Montreal Canadiens: It Might Be Time to Call Up Laurent Dauphin

Montreal Canadiens losses are piling up quickly and they really have no answers at this time. They did finally get a win on Saturday night, and scored six goals that night, but that would be an outlier game for this season.

The Canadiens were 4-13-2 heading into that game and scoring was a major issue. They are currently sitting at 44 goal on the season after 20 games played which is 2.2 per night.

They are literally scoring at the same rate as Joe Malone in 1917-18. It was a different game 100 years ago, but the Habs star of yesteryear scored 44 goals himself in 20 games that season.

It took a surprising six goal outburst for the Canadiens to reach that total in the number of games. Their leading goal scorer this season is Nick Suzuki, and Tyler Toffoli, Brendan Gallagher, Mike Hoffman, Josh Anderson, and Ben Chiarot who all have four goals scored. That means their best goal scorers are on pace to finish the season with 16.

That’s awful.

The Canadiens do have a prospect on the Laval Rocket who is filling nets with pucks.

Laurent Dauphin was acquired from the Nashville Predators organization for Michael McCarron a couple of years ago and he seems on the cusp of making the NHL lineup ever since. He scored 15 points in 25 games with the Rocket to close out the 2019-20 season after the trade. Then he scored 16 points in 21 games last season.

This season, his overall production is the same, but he is putting more pucks in the net than he ever did. The Repentigny, Quebec native has nine goals in just 15 games this season and 13 points as well. He was known for as a two-way centre who could add some scoring in the past, but right now he sits second in the AHL in goals. He is just one back of the league lead.

At 26, Dauphin is not really a prospect anymore, but he is showing he is ready to contribute even more offensively for the Rocket. Or, perhaps for the Canadiens.

Dauphin has played 35 career NHL games, but hasn’t suited up in the top league since he had a single game in the 2018-19 campaign. He has 29 points in his last 36 AHL games, so maybe it is time to give him one last shot at the NHL level to see if his game is more prepared for it?

The Canadiens are struggling right now and could use the time to figure out if Dauphin is a candidate for a fourth line job down the road or if he just doesn’t have what it takes to make it in the NHL.

What’s the harm? He’s always been known as a good defensive player, can play centre and the wing and he is now sitting among the goal scoring leaders in the AHL. It just might be time to find a spot for him on the NHL roster.