It's been two seasons now, and there's a need to find the ideal linemate to play with Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki. Josh Anderson doesn't seem to be the right fit, and while Rafaël Harvey-Pinard has the heart of a true Canadien, it doesn't appear to be a long-term solution.
Kirby Dach was the only one who seemed to fit the role, but he was also preferred at center, and he won't be back for a year.
Hartley also mentioned that a coach in the AHL is accountable to his players. The most deserving ones get called up. In Joel Armia's case, the decision was understandable, and he was performing well in Laval too. But if there were to be another call-up, it should undoubtedly be the hometown player.
Josh is having a completely crazy, almost unexpected start to the season. The AHL rookie now has 11 points in five games and is simply dominant when he's on the ice, a man among boys. Let's see what the team's management decides to do when the time comes.
Many fans and experts initially believed Roy should spend the entire year in Laval, but opinions are slowly changing, and rightfully so. When a player dominates to this extent, they deserve a shot at the next level.
