No Habs captain with Weber out, but plenty of `A's
Price and Hoffman will miss camp, with winger doubtful for first games of season
Two key players — goaltender Carey Price and forward Mike Hoffman — probably will miss the Canadiens' training camp.
Head coach Dominique Ducharme also said Thursday Hoffman was doubtful for the start of the regular season.
Ducharme said the Canadiens expected Price to ease back into a regular routine after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery during the off-season, but Hoffman's absence was a surprise. The left winger, who signed a three-year deal with an annual cap hit of US$4.5 million as a free agent, suffered a lower-body injury during his final summer skate before making his way to Montreal.
“He'd already contacted our athletic therapists to let them know he had a small issue,” Ducharme said. “When he arrived, they treated him right away. There were different ways to treat him, so they did that. He was OK when he skated after that, but then things got worse. He's going to have an MRI (and) he's doubtful for the start of the season.”
Hoffman, 31, is expected to play a top-six role and contribute to the power play. He had 17 goals and 19 assists in 52 games with St. Louis last season. In the previous six seasons with Ottawa and Florida, Hoffman averaged 28.2 goals, 58.5 points and 231.5 shots. He also scored between seven and 17 power-play goals in each of the last six seasons.
Ducharme said he knew Price wouldn't be ready for the start of camp, but said he expected him to start in the regular-season opener on Oct. 13 in Toronto.
“We built a program for him to get back into playing shape,” Ducharme said. “He's skating right now (and) he's going to be on the ice next week with (goalie coach Eric Raymond) and an athletic therapist. After that, they're going to pick it up, go harder and put him in different situations. Then he's going to join the team practices with us and get ready for playing games.”
They weren't the only absentees Thursday. Paul Byron, who underwent hip surgery on July 30, isn't expected back before the new year, while prospects Josh Brook and Joel Teasdale failed their physicals Wednesday and are out indefinitely. Defenceman Joel Edmundson is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, but he took a turn on the ice with a member of the training staff.
Brendan Gallagher was absent for “family reasons” but Ducharme said the veteran would be on the ice Saturday or Sunday.
Ducharme said the Canadiens would go without a captain this season. He said there would be a rotation of players wearing an “A,” but Gallagher would be the one constant.
Nick Suzuki is one of those players who will be wearing an “A” and the 22-year-old said he was ready to play more of a leadership role.
“Being a part of the leadership group, I'm not going to really change who I am,” said Suzuki. “I'll just lead by example and give my all in practice and in games. Being a young guy, I've got to pick my (spots) if I want to speak up or not, so I'm just trying to get comfortable and get to know all the new guys as well.”
(Hoffman had) already contacted our athletic therapists to let them know he had a small issue. ... They treated him right away.
Another 22-year-old, Ryan Poehling, said he was ready to challenge for a spot on the roster after a successful season in Laval.
“Honestly, it took a while,” Poehling said. “You get thrown in, you come out of college, you have a great first game and then the sky's the limit. Especially in this place, where the media and the organization and the history behind it, everything's so crazy. You have so many high expectations for yourself. Then the way I fell off like that, it just felt like the world was coming down on me, but it took me long enough to realize that I'm not that important to everyone else. You think so highly of yourself and you think so low of yourself, but I finally realized that I needed to stick on that path. That's what it came down to during my second season, which was good.”