Eyes on ND
The Montreal Canadiens have been having some success as of late.
No, not the visible kind in the NHL, but rather the far less noticeable development of their prospects.
As witnessed by many, Desharnais, Pacioretty, Leblanc, Emelin and others shown considerable improvement this year and with plenty other youngsters looking to start kicking down the coach's door next season, the hope lies in the future.
In that vein, one prospect of Montreal's is of great interest as he could very well be one of the Habs prospects ready to make the jump.
That player is Danny Kristo.
Drafted in the 2nd round of 2008, Kristo, the former Omaha Lancer linemate of 2009 1st round pick, Louis Leblanc, has had a pretty strong campaign with the University of North Dakota this year, racking up 43 points in 40 games to finish second in team scoring.
He led the Fighting Sioux in assists with 25, an NCAA career high, finished tied 2nd for goals with 18, finished 2nd with a +13, tied for 2nd on the team in power play points with 15 and led the team in shorthanded points with 3.
All to say, the Edina, Minnesota native has progressed quite nicely after a career threatening foot injury last season.
The rebound year hasn't gone unnoticed as he continues to be a big help in North Dakota's pursuit of the Championship. The Fighting Sioux are set to face Michigan on Saturday in the NCAA West Region Championship, the final step before the Frozen Four.
With the option to return for his senior year next season, Kristo is in Habs limbo.
Withheld from the Hamilton Bulldogs reserve roster for players who may join the AHL team following their year Junior or College seasons, it would appear that Kristo is set to return to North Dakota.
This is an intriguing situation as it remains unclear what that means for his stock with the Habs.
Set to turn 22 on June 21st, Kristo has all the makings of a player who could make an easy transition to the NHL.
Though on the smallish size, listed at a generous 5`11, he has the speed and skill to keep pace and given his age, would have a better shot as a more mature prospect.
That said, Kristo has indicated that returning is very much a possibility and that maturing at school has been important for him. One of the tell-tale signs he may want to return is his insistence that he still feels he need to get stronger.
Strength will be a big issue for a smaller sized speedster at the NHL, yet will another year in the NCAA accomplish that?
For the time being, he's put off all thoughts of what comes next as he and his teammates fight for an NCAA championship.
Following that, all bets are off.
A sure fire-bet to be on the Habs off-season "to-do" checklist, approaching Kristo this summer is a must.
He wants to be a Hab, but if his confidence isn't there yet, perhaps it simply needs a push from the club that grabbed him with their first pick of the 2008 draft?
It stands to reason that if Kristo wants to gain strength and better prepare for a transition to the NHL game, a stint or jump to the Bulldogs would at the very least be a better level of competition than playing as a Senior in the NCAA. Then again, confidence can be a meticulous element of a player's game, so if Kristo is hell-bent on returning, there's really not much Montreal can do.
I expect things to change following the end of the college season and, though he won't be with the Bulldogs this spring, I would think that after some time off from hockey, Kristo will realize he is ready to take that next step.
An interesting way to lure Kristo in to taking that step could be in signing his current netminder for the Fighting Sioux, Aaron Dell.
An invite last summer to one of many Habs camps, Dell drew quite a bit of interest and there were even whispers that he was on the verge of getting an offer from the team. Though the offer never transpired and Dell returned to North Dakota, he's continued to progress in his development.
An undrafted netminder from Airdale, Alberta, he's played in 31 of 40 North Dakota games this season, earning a record of 17-9-2 in the process, including 2 shutouts, a GAA of 2.64 and a Sv% of .901.
Though his numbers are down considerably from the year before (40GP/30-7-2/6SO/1.79GAA/.924Sv%), Dell's been a strong factor in North Dakota's success as of late and with eyes from Montreal already keeping tabs on Kristo, you can be sure that Dell's on that watch list as well.
Perhaps one way to entice the current Habs prospect will be in making Dell a part of the organization?
It stands to reason that the Habs could benefit from another goaltender in the system and with the need to stock that end of the pipeline, Dell could very well work his way into a starting job in Hamilton. Of course the team has to give him a shot first, but I expect that rather than dipping into the draft for that kind of help, they may turn to the North Dakota netminder.
Adding to that, it wouldn't hurt the Habs to add depth between the pipes. Dell could be a great backup for Price in the future and comes with little risk other than an entry offer. Contrasted with burning a pick on a younger prospect when the team can better benefit by adding offensively, and even defensively, going the UFA route may not be a terrible idea. Especially if it helps sway one of the club's more interesting prospects to join the team.
With the focus in Montreal on the team's future, this is a situation that, in my opinion, should be dealt with sooner rather than later as bringing Kristo into the fold could very well have an impact on how the club drafts and addresses free agency.
Time will tell, but though it doesn't look like it just yet, I'd have to think the pressure will boil over and that Kristo, and possibly Dell, will find themselves in the fray next August.
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