow edge in the race.

The 64th pick in the 2022 draft started with one. Heâ€s been on an NHL line since Day 1 of camp, and, after a strong performance next to Newhook and Bolduc in Saturdayâ€s 4-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, an opportunity to show what he can do next with Demidov in place of Bolduc could cement his place on the opening-night roster.

The experience Kapanen gained over his 21 NHL games (regular season and post-season combined) coupled with his ability to play both centre and wing put him in pole position.

Other elements have helped keep him in that position.

“Kappy plays a very mature game,†St. Louis said. “Heâ€s got an NHL computer, and I find heâ€s taken a step physically compared to last year.â€

Now, the 22-year-old Finn must take another step to stay ahead of the players nipping at his heels.

The player who appears closest behind Kapanen is Beck, who has 13 games of NHL experience and a much better understanding of what he must do to make an impact at this level.

The 21-year-old took many strides in his first year of professional hockey, accumulating 15 goals and 44 points in 64 games with the Laval Rocket and displaying a versatility that makes him a contender to start with the Canadiens.

Beck, who was chosen 33rd overall in 2022, can also play centre and wing. And like Kapanen, his right-handedness is a complement to Newhook, whoâ€s a lefty.

What could help distinguish Beck, though, is his willingness to physically engage a bit more than Kapanen typically does.

“I think itâ€s huge for me,†he said after Mondayâ€s practice. “I think I can bring a little bit of everything to a game and taking it one step further is that physicality. I donâ€t shy away from it.

“But I also donâ€t want it to compromise anything, so Iâ€m really just trying to pick my spots but make sure itâ€s known I can play that style of game.â€

The 21-year-old put up 175 penalty minutes in his first season in Laval.

Xhekaj also scored 24 goals with the Rocket, and then he came to Canadiens training camp intent on making his NHL debut in October.

Some people might be surprised heâ€s still around, but he certainly isnâ€t.

“People can think whatever they want,†Xhekaj said. “I like being in the underdog spot, so yeah, just excited to be here and Iâ€m going to prove myself every day.â€

We donâ€t expect him to ever give up the fight.

Neither will Blais or Veleno, who have nearly 600 games of NHL experience between them and are battling, at worst, to be the 13th forward when camp breaks.

Theyâ€ve been around long enough to know whatever gets decided isnâ€t necessarily permanent.

“Itâ€s going to go on for a couple more weeks, months,†Veleno said. “In this league, it kind of never really ends, so youâ€ve just got to have the mindset every day to put your best foot forward and keep working every day. Anything can happen.â€

And, with two games left on the Canadiens†exhibition schedule, anything might.

Weâ€ll see if St. Louis has other line tweaks planned, and weâ€ll see who seizes the final two forward spots on the roster.

Whomever does will be looking over their shoulders every day, though, because so many candidates have proven their viability.

As St. Louis said, the Canadiens are much deeper than theyâ€ve been in his time as coach.

That depth also ensures the battle for hierarchy in the middle of the lineup will also be an ongoing one throughout the season.

Players better be ready and willing to fight every day.

“The camp is going to be over and itâ€s going to be like itâ€s a finish line, and itâ€s not,†said St. Louis. “Itâ€s not a finish line. The finish line always moves, so can you keep sprinting not knowing how long the distance is?â€

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