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Speculation that Dustin Tokarski's job as Carey Price's backup was in jeopardy has been going on for most of this preseason. This morning, it became official, as Renaud Lavoie reported that the Canadiens will place him and defenceman Mark Barberio on waivers today at noon.
Dustin Tokarski et Mark Barberio seront placés au ballottage à midi. #canadiens #tvasports
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) October 5, 2015
Tokarski had an extremely rough outing against the Senators on Saturday night, and it seems that was his last chance to prove that he deserved the second string spot. He'll now be replaced by Mike Condon, who has yet to play a regular-season game in the NHL, but has looked quite good so far in the preseason.
Mark Barberio didn't have an awful preseason by any means, but he was always going to have a tough time trying to crack a very crowded blueline in Montreal. It's easy to see why the Canadiens had to waive him, as they don't seem ready to risk losing someone like Greg Pateryn or Jarred Tinordi on the waiver wire.
Provided they both clear waivers, they'll report to the St. John's Ice Caps, where Tokarski figures to be the starting goaltender, and Barberio will join a very young defensive corps.