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Dvorak’s potential return: breaking up the third trio is not the answer

The Montreal Canadiens have officially played 10 regular-season games so far this campaign.

In 10 games, the CH has achieved a 5-3-2 record, which is quite respectable considering that few people see the Tricolore doing well this season.

But the CH’s 10-game plateau isn’t just a benchmark for what’s to come.

It’s also an indicator that forward Christian Dvorak can officially return to action.

Indeed, when the CH’s number 28 was placed on the long-term injured list at the start of the season, it indicated that he was bound to miss at least 10 games and 24 days of action.

This explains why Dvorak didn’t return to action sooner, even though he had been skating with the team in a regular jersey for several practices already.

So, normally, Dvorak should make his season debut tonight when the Tricolore take on the St. Louis Blues at 7pm.

Dvorak scored a hat trick last season in St. Louis.

Martin St-Louis said it was quite possible.

This means that the trios will have to be reshuffled to make room for Dvorak, who clearly won’t be playing on the fourth, at least I don’t think so.

For many, the solution is simple, given Rafaël Harvey-Pinard’s injury.

If he can’t play tonight, we put Sean Monahan on the first line on the wing of Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, and insert Dvorak in the middle of the third line.

But, wait a minute, why break something that’s been working so well all season?

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Indeed, after 10 games, one of the most obvious observations, apart from the excellent performances of the goalkeepers, concerns the third trio.

Tanner Pearson, Sean Monahan and Brendan Gallagher are, night after night, the CH’s best, if not second-best trio.

All three veterans play great field hockey, and they clearly don’t deserve to be separated.

Clearly, putting Monahan (the team’s best forward so far) on the first line would benefit Suzuki and Caufield, but it would clearly affect the performance of Pearson and Gallagher.

As Stéphane Waite explained to L’Antichambre last night, you don’t break up a trio that’s working well to fix one that’s not.

In short, this means that Dvorak must find himself elsewhere in the line-up.

Dvorak excels in the face-off circle, so his place is clearly only in the middle.

The solution would be to break up the second trio, which isn’t working at all at the moment.

It’s obviously made up of Juraj Slafkovsky, Alex Newhook and Josh Anderson.

Dvorak would be placed at center since Newhook isn’t a (good) center, which would put one of the three on the first trio.

Honestly, I’d give Newhook or Slafkovsky the chance to play with Suzuki and Caufield, since Josh Anderson has already had several opportunities on the first line.

That would give us :

Caufield – Suzuki – Slafkovsky/Newhook
Slafkovsky/Newhook – Dvorak – Anderson
Pearson – Monahan – Gallagher
Armia – Evans – Pezzetta/Ylönen

All this, of course, if RHP is unable to play tonight.

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In any case, the CH will have to make a decision if it wants to play Dvorak tonight.

Either a player will be placed on the LTIR, a player will be placed on the ballot, a player will be traded, or a player will simply be sent back to Laval.

The last option is the most likely, since Gustav Lindstrom, the CH’s current 7th defenseman, wouldn’t have to go to the ballot by being sent back to Laval.

What’s more, the CH, in its last road game before returning to the Bell Centre, wouldn’t risk sending its only extra defenseman down, given that it already has six healthy defensemen.

Stay tuned today.

In a gust

– Speaking of Monahan.

– Interesting.

– Read more.

– Coming up.

– For those interested.