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Post by blny on Jul 1, 2019 12:18:24 GMT -5
Addition to the roster.
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Post by blny on Jul 1, 2019 12:20:03 GMT -5
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 3, 2019 10:34:16 GMT -5
Another signing that is likely going to help Laval's offense improve from last year. He did play half the season with the Flyers, but we already have a ton of 13th forwards.
He was the AHL MVP in 2017-18.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 3, 2019 11:49:55 GMT -5
A little bit about recent UFA signing, Riley Barber. His Dad, Don Barber, had a modest NHL career and hails from Victoria, BC. I remember young Barber at the WJC.
He will be amongst a fairly large group of players that will be fighting for the extra forward spots with the Habs or else being a major contributor for the Rocket.
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Post by BadCompany on Jul 3, 2019 14:37:57 GMT -5
This will be a big year for Joel Bouchard, I think. Last year he benefited from "not being Sylvain Lefevbre" but ultimately the results ended up being the same. Sure, he got a lot of accolades, but as near as I can tell his coaching style seems to involve a lot of yelling. That may or may not work in the long run.
This year he's got a lot of our top prospects, at just about every position, and a slew of high-scoring AHL vets to surround them. He doesn't have to win the Calder Cup, but at the very least Laval needs to be in the playoffs, and preferably one of the top teams. The pieces are there, so I think this will be much more of an indicator as to how good Bouchard really is, as opposed to last year.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 3, 2019 14:50:20 GMT -5
This will be a big year for Joel Bouchard, I think. Last year he benefited from "not being Sylvain Lefevbre" but ultimately the results ended up being the same. Sure, he got a lot of accolades, but as near as I can tell his coaching style seems to involve a lot of yelling. That may or may not work in the long run. This year he's got a lot of our top prospects, at just about every position, and a slew of high-scoring AHL vets to surround them. He doesn't have to win the Calder Cup, but at the very least Laval needs to be in the playoffs, and preferably one of the top teams. The pieces are there, so I think this will be much more of an indicator as to how good Bouchard really is, as opposed to last year. I fully agree. If the Habs are able to sign or trade for another impactful NHL forward to replace Shaw somewhere in the top six, then that also means that Laval will benefit from another of the fringe forwards that will have to be sent down before the start of the season. Although he does seem to coach with an extremely high level of intensity, the players do seem to respond well and continue to say really positive things about how he handles and interacts with them. They have very solid goaltending (one too many in fact). Their defense should be very strong as well given the guys who should be sent down and some of the young players taking new spots (Leskinen and Brook). We should also get to see what Olofsson can do beyond one game and done (if he does not get injured again). Their forward depth and scoring should be much better than last year. They had decent vets to start the season last year, but lost them to call ups and eventually to waivers. They were scraping together enough AHL/ECHL forwards by the end of the season to have a complete lineup. Laval needs to be in the playoffs this season...it really is as simple as that. |
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Post by seventeen on Jul 3, 2019 16:59:23 GMT -5
This will be a big year for Joel Bouchard, I think. Last year he benefited from "not being Sylvain Lefevbre" but ultimately the results ended up being the same. Sure, he got a lot of accolades, but as near as I can tell his coaching style seems to involve a lot of yelling. That may or may not work in the long run. This year he's got a lot of our top prospects, at just about every position, and a slew of high-scoring AHL vets to surround them. He doesn't have to win the Calder Cup, but at the very least Laval needs to be in the playoffs, and preferably one of the top teams. The pieces are there, so I think this will be much more of an indicator as to how good Bouchard really is, as opposed to last year. Yes. |
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Post by Willie Dog on Jul 4, 2019 17:59:53 GMT -5
The difference in Mete when he came back was noticeably better... I hope he scores in the first game, on his first shot.
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Post by blny on Jul 4, 2019 18:49:36 GMT -5
The difference in Mete when he came back was noticeably better... I hope he scores in the first game, on his first shot. Yes. I think projects favorably to Ryan Ellis. It took Ellis two seasons of up and down between the NHL and the AHL to get things figured out. |
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Post by BadCompany on Jul 5, 2019 8:57:38 GMT -5
The difference in Mete when he came back was noticeably better... I hope he scores in the first game, on his first shot. Yes. I think projects favorably to Ryan Ellis. It took Ellis two seasons of up and down between the NHL and the AHL to get things figured out. Yeah, I must be one of the only guys who is quite content to have Mete playing with Weber. They compliment each other perfectly if you ask me. Mete can provide the skating, Weber the mentorship (along with all those other things that Weber brings to the team). Mete doesn't have to play 24 minutes a night, but if he plays 18 even strength minutes I'm perfectly fine with it. He just turned 21 and is still growing, both as a man and a player. I expect him to get better and better. I don't know if he'll ever be a special teams player, but like I said, 18 minutes five on five? I think he's just fine, no matter what the quality of opposition is. Oh, and I think he'll score this year! |
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Post by Cranky on Jul 5, 2019 13:00:58 GMT -5
Our top pairing is a 34 year old and a offensivly challenged smurf?
And that's ok for a bubble team that wants to be top 10 and a contender?
I need more meds....
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Post by blny on Jul 5, 2019 13:47:39 GMT -5
Yes. I think projects favorably to Ryan Ellis. It took Ellis two seasons of up and down between the NHL and the AHL to get things figured out. Yeah, I must be one of the only guys who is quite content to have Mete playing with Weber. They compliment each other perfectly if you ask me. Mete can provide the skating, Weber the mentorship (along with all those other things that Weber brings to the team). Mete doesn't have to play 24 minutes a night, but if he plays 18 even strength minutes I'm perfectly fine with it. He just turned 21 and is still growing, both as a man and a player. I expect him to get better and better. I don't know if he'll ever be a special teams player, but like I said, 18 minutes five on five? I think he's just fine, no matter what the quality of opposition is. Oh, and I think he'll score this year! On the same page. |
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Sept 18, 2019 23:30:48 GMT -5
Yeah, I must be one of the only guys who is quite content to have Mete playing with Weber. They compliment each other perfectly if you ask me. Mete can provide the skating, Weber the mentorship (along with all those other things that Weber brings to the team). Mete doesn't have to play 24 minutes a night, but if he plays 18 even strength minutes I'm perfectly fine with it. He just turned 21 and is still growing, both as a man and a player. I expect him to get better and better. I don't know if he'll ever be a special teams player, but like I said, 18 minutes five on five? I think he's just fine, no matter what the quality of opposition is. Oh, and I think he'll score this year! On the same page. I like Mete. He is small, weak and offensively challenged but he skates fast. He would be great with 60 pucks on the ice skating in counter clockwise circles with his left glove resting on the ice. Still, I like him and I think he will score. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 26, 2019 13:55:17 GMT -5
Here are the AHL veteran player rules: Of the 18 skaters (not counting two goaltenders) that teams may dress for a game, at least 13 must be qualified as "development players." Of those 13, 12 must have played in 260 or fewer professional games (including AHL, NHL and European elite leagues), and one must have played in 320 or fewer professional games.
So Laval can dress 5 veterans (>320 professional games) and one veteran exempt player (261-320 professional games).
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 27, 2019 12:52:36 GMT -5
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 1, 2019 9:26:54 GMT -5
Some roster trimming to ensure guys get some ice time in the ECHL rather than sitting in the stands in Laval. No real surprises here. McNiven is the odd man out with three bona fide goalies in Laval right now. That could change at some point.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 3, 2019 9:37:11 GMT -5
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 3, 2019 11:25:21 GMT -5
Olofsson (the defender) must be healthy and cleared for practice as he is being put on waivers. That only leaves Teasdale, McCarron and Juulsen left on the IR. I saw that Juulsen was skating on his own earlier, so that is a positive sign. McCarron was out for six weeks, so more time before he is ready. Teasdale is missing most of the season.
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Post by drkcloud on Oct 3, 2019 23:11:54 GMT -5
I like what he had to say there. That's a great way to look at things... What are you going to do today to get to Hudon 2.0.... I hope he takes it to heart |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 4, 2019 13:02:03 GMT -5
Olofsson cleared and was assigned to the Rocket. He will not play tonight in the season's opener, which is not a surprise given he has not played in ages.
Hopefully we can get more than a two game sample size out of this guy this year to see what he is capable of, other than a lifelong accumulation of serious injuries.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Oct 4, 2019 15:40:17 GMT -5
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 4, 2019 16:31:53 GMT -5
Laval's season starts tonight with their home opener. There is lots of promise for a much better season from the team, that is a balance between vets and prospects. Poehling, Brook, Primeau, Evans, Leskinen, Vejdemo, etc. still give prospect watchers something to watch and cheer. And how well will McCarron do when he returns to action after his training camp groin injury? Will Hudon find his game under Bouchard?
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Post by folatre on Oct 4, 2019 21:49:11 GMT -5
Thanks to the AHL free weekend promotion, I watched most of the Laval game. It looked like a really good atmosphere. Unfortunately, there were not many players on the Rocket that stood out in a positive way and more than a few performances that left a lot to be desired.
Belzile was very good. Evans looked solid. Hudon had a beautiful one-timer from the right half-wall on third period power play to give the Rocket a 2-1 lead. Poehling had a couple of flashes of skill but he played down to Weise and Peca, his most common linemates, who were not good at all.
Brook is trying too hard to make things happen. He was the guy most to blame for gifting the Monsters the dream counterattack that tied the game up in the third. Alzner was absolutely abused on the game winner with under two minutes to play in the game. I really do not see any scenario where he ever plays in the NHL again.
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Post by seventeen on Oct 4, 2019 22:59:00 GMT -5
Went to the AHL site to check out the box score. It looks like the Rocket had a lot of chances in the high danger zone right in front of Kivlenieks (that's a mounthful). Their 2 goals cam from further off to the side. That suggests they hit the goalie crest a lot but that's just conjecture.
Sigh. LIndgren in goal. It looks like he's playing himself into rec hockey.
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Post by folatre on Oct 5, 2019 16:14:52 GMT -5
I thought that Lindgren looked decent. The game tying goal and the soul crushing goal were not his fault. However, at this juncture of his career, it would at least be nice to see him be more of a definitive win manufacturer at the AHL level. For various reasons, the Rocket needs to make the playoffs.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Oct 5, 2019 17:57:25 GMT -5
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 5, 2019 21:17:08 GMT -5
Two losses to start the season. Not exactly what the doctor ordered. Bouchard said that a bunch of the guys who were sent down have not showed up yet (a shot that they need to accept their demotion and play better).
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Post by folatre on Oct 10, 2019 12:29:16 GMT -5
It looks like McCarron cleared, so Bouchard gets a big body to give the Rocket another dimension.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Oct 11, 2019 14:57:43 GMT -5
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 12, 2019 6:59:23 GMT -5
More Juulsen news.
Bouchard has lots of guys available for tonight’s game. Let’s see how he slots them in. And more importantly, let us see if the guys show up tonight against Milwaukee.
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