With a chance to clinch a spot in the NHL playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens seem like they will have Paul Byron back in the lineup.
He skated on a line with Jake Evans and Artturi Lehkonen.
Formation du CH à l’entraînement:
Tatar-Kotkaniemi-Anderson
Toffoli-Suzuki-Armia
Byron-Evans-Lehkonen
Perry-Staal-Caufield
Frolik-Belzile-Gallagher(en bleu)Kulak-Chiarot
Edmundson-Petry
Romanov-Merrill
GustafssonAllen
Primeau
Lindgren*Weber a patiné avant le groupe
— Jonathan Bernier (@JBernierJDM) May 10, 2021
Byron missed the last nine games with a lower-body injury, and is one of several players who has been out with an injury. He has four goals and 10 assists in 44 games this season.
Brendan Gallagher skated at practice, but was in a non-contact jersey. Shea Weber skated before practice on his own, and Carey Price did not join the team at Monday’s morning skate. Interim head coach Dominique Ducharme said he doesn’t expect any other injured players to return on Wednesday, but that they could return for the playoffs.
Dominique Ducharme says he’s confident all his injured players will be back by playoffs (Price, Weber, Gallagher, Danault). None will play again this regular season.
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) May 10, 2021
Byron’s return likely means that Alex Belzile will be out of the lineup. That means that Jake Evans and Cole Caufield can remain on the roster as emergency call ups.
With one point tonight, the Canadiens would clinch their spot in the playoffs. They need to win and the Winnipeg Jets need to lose in order to still have a chance to finish in third spot in the NHL’s North Division.
