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With the season coming to an end with a 5-4 loss to Boston on Thursday, the Habs were cleaning out their lockers, saying their goodbyes, and meeting with the media on Friday. Here are some of the notable items from their interviews.
Byron’s Future
While Paul Byron (hip) was hoping to return by the end of the season, it clearly didn’t happen. He indicated that he will not receive the green light from doctors although he still hasn’t ruled out trying to play again. What will go a long way towards determining what happens next is the organization’s response to his request to work with them in a player development capacity next season. If they say yes, it seems that he’s likely to retire but if they decline, he might look to try to catch on somewhere for one last hurrah.
Back To Laval
Not surprisingly, the team announced that forwards Joel Teasdale and Lucas Condotta along with defenceman Frederic Allard were all assigned to Laval. Teasdale and Condotta picked up their first career NHL point against Boston and are expected to play their third game in as many nights for the Rocket tonight against Syracuse. Allard, meanwhile, hasn’t seen much action with Laval and it seems likely that he’ll be a healthy scratch.
Playing Through Injuries
Brendan Gallagher revealed that he broke his ankle in the 12th game of the season but kept playing through it only to break it again a month later, leading to his extended absence. Meanwhile, Sean Monahan indicated that he regrets trying to play through his broken foot, acknowledging that the groin injury he sustained soon after (which kept him out the rest of the season) came as a result of trying to over-compensate for the foot. Monahan expressed a desire to return to Montreal next season.
Injury Updates
Kirby Dach revealed that the upper-body injury that kept him out for the stretch run was a concussion. Meanwhile, Jordan Harris’ lower-body injury was a groin strain. As for Josh Anderson, he’s hoping to get out of his walking boot in the next three-to-four weeks and intends to resume skating at that time. Cole Caufield said that his recovery from shoulder surgery is going on schedule and that he’ll be ready for next season.
Worlds
As he did last season, Nick Suzuki declined an invitation to play for Canada at the upcoming World Championship, citing some bumps and bruises that need to heal. Mike Matheson, meanwhile, indicated that he’s open to going; accordingly, he should basically be a lock to play at the tournament. As for Samuel Montembeault, he confirmed that his season will continue as he’ll suit up for Canada in the tournament. Luke Tuch is the only other known Canadiens rep so far that will be playing in the event.
Management’s Comments
There wasn’t a lot of note coming from Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton in their press conference but they acknowledged that they need to do a better job of protecting the players from themselves when it comes to injuries, likely referencing the comments from Gallagher and Monahan earlier in the day. It was also indicated that there are no changes planned to the coaching staff.
