Habs Rookie Camp Primer (Habs)

The Montreal Canadiens Rookie Camp opens September 15th with physicals and a practice before the players go to London, Ontario to compete against fellow rookies from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators. Here is a look at the Canadiens prospects and invites participating:

2016 Draft Picks:

Mikhail Sergachev (9), Will Bitten (70), Victor Mete (100), Michael Pezzetta (160) & Arvid Henrikson (187)

All eyes will be on Sergachev to see if he is able to pick up from where he left at the Canadiens Summer Development Camp. From the 2016 draft, many have called him the most physically ready player of the draft. Given the fact that the Canadiens are missing 3 NHL regular defencemen due to the World Cup, Sergachev will likely be getting some extra minutes during training to prove what he can do.

The rookie camp will be a big opportunity for forward Will Bitten to show that he is in game shape and ready to play. Bitten is still holding out from the Flint Firebirds with the hope to be traded to the Ottawa 67’s.

Bitten was expected to be selected in the second round of the draft and the Canadiens scooped him up in the 3rd round. He could be a steal but after last year’s tumultuous experience in Flint, Bitten truly needs to be in a better surrounding this coming season to grow as a hockey player. The camp will be a good chance to display his skill.

Victor Mete is an undersized defenceman but is an exceptional skater with good offensive instincts. He needs to get physically get stronger in order to make it to the next level but he has two years to add on to his frame. This rookie camp he will be getting his toes wet. After this season we will have a better idea of his developmental curve.

Pezzetta is a hard working forward who never takes a shift off. He is the 2016 draft pick version of 2013’s Connor Crisp but this time the Canadiens picked the physical forward in the correct round, the sixth rather than the third. He will be expected to show his physical side and be an energy player in tournament games.

It is somewhat a surprise that Henrikson has made the trip over for the rookie camp but it will be an excellent opportunity for him to compete against top NHL prospects. He seems committed to doing whatever it takes to improve his game and he looked solid during the development camp. The real test will come in going up against the likes of Mitch Marner during the rookie tournament.

2015 Draft Picks:

Noah Juulsen (26), Matthew Bradley (131), Simon Bourque (177), Jeremiah Addison (207)

This will be Juulsen’s first time participating in the Canadiens Rookie Camp as last year he was still recovering a concussion, although he did recover in time to play in the team’s last exhibition game. It will be interesting to see if the coaching staff will pair Juulsen with Sergachev on the top pairing as perhaps a sneak peak into the Canadiens future…

Bradley will also be making his rookie camp debut as last year he curiously was not included. He was injured at the development camp in July and so he will be looking to finally impress the Habs brass in person and hopefully earn an invitation to the main camp.

Bourque has improved each season and became the captain of the Rimouski Oceanic as an 18 year old. He was fourth in powerplay points for defencemen in the Q even though he is not known to be especially strong in the offensive zone. Bourque is able to move the puck well and is solid in his own zone. I would expect him to join the Ice Caps at the end of his season, similarly to what he did this past Spring.

Addison has been a pleasant surprise since he was drafted and has real potential to become a 3rd or 4th line player in the NHL one day. This camp is a big one for him as the Canadiens will have to decide whether or not to sign him and play in the AHL this season or let him go back to the OHL as an overager. If he goes back to Junior it will be to the Windsor Spitfires where he could be a teammate of Sergachev’s and would play for the Memorial Cup as they are hosting the tournament this season.

2014 Draft Picks:

Nikita Scherbak (2016), Brett Lernout (73), Daniel Audette (147)

After a bit of a tough first year as a professional, Scherbak will be coming to camp looking to prove that he is back on track and not far from becoming an NHL player. Few are expecting him to compete for an immediate spot on the Canadiens. He has to become a consistent player in the AHL and hopefully he will earn a game or two with the big club. The skill is certainly there. The question will be if the Ice Caps/Canadiens will continue to develop him as a center or winger.

Lernout had a very solid first year in St. John’s as he established himself as a regular, playing in 67 games and earning a call up to Montreal. He is a tough physical defenceman and while it might still take some time, he could very well make the NHL on the bottom pair. The Canadiens need a big, physical player on the backend and Lernot might just eventually be that guy.

Audette will be making his professional debut this season although he did play 4 games with the Ice Caps after his Q career ended last Spring. He will be looking to have a bounce back season as his numbers have declined from his draft year.

2013 Draft Picks:

Michael McCarron (25), Zach Fucale (36), Artturi Lehkonen (55), Jeremy Gregoire (176)

This is likely the last year that players from the 2013 draft will participate at the Canadiens rookie camp. McCarron, Fucale and Gregoire all played for the Ice Caps last season while Lehkonen is coming with the specific goal of making the NHL, otherwise he will return to Frolunda in the SHL.

McCarron quickly became a fan favorite in St. John’s and Montreal with his size, willingness to defend his teammates and ability to contribute at both ends of the ice. McCarron will have to improve his endurance to make it to the NHL and will likely start the season in the AHL. However, I fully expect him to be a contributor for the Canadiens come Springtime and playoffs. When Lars Eller was traded, general manager Marc Bergevin alluded to the play of Phillip Danault making him expendable. I believe that McCarron’s play also played a role and he will eventually push David Desharnais out of the Canadiens lineup.

Fucale had an inconsistent first year in the AHL. At times he looked amazing whereas the next night he could give up 5 goals. He will be in tough competition against free agent signing Charles Lindgren as they will likely share the load equally in St. John’s. He needs a strong camp to remain in the crowded goaltender mix as Mike Condon or Al Montoya could also find their way to the Ice Caps.

Aside from Sergachev, Lehkonen is likely the player that everyone is most looking forward to seeing at the rookie and main camps. A European player drafted by the Canadiens has not been this touted for quite some time. Probably since Saku Koivu in the mid 1990’s. Coincidentally, Koivu thinks highly of his fellow Finn:

Gregoire dressed for 62 games with the Ice Caps last season but saw his offensive production drop dramatically from Junior. He played most of the season on the 4th line but improved when he got into the top 9 towards the end of the season. He is a physical forward who plays with a lot of energy but has to learn to stay out of the box in his second season. The Canadiens are stacked with bottom six forwards but given another year or two, he could challenge for a spot with the club.

A special mention should be given to 2013 pick Martin Reway who would have been in attendance but he is unfortunately hospitalized:

Free Agent Signings:

Ryan Johnston, Tom Parisi, Charlie Lindgren, Michael McNiven

Johnston earned his contract at the 2015 development camp and played for St. John’s this past season. He suffered a herniated disc at last year’s rookie camp and didn’t play until January of2016. It took some time for him to adjust to the professional game after having sat out for so long but he eventually got his bearings and earned a 3 game cup of tea with the Canadiens when the injuries were piling up on defence. He is a fast and smooth skater but on the small side. Johnston will be looking to prove himself in full year’s campaign.

The Canadiens signed free agent defenceman Tom Parisi after he completed his fourth year at Providence College this Spring. His signing likely made former Canadiens prospect Darren Dietz expendable. Parisi brings decent size and plays a 200 foot game. He got in 5 games with the Ice Caps at the end of last season and will be looked upon to play in the top 4 this season. He and Johnston will likely be paired together during the camp.

Since drafting Fucale in 2013, the Canadiens have gone the route of signing free agents rather than spend a draft pick on a goaltender. McNiven was an invite to last year’s development camp and earned an invite to the rookie camp where he impressed with his ability to improve in such a short time. Had the Canadiens not offered him a contract another team would have. He still has another year of OHL eligibility.

The Canadiens then shored up their goaltending depth when they signed Lindgren out of St. Cloud State University in the Springtime. He was the top goaltender free agent coming out of college and performed admirably in his NHL debut. By playing last season he burned one year of his contract and so after this season he will be a restricted free agent. Camp Invites:

Guillaume Asselin, Scott Eansor, Markus Eisenschmid, Giovanni Fiore, Hayden McCool, Petrus Palmu, Michael Zipp

Eisenschmid was a camp invite from last year who earned a one year AHL contract. He will be looking to do the same this time around.

Asselin is 24 years old and has played for the Universite de Trois Rivieres the last three seasons. He is hoping to prove that he has what it takes to play professional hockey and earn an AHL contract. He scored 27 goals in 28 games last year and was named the best player in the CIS.

Eansor, Fiore and Zipp are all overage junior players hoping to earn a contract as well. Palmu is a small forward from Finland and has another year of junior left. At 5’6…, he knows he will have to work that much more than everyone else in order to stand out.

The rookies will practice at 1pm today in Brossard before heading to London.

Cheers & follow along!

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