|
The Future Is Now... Habs Rookie Camp Roster & Schedule Set |
|
|
|
|
|
The future will be on display this September in Montreal and Laval as the 18-19 NHL season is set to begin.
The Canadiens Rookie Camp is set to run between September 6th through 12th at Bell Place in Laval, QC with the Rookie Showdown tourney happening on September 7th through 9th.
Full camp schedule can be found on the Canadiens official website or by clicking the link in the Tweet below.
This training camp is unlike any other in the last 6 or so years in that this is Rookie Camp will showcase one of the best group of Young Guns the Habs have had in a long time. Not just a couple players that you feel should be good, but almost a few lines worth of talent that those around hockey world are beginning to recognize.
The Habs recent 3rd overall pick, and highly skilled Center, Jesperi Kotkaniemi will be headlining the camp. With good reason too as he has shown he has the type of potential to be the complete package player down the middle. There are some who believe he has a good chance at making the team opening night too. While I would never rule out a 9 game audition for any rookie I would suggest that we watch some games here at camp first and then see how exhibition games test all of these youngsters before setting up some lofty expectations. Let the kid play, and let the play dictate what’s best for him.
After the Finn the Habs will have some looks at top quality prospects like: Jeremiah Addison (LW), Alexandre Alain (C), Will Bitten (RW), Jake Evans (C), Cole Fonstad (C), Cam Hillis (C), Allan McShane (C), Lukas Vejdemo (C), and Hayden Verbeek (C). All these players have great blend of skill and battle in their games and as you may have noticed, there are a lot of players that can play in the middle of the ice. All in, there are 8 high quality Center prospects attending this camp and that’s without NCAA committed Ryan Poehling and Swedish standout Jacob Olofsson.
The Habs are looking completely stocked down the middle with high end Center prospects and that’s what makes this rookie camp the most meaningful one since…. I can’t even recall really. I don’t remember the last time I could actually say or think that since I’ve been following the Canadiens with fanaticism.
With the Canadiens having this many C’s showing up to camp it should make it one of the more well documented ones in recent memory. Hopefully there will be some quality reporting going on around the kids and some good questions about said players that we can all pour over and dissect together. I know it will be tough for some to swallow their Bergevin vendetta for a while, but if there was a time to do it it’s now. Especially if this crop of youngster ends up having more than a few gems within it…
So up front, there’s a lot to be excited about this rookie camp. On the back end, there isn’t as much high end potential being shown but that isn’t to say there isn’t a few guys to really key in on. Last year we saw V Mete and N Juulsen look like they were streets ahead of their peers on the blue line and it was for good reason as both ended up spending time with the Habs and looking like they belonged. Injuries derailed both their seasons to an extent but there could be others that follow in their foot steps attending this years camp.
Players like draft picks Josh Brook, Cale Fleury, and recently signed Michal Moravcik and David Sklenicka are all very good talents in their own ways and with Weber being out for probably October and November there is going to be a chance for someone to move up fairly quickly if any of Mete, Juulsen, Ouellet or Reilly struggle.
The player I was really hoping to see at camp was 38th overall pick Alexander Romanov, but he appears to be staying home for now. I should also say that I expect one of Benn or Schlemko to be moved before the start of the season…
In goal there doesn’t appear to be a standout outside of tryout invitee Samuel Harvey who put up a 30-9-2 record last year with Rouyn-Noranda with a 2.10 GAA and .930 SP%. The Habs welcome Michael McNiven and tryout invitee Stephen Dhillon to fill out the camps goaltending spots. With Niemi signed for one more year and Lindgren holding the fort for Laval there really isn’t the grand motivator for these keepers, but hopefully the put forth some great efforts and increase their values. Not to mention that almost everyone I mentioned here in goal could be leaped by NCAA standout Cayden Primeau.
The Rookie Camp games and practices will be handled by Joël Bouchard, and assistant coaches Daniel Jacob, Alex Burrows and Marco Marciano. This will be some of their first tastes of NHL level coaching duties as well so there is a lot to look forward to this September. I hope many of us go into these camps with a positive outlook as opposed to the overwhelmingly negative one we have had forced upon us by mainstream hockey media.
At least Corey Pronman at The Athletic believes in the Habs farm system (ranked 6th in the NHL), I still think the Habs writers there are upset their favorite player was traded years ago but at least someone is trying to look at things objectively over there.
Get your tickets if your in Laval and check out these kids for yourselves. Could be a couple future stars in there…
Go Habs Go
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»