Two Canadiens Players With Something To Prove Post-ASG

The Montreal Canadiens roster is set to go through another significant change.

With the NHL’s trade deadline quickly approaching, not only will current players call a new city home, a significant amount of newly-liberated ice time should be available for those who want to seize their opportunity.

Jesse Ylonen

Ylonen’s first game with the Canadiens was an eye-opener for several fans that hadn’t had the chance to watch him play for the Laval Rocket.

His speed, shot, and offensive awareness led to several scoring chances, not to mention his first point of the season, a perfectly-timed assist on Kirby Dach’s seventh goal of the season.

Kirby Dach’s goal tonight, what a pass by Ylonen pic.twitter.com/2cNYOZ55lw

— Habs Fan TV (@habsfantv_) January 13, 2023

And while it was certainly a strong season debut, it was also Ylonen’s best performance in his 10-game audition, marking the high point in what has otherwise been an underwhelming call-up.

With Ylonen on the ice, the Canadiens have only managed to control a paltry 31.4 percent of the high-danger chances and 34 percent of the expected goals, the worst results among all players on the Canadiens roster this season.

Of course, there’s been a lack of consistency in his usage, and we must always keep in mind the entire team has struggled since the new year, but even when Ylonen was used alongside Kirby Dach, who immediately and drastically improves any line he features on, the 23-year-old winger was outplayed and outchanced by an unhealthy margin.

There should be plenty of opportunities down the final stretch of the season, but with those added opportunities comes a sense of urgency for players like Ylonen, who are quickly running out of developmental runway.

Jonathan Kovacevic

In a perfect world, Kovacevic’s play this year would have already cemented his place on the blue line.

He has a significant advantage over some of his competition, but it’s also important to point out he’s outplayed almost every defenceman on the roster.

As the Canadiens build toward their long-term strategy, they’d be wise to reconsider whether Kovacevic was just a well-timed waiver claim that put a bandaid on a rather shaky blueline for a couple of seasons, or whether he should be a part of the big picture moving forward.

MUST READ: Jonathan Kovacevic is the Canadiens’ most reliable defenceman

Statistically speaking, there should be no debate.

Kovacevic makes his defensive partners better, has some of the best underlying numbers on the team, and is quietly becoming one of the most valuable players on the roster, given his incredibly reasonable $766,667 AAV.

If the Canadiens decide to move one of their veteran defencemen, they’ll be doing so with the knowledge that Kovacevic has shown the potential to log important minutes in difficult situations.

But most importantly, it will allow management to focus on the future rather than the short-term returns on veteran players, and perhaps give Kovacevic a chance to prove he’s more than just a spare part. Again.

All statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via NaturalStatTrick.

All salary cap information via CapFriendly.