Drafted in the 5th round at the 2012 NHL Draft, this is the fifth year that prospect Charles Hudon is participating at the Montreal Canadiens Development Camp. Entering the final year of his entry level contract, Hudon is looking to prove that he deserves to at least be in the conversation for a spot on the Canadiens roster this Fall. With prospects such as Michael McCarron, Nikita Scherbak, Arturri Lehkonen and Martin Reway, Hudon seems to be a bit of the forgotten man. It seems as though despite his excellent production in the AHL, other prospects have passed him by. Is this the year that Hudon finally breaks through?
In 142 AHL games over 2 seasons, Hudon has scored 47 goals and recorded 110 points. He has been counted on to lead the way on offence which is why it has been so odd that he has only been rewarded with a cup of tea at the NHL level. Hudon is a talented and skilled forward whose versatility has come in handy as he can play left wing or center. At 5’10… he has been labelled as another small forward but at 195 lbs he is strong on his skates. So why has he only earned 3 NHL games?
His main competition up until now has come from Daniel Carr and Sven Andrighetto as the trio entered the AHL together at the same time. Hudon though is the youngest of the trio and the only one that was on a 3 year entry deal. He has had to work on his play without the puck and being a little more aware in his own zone but by no means is he a defensive liability. As the Canadiens struggled for offence this past season, it was bewildering that Hudon did not get a longer look with the big club. He had 2 assists through 3 games and did not look out of place as he created scoring opportunities and kept pace.
So far at the development camp, Hudon has been a shining star. As the veteran of the camp, he has been a role model for the younger prospects, especially those from Quebec. He has looked very good in the scrimmages, demonstrating his skill and vision:
Some nice goals from Charles Hudon (@KidHud_10) and Mikhail Sergachev (@sergachev31) at #Habs Development Camp... pic.twitter.com/fYWTGXRw9O
— Robert Söderlind (@HockeyWebCast) July 6, 2016
As Carr and Andrighetto are on one way deals, it will be much easier for the Canadiens to send Hudon back to St. John’s as they do not have to worry about losing him to waivers. However, he deserves a fair opportunity to prove that he is NHL ready. The top 9 is seemingly crowded but I believe that there is at least one spot open on the left side of Tomas Plekanec. Hudon will be in tough competition with Carr and the likes of Finnish forward Arturri Lehkonen to earn that spot out of training camp. It’s not mission impossible, but Hudon has to come to camp with something to prove, a chip on his shoulder if he wants to be in Montreal come October.
In other news, forward Phillip Danault signed a two year contract yesterday worth an annual average of $912,000:
Phillip Danault contract with the #canadiens 2 years / $912 000 AAV (one way) #tvasports
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) July 5, 2016
Danault was acquired just before the trade deadline from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange fore Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann. In 21 games with Montreal, Danault had 5 points while playing on the 3rd and 4th lines. He is excellent at faceoffs and has great speed. Danault will likely play left wing to start the season but will probably take a number of draws on the left side.
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