12 players under the microscope: Lane Hutson’s place practically assured in Montreal

Martin St-Louis and the Canadiens hockey staff will make the first cuts on Thursday. There should be no big surprises.

For the past few days, a group of about fifteen players has been training under the command of Pascal Vincent and Daniel Jacob on the secondary rink of the Brossard sports complex. We can expect about ten others to join them.

Already, the first two preparatory games have allowed us to confirm the battles that are looming on the horizon. We have seen some great things. The Canadiens’ head coach is right to be pleased with the pool of prospects and to congratulate the team’s group of scouts.

Here are some observations noted during the visit of the Flyers and Devils.

Lane Hutson

He is by far the big star of the camp so far. His feints, his footwork, his vision are off the charts. We knew it. Against the Flyers, he showed that, despite his size, he was combative in puck recovery and one-on-one battles. His place is already assured in Montreal.

Logan Mailloux

The only one to have played the first two preseason games. His defensive play will determine whether he starts the season with the Canadiens. At that level, he did well against the Flyers. Sober, but effective, he avoided trying to do too much. It was more difficult against the Devils.

William Trudeau

Here’s one that we took out of the fight a little too quickly. Used Tuesday, he was solid defensively. He distributed good body checks and he collected assists on the first two goals of the game.

David Reinbacher

He was decent, without necessarily creating sparks. On Tuesday, he was the most used player on the penalty kill. He defended well. His zone exits and his restarts were effective. That’s his bread and butter.

Adam Engstrom

He was more discreet than during the confrontations against the Maple Leafs rookies. It must be said that he was welcomed by Nicolas Deslauriers from his first presence. He is still in the running-in period in his new workspace.

Oliver Kapanen

He’s gaining points every day. Martin St-Louis says he’s impressed every time he talks about him. On Monday, he displayed both his offensive talent and his ability to work short of a man. His fighting spirit, his reaction time and the precision of his passes allowed his trio to get scoring opportunities. He’s calm in possession of the puck.

Owen Beck

He came into camp bigger. It shows. He doesn’t let it get to him in the faceoff circle or in the heavy traffic of the crease. His presence there allowed him to get off three solid shots on Jake Allen and Nico Daws. He gets his feet set for a quick recall.

Luke Tuch

He didn’t lie to his brother Alex, who once said he hits like a truck. The American moves pretty well for a guy of his build. It’s certain that defensemen hear his skating when he chases them. On Monday, he showed up in traffic in addition to scoring.

Jared Davidson

He was the one who set up Tuch’s goal, thanks to his quick thinking and the pressure he applied. He’s a smart player on his forecheck. He creates things every time he’s on the ice.

Emil Heineman

He plays heavy. Against the Flyers, he was all over the ice. He handed out six body checks and showed that he has a major league shot. The pressure he applies deep in the zone causes mistakes from Philadelphia’s defensemen.

Michael Pezzetta

Yes, he’s a veteran. But his position is up for grabs at every training camp. He scored two of the three goals against the Devils. He got plenty of time on the penalty kill. It went well. It’s an aspect of the game he’ll have to establish himself in to earn his spot. A role of 13^e attacker is possibly waiting for him.

Alex Barre-Boulet

Like Pezzetta, but in a completely different style, Barré-Boulet is trying to catch on in the NHL. He scored points in his first audition. He was effective in puck recovery.