Michael McCarron called up by the Canadiens.

I'm excited that Mike McCarron gets a crack at the NHL, after watching him as a Knight, General and this season as an IceCap.  As a fan, I can't wait.

He does bring some of the elements that I listed in a post earlier this week about what Zack Kassian can/could contribute: size, strength, a right shot, some offence, some use on the power play, and the ability to stand in front of the net and create a screen for goalies and a headache for opposite defenceman.

Yet my cautious nature makes me fret that bringing him up now is probably against plan if we go by how Marc Bergevin has dealt with other minor leaguers in their first season, like Charles Hudon and Sven Andrighetto notably.  Both of them were having strong first seasons in the pros, could have contributed in the NHL, but our GM followed his trusty maxim that you often regret bringing up players too soon, but rarely regret bringing them up too late.  Charles Hudon said that he was told by Marc Bergevin not to worry about a callup his first season, that it wouldn't happen, that he should just focus on his game and getting better.

Mike's kind of like that roast that you bring out of the oven and are told to wait 15 minutes before you carve into it, to let the meat set, and ensure that the juices don't all run out.  But who can wait that long, when the mashed potatoes are ready and cooling, when the asparagus (asparagi?  asparaguses?) in lemon butter are done?  Who can resist carving into that perfectly seasoned and crusted dinner right away?

Fingers crossed, he gives us a jolt, gives the team an injection of youthful energy and brings the forward lines back to a more harmonious whole, so they're not all in a drought at the same time.  And either he's a) ready, or b) sent back to the IceCaps after a while, with a measure of what the NHL demands and energized that he's so close, motivated to keep working hard with an eye to the near future.