The Montreal Canadiens started the final week of their Return to Play training camp after a day off on Sunday, and the group was once again split.
On Friday and Saturday, a small group of five players broke off into a small group that skated before the rest of their teammates. That group was Phillip Danault, Ryan Poehling, Victor Mete, Cale Fleury, and Cayden Primeau. That continued on Monday morning.
The group is out of practice for precautionary reasons, but not injury-related, according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports.
Phillip Danault, Cale Fleury, Victor Mete, Ryan Poehling and Cayden Primeau are still skating before the main group for precautionary reasons. They are not injured. @CanadiensMTL
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) July 20, 2020
The NHL’s Return to Play guidelines state that players with a positive test must isolate. The fact that they are skating at team facilities means that there is no positive test among the group.
Victor Mete said after practice that this is due to circumstances they cannot discuss and not due to fitness levels.
#Habs Mete on when he, Danault, Poehling, Fleury and Primeau might return to practise with the main group: “We’re kinda listening and doing what we’re told.”
“These are circumstances we have to follow,” said Mete, not allowed to elaborate further.
— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNMtl) July 20, 2020
Max Domi was on the ice with the team for the first time at practice, and participated in drills with the second power play unit. He also skated with Alex Belzile and Laurent Dauphin.
#Habs Domi is taking part in second power play unit drills:
Kotkaniemi
Weal – Armia – Domi
PetryAnother version of PP2:
Lehkonen
Kotkaniemi – Armia – Weal
Petry— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNMtl) July 20, 2020
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Max Domi joins practice, decides he will participate in Canadiens’ qualifying round
Brett Kulak, and Xavier Ouellet remained out, as did Alexander Romanov. Romanov is still in Russia awaiting his Visa. Considering he still needs to quarantine once getting to Canada, he will not be taking part in any practices until the team gets to Toronto at the earliest.
#Habs training camp:
Tatar – Weal – Gallagher
Drouin – Suzuki – Armia
Lehkonen – Kotkaniemi – Byron
Hudon – Evans – Weise
Dauphin – Domi – BelzileChiarot – Weber
Olofsson – Petry
Juulsen/Brook – FolinPrice
Lindgren
McNiven— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNMtl) July 20, 2020
The team travels to Toronto this weekend, and their only exhibition game will be on July 28. The team has confirmed that Romanov is not eligible to take part in that game. Their series against the Pittsburgh Penguins is set to start on August 1.