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Post by BadCompany on Jul 3, 2020 7:24:18 GMT -5
Getting pretty crowded in Laval these days.
Dauphin - Hillis - Alain
Belzile - Teasdale - Ylonen
Pezzetta - Verbeek - Hawel
Harvey-Pinard - Khisamutdinov - Vigneault
Veilleux
Leskinen - Fleury
Alzner - Brook
Ouellet
Olofsson
Schueneman
Demchenko/Lindgren
Primeau
McNiven
* AHL Contract
* Unsigned: Folin, Vejdemo , Waked
That look about right to you? That doesn't include the possibility of one (or more) of Evans, Poehling, or Kotkaniemi being sent down.
Also, not looking so good for Vejdemo. He hasn't been recalled to Montreal for this play-in, not even as a black ace, and he's not signed for next year...
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Post by folatre on Jul 3, 2020 9:05:29 GMT -5
It is getting crowded in Laval. Ouellet, unfortunately, is not a sure thing to be with the Rocket next season. He is not signed. I heard that he purchased a home in the Grand Rapids (Michigan) area, where his wife hails from.
Could it be with the possibility of few fans in AHL buildings next season that Molson prefers not to add more guys to the Rocket who make good money (Ouellet made $300,000 in Laval last season)? I hope Ouellet stays but it would not surprise me to see him in the Red Wings organization.
I have no idea what management thinks of Vejdemo. For that matter, Evans does not have a contract yet, though it seems a sure thing he gets one.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 3, 2020 9:51:38 GMT -5
It is getting crowded in Laval, but I expect it will get even more crowded for a few reasons. As B.C. mentions, we don’t know the full NHL roster yet. Guys will get sent down. Also, the organization is only a few key injuries away from looking a bit thin in places. Not predicting big injury problems, but they are a reality for teams every season. With this crazy play-in and playoffs, and a possible quick turnaround for 2020-21, I expect we will see more rather than less injuries this year. All teams need depth of some sort. The team will likely add more guys on AHL deals as they had more last season.
The challenge is not having a dedicated ECHL team. While that likely gets resolved in a year with Trois-Rivieres, it means another season where you have to scatter guys across numerous teams, and hope they get sufficient ice time. The fact the Habs have gone this long without a dedicated team shows it still does not still fully get it in terms of player development and support.
There are a few guys who could impact this lineup that will have to be resigned or replaced. Ouellet is one. He was their captain and defensive leader. Hudon was the team’s top sniper, but has to be wanting either a real shot at the NHL or better money in Europe (more on this in a bit). Evans and Vejdemo are Bouchard’s darlings. Both are RFAs, and I fully expect Evans back as he will be fighting for a bottom line spot with the Habs and a top spot with Laval if sent down. Vejdemo not being called back yet means he probably is not part of the expanded 28 skaters, but it does put into question his future. Blandisi came over at the deadline, got injured, but did put up 4 points in the four games he played before the season stopped. He also has NHL experience. Laval needs veteran leadership with guys like him as it is a very young lineup otherwise. The key is finding vets or tweeners who buy into Bouchard’s system. Guys who just want to put up good offensive stats to get a call up or new contract with a chance at the NHL don’t tend to like Bouchard’s requirement to play that stifling aggressive puck pursuit game, in which everyone is expected to take time and space away. They want to cheat a bit more and score goals, not be a tenacious checker.
Then there is the uncertainty of the AHL season. When will it start and will it have fans? It is a gate driven league as it does not have the big tv revenue to fall back on. I have read some interesting articles with commissioner Dave Andrews on the challenges ahead for the league and a number of its franchises. With European leagues starting to confirm their restart dates, I wonder how many bubble guys will opt for a more sure thing in Europe this season.
This is definitely an unfinished story.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 9, 2020 15:31:30 GMT -5
This is not Rocket news, but very related.
The ownership group supported by the Habs have reached a lease deal with the City of T-R to start in 2021-22. A five year lease with two five year renewal options.
Now that they have an arena lined up, they can formally apply to the ECHL for a new franchise.
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Post by folatre on Jul 9, 2020 16:23:22 GMT -5
Nice, that is really positive news.
The three-tier model is the most conducive to player development for the kids that are not head of their class at age 19-20. And it cannot be that expensive to get with the times because if an affiliate arrangement was truly costly, Melnyk would not be working with Brampton all these years.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 10, 2020 15:25:13 GMT -5
Marc Dumont was recently let go by the Athletic. A big loss as he did great stuff covering the Rocket and prospects. Nice to see the Habs pick him up for some articles.
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Post by seventeen on Jul 10, 2020 16:44:41 GMT -5
He's been hired by the Habs marketing department, though I don't know if it's full time or part time.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 31, 2020 7:57:53 GMT -5
There will be AHL hockey next season. Great news for our younger prospects with the team who need to play some meaningful hockey to carry on their development path. No idea how the league will fully tackle the financial impact though.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Aug 4, 2020 0:18:36 GMT -5
Habs loan Leskinen to Finnish team so he can play some hockey in the fall. He will be back for training camp. Wonder if they do the same for Ylonen and Vejdemo?
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 4, 2020 12:05:31 GMT -5
Vejdemo is back for another year. Good depth guy, who may not have reached his peak yet.
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Post by folatre on Sept 4, 2020 12:21:07 GMT -5
If management thinks Poehling needs to blossom in Laval getting big first line centre minutes and Hillis and Teasdale are also there I am not sure Vejdemo is a priority anymore in terms of player development.
It would probably be better for the player and the organization if he manages to at least make the team as an extra forward.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 7, 2020 10:08:12 GMT -5
Vejdemo loaned to a Swedish club, so he will be able to stay active until he needs to return to NA.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 10, 2020 2:00:42 GMT -5
Another AHL deal. He was/is a decent depth guy for them.
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Post by BadCompany on Sept 10, 2020 9:23:27 GMT -5
Still crowded down there. Do I have this right? UnsignedAHL ContractCurrently in Europe
| Left Wing | Center | Right Wing | | Dauphin | Vejdemo | Alain | | Belzile | Teasdale | Ylonen | | Pezzetta | Hillis | Waked | | Veilleux | Verbeek | Hawel | | Harvey-Pinard | Khisamutdinov |
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| Vigneault |
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| Lynch |
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| | Left Defense | Right Defense | | | Leskinen | Fleury |
| | Alzner | Brook |
| | Ouellet | Folin |
| | Olofsson |
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| Schueneman
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| Halbert
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| | Goalies |
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| | Primeau |
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| | Lindgren |
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| | Demchenko |
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| | McNiven |
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Post by seventeen on Sept 10, 2020 13:07:42 GMT -5
Social distancing not taking place so far. My guess is that line-up will clear up a lot before next season. Of the above, if I wrote down a list of players I wanted to give more time to, that list would include Primeau, McNiven, Leskinen, Fleury, Brook, Harvey-Pinard, Vejdemo, Teasdale and Ylonen. Maybe Khisamutdinov because he's raw, but I'd make him change his name. Kissy or Mutt.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 10, 2020 16:35:39 GMT -5
Still crowded down there. Do I have this right? UnsignedAHL ContractCurrently in Europe
| Left Wing | Center | Right Wing | | Dauphin | Vejdemo | Alain | | Belzile | Teasdale | Ylonen | | Pezzetta | Hillis | Waked | | Veilleux | Verbeek | Hawel | | Harvey-Pinard | Khisamutdinov |
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| Vigneault |
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| Lynch |
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| | Left Defense | Right Defense | | | Leskinen | Fleury |
| | Alzner | Brook |
| | Ouellet | Folin |
| | Olofsson |
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| | Schueneman |
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| | Goalies |
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| | Primeau |
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| | Lindgren |
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| | Demchenko |
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| | McNiven |
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McNiven is still unsigned. Halbert is a D on an AHL contract. Veilleux is on an AHL contract. A lot of these guys are likely ECHL calibre and it always looks crowded with everyone healthy, but that will change quickly. It will also be interesting to see where Poehling and Juulsen start the year. I expect Berg will add a couple of tweener vets who likely will start in Laval as this is a very young team. |
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Post by BadCompany on Sept 11, 2020 8:49:33 GMT -5
Thanks!
I missed McNiven not being signed. I wonder if they'll just walk away from him, given the current depth in Laval and the lack of an ECHL team? I guess it will depend on whether or not they can find a taker for Lindgren, though even at that having three goalies in Laval is troublesome. I'd rather have two, and if one gets injured just sign some guy to a PTO to hold you over.
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Post by folatre on Sept 11, 2020 18:27:51 GMT -5
Unless some GM out there thinks Lindgren is a legit #2 guy, he is going to be hard to move because a whole bunch of owners are moving into penny pinching mode with the dire revenue forecasts for 2020-21 so there are not many clubs that would embrace paying Lindgren $750,000 USD to help their AHL club win games.
I would rather keep McNiven in the fold because he is younger and maybe a little more technically sound than Lindgren. In reality, if no one wants Lindgren, it would not be the end of the world to buy out Lindgren's contract. Bought out, Lindgren would cost the Habs like a quarter of a million against the cap for two seasons.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 25, 2020 13:36:01 GMT -5
Blandisi brought back for another season. He and another dude came back in the trade with PIT when Laval dumped two of its disgruntled vets. He seemed liked a much better fit and performed decently in his few games played (he missed some due to injury). He also played 4th line duty for the Pens, so good depth guy if the Habs get a ton of injuries. Laval is a really young team so needs some of these young vets.
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Post by folatre on Sept 25, 2020 18:44:06 GMT -5
For sure, this is fine. I just looked him up to refresh my memory, is this guy really a centre? I thought he played wing.
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Post by GNick99 on Sept 26, 2020 5:25:27 GMT -5
Blandisi brought back for another season. He and another dude came back in the trade with PIT when Laval dumped two of its disgruntled vets. He seemed liked a much better fit and performed decently in his few games played (he missed some due to injury). He also played 4th line duty for the Pens, so good depth guy if the Habs get a ton of injuries. Laval is a really young team so needs some of these young vets. I watched a Laval game. Called him a solid player. Gives us depth |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 30, 2020 17:23:22 GMT -5
With Lucchini and now McNiven signed, Laval is even more crowded but also ready when injuries hit.
The interesting position is in net. Price and Allen will be with the Habs. They now also have Lindgren, Primeau, Demchenko and McNiven under contract with no ECHL affiliate until 2021-22. You have to think they will move Lindgren at some point.
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Post by folatre on Oct 1, 2020 15:13:43 GMT -5
For sure, though moving Lindgren is easier to say than to do. Unless there is club out there that sees him as a legit NHL backup goalie, trading him could be virtually impossible because most GMs will likely be under orders from ownership to avoid acquiring guys who will play in the AHL while earning NHL compensation. Lindgren will make $750K in the minors and I am just not sure that any owner will care enough about winning AHL games (perhaps in front of no fans) to give the green light to take Lindgren.
Regarding McNiven, I am happy for him. He is a tough, resilient kid who has never spent time feeling sorry for himself since he turned pro.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Oct 28, 2020 15:59:39 GMT -5
A long time between hockey games since the AHL did not finish its season or have any playoffs.
Playing hockey is critical for guys who has missed a lot of time due to injury, namely Juulsen and Teasdale for Habs/Laval. A loan to another club/league might be a darn good idea.
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