Montreal Canadiens Call Up Michael McCarron and Mark Barberio
The Montreal Canadiens have called up Michael McCarron and Mark Barberio from the Ice Caps.
The Montreal Canadiens have shuffled their roster once again. This time, Michael McCarron and Mark Barberio have both been called up from the St. John’s Ice Caps of the American Hockey League.
Calling up McCarron makes sense to fill the void left by the injuries to Alex Galchenyuk and David Desharnais. Both centers will be out for up to two months with knee injuries. McCarron was drafted as a winger, but has primarily played center since joining the Ice Caps.
Barberio had recently been with the Canadiens, but when Zach Redmond and Nathan Beaulieu eres ready to play, Barberio was the odd man out. Now, Greg Pateryn is out for 6-8 weeks with an injury, making room for Barberio on the roster once again.
McCarron is having a solid season for the Ice Caps. He continues to improve his skating and gets better at the defensive responsibilities of a center every game. He has 12 points in 21 games, but has been placed in shutdown roles at times with defensive wingers.
The 6’6″ first round pick was dominant in last night’s win over the Springfield Thunderbirds. He scored once and led the game with eight shots on goal. McCarron is excellent at using his huge frame to win puck battles and protect the puck deep in the opponent’s zone.
Where will McCarron and Barberio fit in the lineup?
With the Habs, we can expect McCarron to be put in a third line center role. The best spot for him may be with Andrew Shaw and Paul Byron. It would be a line that can win battles all over the ice and has a touch of offence from all three members.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
With so many injuries at center, we may see McCarron playing on the second line with Brendan Gallagher and Artturi Lehkonen. I doubt the big man starts there, but he could earn a promotion with strong play.
Barberio was sent down to the Ice Caps earlier this week. He played just one game with St. John’s, and had three assists. He now has 17 points in 19 games for the Ice Caps, and has already played six games with the Habs this season, chipping in one assist.
When he was up earlier, the Habs were without left shot defender Nathan Beaulieu. Barberio, also a left shooter stepped into his third pairing role. Now, with Alexei Emelin, Andrei Markov and Beaulieu all healthy, Barberio will likely be the extra guy during this stint with the Canadiens.
Being last minute, both players will sit out tonight’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. They haven’t practiced with the big club, so it makes sense they are the odd men out. This could be a regular occurrence for Barberio, but it won’t be for McCarron for the next 6-8 weeks.
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