It’s the first day of September and that means that training camp is finally around the corner! Hockey fans have been patiently (?) waiting for this month and are anxiously awaiting the outcomes of training camp roster battles. While the Canadiens Rookie Camp officially opens September 10th, two young Habs prospects are already getting into the swing of things at the NHL Rookie Showcase taking place in Toronto. 2013 first and second round picks forward Michael McCarron and goalie Zach Fucale are among 39 players that were chosen to take part by the NHLPA.
Fucale and McCarron face off in a friendly game of ping-pong. #NHLPARookieShowcase pic.twitter.com/XmHv79K7yk
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 1, 2015One curious omission from the showcase is that of Habs prospect 2014 1st round pick Nikita Scherbak, who is also turning pro this season. The Winnipeg Jets have four prospects attending the showcase so it is not a case of only so many prospects that are allowed per team. In fact not every NHL team is even represented at the showcase as 26 of 30 teams have prospects there. Most players at the showcase are either highly touted 1st round picks from the 2015 draft whom are expected to make their respective NHL rosters this Fall (ie: Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Noah Hanifin…), top prospects from the 2014 draft who are attempting to earn a spot as a 19 year old (ie: Robby Fabbri, Michael Dal Colle...), or draft picks from 2014 and earlier who are turning professional or coming to North America (Fucale, McCarron, Kasperi Kapanen…). It is rare for a player to have already played a season in the AHL and then be invited to the Rookie Showcase the following season, especially if that player has already had a cup of tea in the NHL. Scherbak certainly was deserving of an invite, especially considering that his talent level and expectations are higher than the Canadiens players who were invited in 2014, Charles Hudon and Jacob de la Rose. Perhaps this speaks volumes to the highly anticipated crop of rookies in 2015, rather than Scherbak himself.
Fucale and McCarron are both deserving to be there though and I am not suggesting that Scherbak should have been invited in place of either of them. Though Fucale experienced an up and down season, he still backstopped Canada to gold at the 2015 World Junior Hockey Tournament and brought the Quebec Remparts to the finals of the QMJHL playoffs, losing in game 7 though the Remparts still had earned a spot at the Memorial Cup as hosts. He is still considered to be one of the better goaltending prospects in the league. It will be interesting though to see how the Canadiens choose to handle his development. It is assumed that Fucale will be heading to the AHL with the St. John’s Ice Caps, however it will be a bit crowded there as there are already 2 established goalies signed. Mike Condon had established himself as the number 1 goalie with the previous Habs affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs last season. Some see him as the next backup goalie to Carey Price, eventually replacing Dustin Tokarski. This Summer, the Ice Caps signed goalie Eddie Pasquale to an AHL contract. Pasquale did not play last season as he recovered from hip surgery. Would the Canadiens and Ice Caps keep 3 goalies in Newfoundland or is one of Pasquale/Fucale bound for Brampton? It will be interesting to follow this storyline as it develops.
McCarron was most likely rewarded with a spot at the rookie showcase due to his strong showing at the Memorial Cup. His overall development and improvement was phenomenal this past season, especially when taking into account his transition from the wing to center. This newfound versatility should help him crack the Canadiens roster, sooner rather than later. While Scherbak has been attracting a lot of the headlines due to his offensive instincts and great hands, I am most interested to see if McCarron can translate his game to the NHL level. If McCarron continues his steep development, how high is his ceiling? Could he be the Habs future 2nd line center, after Plekanec’s time has come?
We’re still anxiously awaiting the release of the Canadiens rookie camp roster and it is a bit odd that there still has not been an announcement. The Maple Leafs, Penguins and Senators are all participating in the rookie tournament taking place in London, Ontario and have all made their rosters public. Perhaps the Canadiens are still awaiting news from invitees if they will be attending. I know a lot of fans, including myself are looking forward to this tournament.