The Joel Edmundson mystery will continue for a few more hours. At the Canadiens’ morning practice in Los Angeles, where the team will meet the Kings in the evening, Edmundson looked like a defender ready to return to practice. At the end of the session, with all the players gathered in the middle of the ice, he was treated to a volley of sticks on the ice, the usual sign heralding a return – that of Kaiden Guhle, last Tuesday, had been greeted on this one way for example.

Still, the Habs claim that at the time of the meeting, a decision will be made as to his presence or absence. Therefore, in accordance with the club’s internal policy, he was not made available to meet the journalists.

Edmundson, recall, returned to full training Monday after a month of recovery from an “upper body” injury. Whether he’s playing or not, the focus is on him on Thursday night, about 24 hours before the end of the NHL trading period. The veteran has been the subject of a number of rumors since the start of the season but his health has made it difficult to secure a deal.

Martin St-Louis obviously didn’t feel like discussing the situation. Is the refusal to confirm his presence due to uncertainties surrounding Edmundson’s health? “It must, yes,” he replied. If he’s in uniform, can seven defenders be brought in? ” That could be. We cross the bridge when we get there. »

As Charles Tisseyre would say: fascinating.

Deciphering the Kings

The last time the Canadian faced the Kings in Montreal on December 10, the CH were riveted on their opponents’ game system.

Their 1-3-1 formation, which clogs the neutral zone and forces the attacking team to get rid of the puck, has the Habs completely confused. Martin St-Louis even took the blame after the 4-2 defeat.

“I need to do a better job of helping the boys,” he admitted at the time.

This time the homework has been done, we are assured. St-Louis, like Erin O’Toole, said he had “a plan” without disclosing anything about it.

His players were a little louder. “Nobody else in the NHL” plays like the Kings, said Johnathan Kovacevic. “Last time we knew what to expect, but many of us have never dealt with this type of system,” recalled the defender. They are passive, waiting for us to commit. »

“Our transition to the neutral zone has to happen very quickly,” added Christian Dvorak. We can’t give them time to calm down. »

Playing finesse to outsmart three opponents probably won’t work, he warned. It will be more about placing pucks precisely on the bottom of enemy territory, not giving the defender the easy life in retreat. “We will have to play with intelligence,” summed up the center player.

Each game is preceded by video sessions, but the montages presented for the Kings confrontation are very “specific” to accurately dissect their game, Kovacevic also said.

Referring to the December defeat, Nick Suzuki also recalled with a smile that he and his teammates were wearing the infamous powder blue jersey at the time. “But we are certainly better prepared,” he added.

After parrying 38 shots on Tuesday night, Jake Allen will once again defend the Canadians’ net against the Kings. The game begins at 10:30 p.m. Quebec time.