Habster:

I’m glad Big Georges is optimistic about starting the season as there have been reports that his strained groin is more serious than first thought, thus the reason for his appointment with a specialist.

The groin is a very delicate area and sometimes takes a while to heal especially if there’s a tear, let’s hope this isn’t the case with Laraque.

With the possibility of starting the season without their tough guy in the lineup, the Canadiens have decided to keep F Gregory Stewart and D Alex Henry until the end of training camp, just in case they need some toughness to start the season.

Henry is an AHL veteran who is a serviceable defenseman who can play a simple yet effective defensive game. He is also more than willing to drop the gloves when the need arises.

Stewart is also able to defend his teammates when push comes to shove, though he isn’t as much of a heavy weight as Laraque or even Henry. Stewart is a solid two way player who can contribute in other areas and has shown he can fly with his good skating ability. He is a bit of a late bloomer (he is only 22 years old though) who surprised Bulldogs coach, Don Lever with his steady improvement throughout last season with Hamilton. Lever even stated he thought Stewart was one of his most improved players last season and was finally coming into his own as a player.