This afternoon, the Canadian is training in Florida. The club, which will play two games in two days (the Panthers tomorrow and the Lightning on Sunday), took to the ice this afternoon for its first practice post-Christmas.
Obviously, we were watching a few players in particular. Patrik Laine (injured in the last match), Jakub Dobes (recalled this morning) and Cayden Primeau (whose future is in doubt) were the three main ones.
And according to Eric Engels, everyone was there… except one player.
And the player in question is Cayden Primeau.
Engels notes that Primeau “does not seem to be there.” The question is whether he is with the team but has not trained (which is more or less likely) or whether he is not in the team’s entourage at all. team right now (which is much more likely).
Obviously, in the context where the recall of Dobes this morning is a disavowal of the confidence that the club has in Primeau, his absence today raises even more questions. Remember that the club can’t Submit him on waivers before tomorrow due to the NHL transaction freeze (which ends at midnight).
That said, when we look at this, we suspect that the next match that Primeau will play will not be in the Canadian uniform. In fact, the question is above all whether the club will submit him to waivers tomorrow or whether they will keep him on their active roster.
The CH can keep Primeau on its active roster (Dobes is the 23rd player on the team, which is legal), but it could also go a more drastic way by submitting him to waivers and, if he doesn’t is not claimed, Primeau could go and play matches in Laval.
Obviously, we will watch what Martin St-Louis says at the end of training. I hope this time he is ready to answer questions about Primeau.
Prolongation
Seeing Patrik Laine in training is a good sign for the Canadian. Again, we’ll have to see if the coach has any good news on that front, but he at least appears to have avoided a serious injury.
And that is the most important thing in his case.
