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In 55 games with the Canadiens this season, de la Rose posted 4-8-12 totals and was minus-2. In 119 career regular-season games with the Canadiens he has 8-11-19 totals. The Canadiens selected de la Rose in the second round (34th overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft.

When I spoke with Ferraro a few years ago for a column I wrote about him, I asked if it was difficult at times as a former player to criticize current players.

“The game is way harder than it looks,” he said. “It’s really easy to say, ‘Oh, that guy’s got to make a better play with the puck.’ But often times, there’s something that has forced him into that mistake. While sometimes you have to be critical, I found it’s okay to be critical as long as I was being fair.

“I don’t want to go out there and bash guys over the head, but there are times when you have to point out a mistake,” Ferraro added. “But just as often there’s some really good stuff happening that forces the guy into the mistake. And while you can point the mistake out, in my opinion you’ve got to point out what great play or good play was made. That’s what I’m supposed to be able to know as an ex-player. I’m supposed to know the subtleties of the game. And that, I think, is really kind of the strength that I have.”

That’s why Ferraro has become my favourite hockey analyst.

“Judging from my Twitter account, I don’t think people realize that I played,” Ferraro told me with a laugh when we spoke. “You get all kinds of people. I mean, I scored 400 goals (in the NHL) … it’s not like I just fell off a turnip truck.”

scowan@postmedia.com

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