Canadiens’ AHL Call-Up Options to Replace Christian Dvorak

With him out, the Canadiens are down to 11 forwards on the roster. While this is manageable in a short-term scenario and does help the Canadiens accumulate salary cap space, the extra burden on the forward group would begin to show in their performances. Montreal could choose to play their next game with only 11 forwards and remove Rafael Harvey-Pinard from the long-term injured reserve (LTIR) to add to their lineup for the following game. If that isn’t the case, general manager (GM) Kent Hughes will have to resort to recalling a replacement from the American Hockey League (AHL). There are a few viable options. 

Possibility #1: Lias Andersson 

There will be many calling for Emil Heineman, Joshua Roy, and even Riley Kidney to be the call-up. While all three are good players and have given management a reason for the call, in this scenario, they would remain in the AHL for now. Instead, the call would be made to Lias Andersson.  

Andersson was drafted seventh overall by the New York Rangers when Jeff Gorton was the GM and Nick Bobrov was the Director of European Scouting for the Rangers. Now, they are with the Canadiens and likely had a major role in getting him to sign his one-year deal with Montreal.

In this scenario, Andersson is selected for a few reasons. The first is they don’t want to upset the apple cart and make any changes to the second line of Jake Evans, Sean Monahan, and Jesse Ylonen, as this call-up would allow them to fill Dvorak’s spot without any changes to the lineup. Another reason is that while he’s only played 13 games (seven goals and nine points in those games) with the Laval Rocket this season after missing time due to injury — and hasn’t been putting up points since his return about one week before the announcement of Dvorak’s injury — he does provide the team someone with 110 games of NHL experience.

Also, he can play center or wing. Finally, his call-up would be to test him at the NHL level to show whether he can be an everyday NHLer not. He was a reclamation project, as as a former seventh-overall pick, he hasn’t lived up to that status. His recall may end up being after the Trade Deadline, but he is an option now. 

Possibility#2: Lucas Condotta 

Another realistic option for this call-up is Lucas Condotta. Last season, after playing in all 72 games for Laval, scoring 16 goals and 31 points, he was rewarded with a call up for Montreal’s final game of the 2022-23 season. In that game, he scored his first NHL goal. His hard work earned him a new two-year deal with the organization.  

The 6-foot-1, 223-pound forward could provide the NHL roster with some much-needed size and grit. He plays with a physical edge and can be difficult to handle when he can get into the offensive zone as he consistently attacks the slot and is a player who is a net-front presence. 

This scenario would allow for head coach Martin St. Louis to do some line juggling, moving Evans back to center, while placing Condotta on the wing in the bottom six. This would be ideal for the 24-year-old Condotta as he is better suited to play a checking line or energy role. He does provide some flexibility as well as he has played a significant amount of time as a center in Laval. 

Possibility#3: Sean Farrell 

Sean Farrell has played well this season with Laval, scoring six goals and 16 points in 22 games, with two goals and four points in his last five games all while playing in a top-six role. His call-up would allow St. Louis to shift Evans back to center and fill his top-six position with someone who was drafted for his potential to play that role. 

Farrell has had a taste of NHL play last season and is a dynamic, highly-skilled left-winger with impressive offensive abilities. His speed and agility are his biggest assets, allowing him to get past defenders or to open passing or shooting lanes and create scoring opportunities. He has a hard and accurate shot with a quick release, when paired with his offensive vision as a smart and creative playmaker, makes him a dangerous player in the offensive zone. All of this would complement Monahan and Ylonen well, while also providing St. Louis another option for the second wave of the power play. 

While there are other players like Roy who could be more deserving, losing Dvorak for the entire season provides an opening on the roster that can be used as a revolving door, allowing Hughes to assess a player’s development against NHL competition. The players mentioned above each have a strength that can help Montreal in the short term. No matter which option Hughes decides, he can’t really go wrong as each player provides the roster with different options that can be of benefit.