Brandon Gignac's labors ended with his Habs debut

Brandon Gignac's Montreal Canadiens debut against the Washington Capitals was the result of years of hard work.

The former New Jersey Devil has stood the test of time and proven that there is no substitute for hard work and determination. Gignac has seen many colleagues come and go. To Europe, or whatever he called his career, he continued to fight.

So when he got his chance with the Canadiens, it's no surprise he didn't look out of place. Gignac formed part of the Canadians' third line. Along with Joel Armia and Josh Anderson, Gignac has easily adapted to the Canadiens lineup.

He is never expected and should not be trusted to attack much. But his speed is the difference maker and I can see a future with him on the fourth line, Jake Evans. They play the game on a full 200-foot sheet of ice, and their decision-making is their calling card.

With all the injuries piling up and needing help, Gignac is the beneficiary of the blue-collar job. For my money, he was the best player on his line. I'd go so far as to argue that even though he only played one game, he pitched better than RHP and Anderson.

That's great news for #74, especially considering his low strikeout rate. Kent Hughes did his best to eliminate expensive contracts. Adding Gignac and Lucas Condotta to the mix only moves the needle in his favor.

But the bottom line is, there's still work to be done if the 26-year-old rookie is going to outperform the established roster players. Tanner Pearson was another example of a player doing more harm than good to the team. It's all well and good to take a glass-half-full view of things, but overpaid, under-performing players don't fit the bill.

Either way, Gignac had such a strong debut and it was only a matter of time before he got his shot. This meant that the organization was willing to follow the next-man-up ideology if injuries decimated the lineup. It's encouraging for overlooked players who don't have to make the long journey to the world's best league.

Gignac saw Pierrick Dube and Anthony Richard leave for other opportunities in the American Hockey League, and he stayed put. He is now having the best statistical season of his career.