The Canadian fell for Granlund during the 4 nations tournament
He did not score three goals. He did not overthrow a defender with a YouTube feint. He just played real hockey, sober, intelligent, fluid.
And in the stands, during the 4 nations tournament, Kent Hughes’ gaze changed. Mikael Granlund had just passed an audition without knowing it – and he succeeded in style.
No bling, no cries. Just well -made folds. Simple games. Puts won. A reading of the game that nobody saw … except recruiters of CH.
Granlund, at 33, is not there to sell tickets. He is there to hold the fort while Kirby Dach treats his knees and illusions.
What Granlund offers is an empty chair that he fulfills to perfection: second center, 17 minutes per match, defensive responsibility, efficiency on digital advantage and playing.
In Dallas, he proved that he was not finished. Seventeen points in 23 games, without disturbing anyone. A player whom young people love because he does not speak too much, but he performs.
“It is very effective. He can play everywhere. He is intelligent, reliable, and very good in both directions of the rink. » – Jim Nill
And while everyone in Montreal fantasizes about saviors, the Canadian seems to have understood that what he needs is stability.
Granlund is a crutch. A high -end crutch. The one that prevents the project from falling while Suzuki and Demidov are carrying the big weight.
It will not slow down the progress of young people. He will secure them. He’s going to speak Finnish with Slafkovsky. He will guide Joshua Roy without stealing his minutes. He will save time.
And in 2025, in a season that could switch in one way or the other very quickly, Granlund could be exactly what keeps the Canadian standing.
It is not expensive. He does not ask for a star role. He just wants to play. And in Montreal, this year, there is finally a place for this type of player.
Because what Granlund showed during the 4 nations tournament is exactly what the Canadian has not found for two years: calm, experience, and hockey without drama.
It’s time to sign smart. It’s time to sign Granlund.
Because we don’t ask Granlund to become the 70 -point player in Nashville again. He is asked to be a reliable, solid, and constant room.
And for a team like the Canadian, who has too often confused “reconstruction” with “Russian roulette”, this kind of signature is a blessing.
He already knows the role. He has nothing to prove, just to deliver. And he knows what that means integrating into a machine without giving up anyone.
With a short, reasonable contract, it becomes not only a logical addition, but discreet insurance against chaos.
Because if Dach returns too early, because if Beck is slow to hatch, because if Kapanen needs a bridge, Granlund is there.
He is there like an adult in a room full of ambition, to tell young people: we don’t need to be spectacular. Just effective.
Because CH no longer needs promises.
He needs foundations. He needs guys who do not look at the tarrades, who do not google their name after each match, who do not lose their focus after three presences without point.
Granlund does not want to shine. He wants to contribute.
And in an organization that is starting to generate real talent, what it takes now are players capable of enduring the pressure without undergoing it.
If he signs in Montreal, it will not be a fireworks.
But it will be an intelligent, thoughtful, structuring gesture.
And for once, the Canadian will not need to explain his decision for three press conferences: he will only have to point Granlund on the ice.
And everyone will understand.
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