Analyst calls Ryan Poehling’s professionalism into question

When the Montreal Canadiens decided to call someone up from the AHL to fill in the gaps left by injuries to Jonathan Drouin and Paul Byron, many assumed it would be Ryan Poehling. The former first-round pick (25^th overall in 2017) just barely missed making the team out of training camp and seemed poised to make the jump to the NHL any time he was needed. It ended up being Riley Barber. This isn’t a knock on Barber. The 25-year-old currently has seven more points than Poehling at the AHL level while playing fewer games. He earned his call up. But it left many wondering what’s happened to Poehling after he showed so much promise at the end of last season and in this year’s training camp.

The topic was recently discussed on the French-language show JiC on TVA, where host Jean-Charles Lajoie pointed the finger at Poehling’s lack of professionalism and the video game Fortnite.

“The team is not satisfied with the effort deployed, which is not consistent or sustained.”

"He must learn to become a professional. A professional does not try to win a Fortnite tournament night after night in the motel room.”

Poehling has admitted to enjoying Fortnite. In fact, he revealed that he was playing the game with friends when he received a call up to the Habs in early November. That short stint didn’t go all that well for the 20-year-old. He failed to register a single point and was sent back down to Laval in the AHL where he's been ever since. After returning to Laval from Montreal, Poehling went on a streak where he put up points in just one out of eight games that he played. Since then, however, he's turned it around getting five points in his last four. According to Lejoie, Poehling needs to continue with that play if he wants to get back to Montreal.

"When he behaves like a good professional and puts points on the board (consistently), he'll be called back. The Canadiens will not get rid of Ryan Poehling."

This isn’t the first time Fortnite has been blamed for an NHL’s player’s slump. When Patrik Laine sputtered with the Winnipeg Jets last season, many were quick to point the finger at his love for the video game. Laine would apparently take his console on the road with him and spend any time away from the rink engrossed in online gaming tournaments. He told a Finnish news outlet in October that he’s no longer doing that.