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There was a spot or two open on the Canadiens’ blue line at training camp, with several possible candidates ready to fight for that role. General manager Marc Bergevin said the departed Andrei Markov and Nathan Beaulieu would be replaced “by committee.”

Mark Streit, Joe Morrow, Jakub Jerabek, David Schlemko, Brandon Davidson and Brett Lernout were part of that committee, although it has to be said none of them particularly stood out. In fact, just like the committees that organize construction projects in Montreal, you could say they were overwhelmingly disappointing.

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Since then, the picture has cleared up. Streit and the Canadiens agreed to terminate his contract, Jerabek and Lernout were returned to the AHL’s Laval Rocket, and Schlemko underwent surgery to fix his injured hand. Morrow remained with the Canadiens, but he’s proven to be unreliable in the defensive zone.

Out of the fog emerged one player who’s been quietly putting forth valuable performances on a blue line that has struggled since the start of the season: Davidson.