Photo of Martin St-Louis behind Canadiens bench

Photo credit: NHL

It’s becoming heavy for certain Montreal Canadiens veterans this season.

Following another heavy defeat last night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Kent Hughes decided to call-up Owen Beck, Adam Engstrom and Jacob Fowler from the Laval Rocket.The club now shows a record of 15-11-3 for 33 points and is still fighting for a solid spot in the Atlantic, but the numbers of a few veterans raise eyebrows.

Jake Evans, Josh Anderson, and Alexandre Carrier are all experiencing a rough season in terms of plus-minus.

Evans has 4 goals, 4 assists, and a -16 differential in 29 games. Anderson and Carrier each have 8 points, with a differential of -12 after 29 games. For players who still play between 15 and 19 minutes per game, it’s starting to feel like a significant weight on the payroll and on the scoresheet.

A comment circulating recently summarizes well the discomfort among many fans: “the veterans are sinking this team,” and Martin St-Louis continues to use them as if they were untouchable, while the third and fourth lines clearly need fresh blood.

Martin St-Louis facing his veterans

Meanwhile, the young players are bringing energy and important points. Just think of the game against Vancouver, where Ivan Demidov collected a goal and two assists and Juraj Slafkovsky a goal and an assist to turn the tide and deliver a 4-3 win for the Canadiens.

Evans hovers around 15 minutes a night, often on the penalty kill. Anderson also sits near 15 minutes on the right wing, while Carrier flirts with 19 minutes per game as a pillar of the Canadiens’ defensive group. This ice time reflects the head coach’s confidence, but it also puts a big spotlight on their statistics.

When three key veterans end up in the negative far too often, the perception quickly becomes that they are the ones dragging the group down, no matter all the work they do away from the puck.

The question, therefore, is not about blaming them, but about how long the Canadiens can continue like this. With significant contracts, a very real playoff push, and young players pressing upward, sooner or later someone will have to adjust the roles.

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