The injury of Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and the lack of depth in the organization

Dose
Crédit:

The Canadian went west with only one extra player: Michael Pezzetta.

Leaving with six defensemen is a risk.

Even if Owen Beck was replaced by Joshua Roy, it didn’t change the fact that there was only one extra player. It’s one thing in Montreal, it’s another on the road.

Maybe the Canadian wouldn’t have called back a guy even if the club had been at home (due to limited recalls after the deadline) in relation to injuries, but in the west, it forced the club to play Michael Pezzetta three times.

Not ideal in a playoff run.

Patrik Laine’s “flu” and Joel Armia’s injury meant that all the guys who could officially play did play, in the last three games. What timing, anyway.

All this to say that the CH’s depth is really thin right now.

Did the GM have a duty to go get another depth player (not a star at a high price, obviously) at the deadline? The more time passes, the more I think yes.

We are in mid-March and there is still hockey to be played – which means injuries can occur.

This is true for the Canadian, but also for the Rocket, who is in a playoff run and is also affected by the Canadian’s injuries. The minor league team is high in the standings, which helps to give room for maneuver, but…

But too many injuries can hurt.

Yesterday, for example, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard got injured. We can think that his absence will not be short, which will hurt the Rocket, but which will also make a recall for the Canadian more difficult.

I’m not saying RHP would have been recalled. But it’s potentially harder to recall another guy knowing that the Rocket, in a playoff run, has already lost a good piece.

Will the Canadian run out of personnel? We’ll see.

In any case, the criticism towards Kent Hughes and his management of the deadline makes us realize that just like Martin St-Louis at the beginning of the season, the honeymoon with the fans is no longer as strong – to say the least. This is not abnormal, however.

This doesn’t mean the GM is no longer liked… but the criticism is starting.

Rapid Fire

– Speaking of the Rocket.

– Speaking of Michael Pezzetta.

– Good listening.

– He must get up.