The Habs Unsung Hero: Alexandre Carrier

What makes Carrier even better than Savard as a defensive defenseman is that he can do a lot more than block shots, and he skates very smoothly. The fact that he can move pretty seamlessly allows him to be able to join the offense and make it back in time to stop odd-man rushes. Carrier is also an underrated passer. He has quietly put up just under 0.5 points per game while playing on a 3rd pairing so far this season, with a goal and 4 assists in 11 games. Honestly, he doesn’t even get enough respect as a defensive defenseman this season, as Mike Matheson has emerged as the team’s top guy on the penalty kill. With how good defensively Carrier is, he should probably get more ice time on the penalty kill, as nobody is as good at blocking shots. Therefore, he may be a better option than Noah Dobson on the top penalty kill unit with Matheson. Dobson is a stronger skater and bigger body, but Carrier actually brings more defensive awareness as a defender, so he would likely be better at reading the players on the PK.