September 7th, 2024

Players we're excited to watch

Justin:

With the montreal canadiens rookie camp set to start on september 11th, The habs will have the chance to put their talented prospect pool to the test. it would be really easy for us to highlight the key names such as lane hutson, owen beck, david reinbacher and logan mailloux however, we thought it would be fun to explore players we're excited to monitor while also highlighting players who have something to prove at this year's camp. 

Starting things off with florian xhekaj. The fourth-round pick from just two years ago will have the chance to play a full season with the laval rocket in the ahl. After two complete seasons with the hamilton bulldogs, Xhekaj saw a drastic improvement in point production from his 2022-23 season to his 2023-24 season. At 6'4 190 lbs, There is no doubt that xhekaj is physically mature enough to be playing professional hockey at only 20 years old. if he could develop a quick first stride and improve his top speed, xhekaj could be the unicorn fans thought he could be. there is no doubt that he could be a force in a bottom 6 role for the canadiens at some point in his career. 

Cam

It's funny to think that just 3 seasons ago, Justin and I had the ability to watch Florian play Tier 2 junior hockey in Niagara. His growth since then has been impressive. When Justin and i went to watch development camp this june, Xhekaj was placed with some of the Canadiens' top prospects including Hage, Beck and 2024 third-round pick sawyer. I think this is a testament to how highly the Habs brass view Xhekaj. He's got puck skills, size and according to Arber's interview with Spittin' Chickelts, more rage than his older brother (If that's even possible). As Justin said, he's got clunky feet. So this camp will be an interesting way to see where he's at relative to his competition on the habs depth chart. What I'm most excited to see is Florian's attitude at this camp. Is he coming in with the mindset that he's making main camp? Is he going to try to showcase his skills? Is he going to punch his way into the hearts of The Canadiens' management much like his brother did 3 seasons ago? Florian has been an underdog and a riser his whole career. Now there are expectations behind his performance. I'm excited to see how he handles the pressure. 

Justin

I echo everything you said cam. i just wonder if habs fans are hyping up xhekaj a little too much considering he is arber's brother. I don't want to take anything away from his skill and talent however, i think the expectations might be starting to exceed the potential for the 20-year-old.

The next player we are really excited to monitor at camp is Luke tuch, brother of buffalo sabre alex tuch. tuch finished his 2023-24 campaign with 30 points in 39 games with boston university. Although there were some uncertainties as to whether tuch would sign with montreal after his college season, the habs now add a 6'2 power forward who plays a very similar style to his brother. I truly think that tuch could be the type of player that flies under the radar and impresses right out of the gate. Much like xhekaj, i think a full year with laval will benefit the young forward making him a potentially interesting option for the habs' bottom 6 in the future. 

Cam

This is one of the few times that you and I disagree, Justin. From the few times that I've watched Luke Tuch, I Personally didn't see much progression in his game since he was drafted in 2020. While He plays a north-south game that does project well to pro hockey, I don't feel that his hockey sense and puck skills justify any physical advantage he had in college. That being said, there are plenty of players in the league who play a major role in the bottom 6 and fit a similar profile to Tuch. Another piece to consider here is that he was drafted in the Bergevin era, a drafting style that conflicts heavily with the methods of Hughes and company. leading to him being pushed behind some of "their guys". In his defence, I am excited to see if being on the older side coming out of college benefits his performance at rookie camp. It would be awesome if he proved me wrong and took Laval by storm after a strong showing next weekend. 

justin

I think those are really fair points. i don't necessarily know how effective tuch could be in a bottom 6 role. i wonder which of either xhekaj or tuch would be a better fit considering the roster construction the habs are moving towards.

Onto our next player we're excited to watch at rookie camp: Tyler thorpe. Thorpe was drafted this past june in the 5th round out of the whl. thorpe's situation isn't like xhekaj's or tuch's because i think he is more of a 'wait and see' type of situation. much like the two players mentioned above, thorpe is 6'4 209 lbs and made his presence felt in june during dev camp. I think it will be interesting to see how he holds up against players who will be presumably playing in either the Ahl or nhl this year. during his 2023-24 campaign with the vancouver giants, he put up 44 points in 51 games. we will check in this time next year to see what his point totals look like during the 2024-25 season. 

Cam

I think everything you said above makes sense, So I'm just going to expand. Maybe I have a little bit of a Bias for the underdogs, but Thrope is the exact person I would be looking to mine in the mid to late rounds of the draft. As an over-ager, he probably didn't get very many looks from most NHL teams. But you have to consider His circumstances. Born in August, Thorpe was just barely eligible for the 2023 NHL draft. This past year, his sophomore season in the WHL, he had a 733% rate of growth from his 2022-2023 production. All while being on a team that barely had a point-per-game player/anyone who would be considered a producer let alone an elite talent at the NHL level. From what I saw at Development Camp, Thorpe plays a small man's game in a big man's body. He can bring the puck in tight and in limited game exposure, he displayed a natural IQ much more refined than many of his peers. I think you'll see a timid player in Rookie camp, but don't be surprised if he turns some heads with some deceptive dekes and quick cuts into scoring areas. 

Players who have something to prove

Cam

It's my turn to lead us off, this time talking about some of the players who have a little bit more to prove at this year's prospect showcase. These are returnees to the prospect camp,  players who have not developed at their expected rate or who seem to have more pressure to make an impact this season to keep their dreams/hopes alive with the Montreal Canadiens. 

We start off with Emil Heineman. Acquired just a couple of seasons ago, Heineman was expected to have the opportunity to compete for a top 6 role in the long run. Unfortunately for him, the Canadiens have done an excellent job adding players who fit within the current age range of their core (Dach 2019, Newhook 2019, Laine 2016) and already have significant NHL games under their belt. Now, it seems like Heineman's time is running out to make a real push into the Habs lineup. Like Justin and Liam have talked about at length on the pod, Heineman will likely struggle to be a regular contributor if he is not placed in a scoring role. As a result, impressing at this rookie camp is crucial. We know about his shot. We know about his straight-line speed. This year, he has to show us something he has added to his game that can push the needle just a little farther when they shift to main camp.

Justin

I echo your thoughts cam. I think Heineman's path to having a role on this team since being acquired has become increasingly more difficult. it's unfortunate considering what he brings to the table. I love comparing his build and his skillset to canadiens former captain max pacioretty. Incredible shot with a long choppy stride but does have some solid speed. Heineman had a very solid season with the rocket racking up 29 points in 48 games. Much like you mentioned cam, I think Heineman is going to have to be one of the most dominant forwards at camp to have any sort of chance of making this team down the line. It's hard to see a world where he becomes a regular in the canadiens' lineup but crazier things have happened. Definitely a player that I'm excited to watch with something to prove. 

Cam

Not much more to add to your comments Justin. I would say that unless Heineman produces close to a point-per-game rate in the AHL this season, there will be a number of different forwards who will permanently surpass him on the depth chart. Moving on to our next skater, JUSTIN AND I ARE GOING TO DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF SEAN FARRELL. It's probably fair to say that expectations were a little bit too high for Farrell when he signed. He produced at an elite rate in college, which may have given fans with little exposure to his game a misinformed projectability at the pro level. Being a smaller forward without dynamic skating leaves Farrell at a significant disadvantage. Much like Heineman, his effectiveness on a roster would be severely hindered if he is not higher in the lineup. Personally, I think the moment that Farrell went from a guy who could push for a middle 6 scoring role to a player on the outside looking in was when Joshua Roy showed he could play at an NHL pace. As a rookie,  Farrell produced enough that this year there is an expectation that he can be one of the main threats with Laval.  I just don't see how he can take the spot of players who are currently projected to play in the middle 6 and for that reason, unless he absolutely wows at rookie camp, Farrell will have a lot of work to do. 

Justin

I am completely in agreement here. I think Farrell was criminally overrated as a prospect coming out of college. this is not a knock on his game but more a testament to how habs fans could jump the gun when it comes to an exciting fresh face in the organization. As cam mentioned, farrell's production at harvard was impressive, especially for a guy who was a day-two pick in the 2020 nhl draft. One thing that i think is notable to add is how the canadiens don't seem to have much space for an undersized forward in their future lineup. considering we projected on our latest episode that the top 6 would look something like laine - suzuki - demidov followed by caufield - dach - slafkovsky, i just don't see a world where Farrell takes a big enough leap in his development to beat out the players i just mentioned. There is no doubt that Farrell has above-average soft skills however, i doN't think that will push the needle for him to be an NHL regular with the canadiens. 

Cam

Like you said here Justin, he will have to show immense growth to get a proper shot with the Habs. The final player who has a lot to prove is Filip Mešár. I'll be honest, I thought it was fun when the Habs drafted Slaf's childhood friend. However, I was also aware that there were plenty of other players I would have preferred to see them take 26th overall. It seems that Gordon and Co. did a good enough job at accumulating other talent that fumbling this pick will likely be inconsequential. Nonetheless, this year's rookie camp is a big deal for Mešár. I have been fortunate enough to have attended the last two rookie camps in Buffalo, and I can say without a doubt that in both years, the biggest disappointment on the Habs' roster was Mešár. He looked lost, behind the play, and quite frankly, it seemed like he didn't know that his performance at this camp mattered. Now I won't go as far as to say he isn't a quality player. He's a smooth skater with deceptive instincts that have proven to work on larger surfaces and against weaker junior competition. I just think that unless we see a Mešár who is determined to showcase everything he has to offer, his first full pro season could really start on the wrong foot. If I were in the GM's seat watching my first-round pick from 2 years ago go through the motions at this camp, disappointed would be a sugarcoated way of describing my sentiment toward this player. Maybe this is a little too harsh for a player who has many years left to prove that he was deserving of being selected 26th overall. Justin, let me know what you think...

Justin

As much as I would love to disagree with you with regards to Mešár as a player, I think you have highlighted similar concerns that I have with not only his progression and development but his production at his respective level. I think there are one too many red flags in the way he plays the game starting with his physical maturity to play at the highest level. Dating back to rookie camp after Mešár was drafted, he looked lost, out of place and out of touch with the pace of play. of course, i think at that point in time, it was really easy for us as viewers and fans to give him the benefit of the doubt. it was easy to say that he was a Late first-round pick, young, that he would grow into his body and that he would one day display his skills in a middle-six role with the Canadiens. Fast forward to September 2024, and I think those hopes have quickly turned to disappointment and the likelihood of Mešár living up to his draft capital is quite unlikely. As talked about on the pod, I don't think Mešár's skills are good enough to slot into the top 6 and his build doesn't fit the mold for a bottom 6 role either. The young forward will inevitably be under a microscope at camp as this could be one of Mešár's last chances to prove that he belongs with the big club.