November was an interesting month for Montreal’s prospects. In Laval, the Rocket had a better showing to move up the standings while several of their lesser-known unsigned youngsters had some impressive performances to earn a spot in our three stars.
Laval
1st Star: Laurent Dauphin – With the caveat that he isn’t technically a prospect (or even signed to an NHL deal), Dauphin’s contributions simply can’t be overlooked. He was Mr. Consistent last month, picking up a point in all but one of his 11 games while leading the team in both goals and assists. Add that to a capable defensive game and you have a very valuable veteran who, if this continues, could make a case to be converted to a deal with Montreal to allow him to join their roster.
Stats: 11 GP, 6 goals, 9 assists, 15 points, +9 rating, 27 shots, 8 PIMS
2nd Star: Adam Engstrom – There’s playing well and hoping for a recall and then there’s forcing a recall. Engstrom’s play last month certainly fit in the latter category with a five-point game resulting in a swift promotion to Montreal. Even without that, his play had been recall-worthy as he has been arguably Laval’s best offensive threat from the back end all season while his defensive game continues to improve. After making a real push in training camp for a spot with the Habs, this is exactly what they wanted to see from him.
Stats: 9 GP, 3 goals, 7 assists, 10 points, +6 rating, 23 shots, 4 PIMS
3rd Star: Jacob Fowler – Still getting the strong side of the platoon volume in terms of starts, Fowler continues to adapt well to his first professional season. Instead of just giving them decent goaltending (which would have been fine for a rookie), he has been one of the better starters league-wide which played a role in his earlier-than-expected recall this week. Expectations are already pretty high for Fowler but he keeps meeting and exceeding them.
Stats: 7 GP, 5-2-0 record, 2.14 GAA, .924 SV%, 1 SO
Honourable Mention: David Reinbacher – This one could have gone to Alex Belzile too but let’s give the prospect the tiebreaker here. Reinbacher had a slower start after recovering from a preseason injury but became more impactful as the month went on with his offensive game, in particular, standing out a bit more. There’s some work to do on his skating and some of his defensive reads but there is still a lot to be encouraged about. And with Montreal getting Noah Dobson in the summer, the Habs don’t have to rush Reinbacher which is the best possible thing for him right now.
Stats: 11 GP, 3 goals, 6 assists, 9 points, +5 rating, 18 shots, 2 PIMS
Other Prospects
1st Star: Bryce Pickford (Medicine Hat, WHL) – Last season, Pickford broke out offensively with some impressive numbers but the fact he was on a loaded team tempered his draft stock somewhat. He has been even better this season, however, to the point where he was sneaking into the discussion for Canada’s World Junior team although that didn’t come to fruition. His defensive game is still a work in progress but he is demonstrating a diverse enough offensive game that he looks like he could be a very intriguing prospect in Montreal’s deep system.
Stats: 11 GP, 6 goals, 9 assists, 15 points, +9 rating, 56 shots, 16 PIMS
2nd Star: Alexis Cournoyer (Cornell, NCAA) – One of the many (many) dart-throw goalies the Habs have taken in recent years, Cournoyer made the jump to college despite barely playing the QMJHL. It hasn’t mattered. He was a model of consistency last month, allowing no more than two goals in a single game. While they’re not facing all of the top college teams, this is still a rookie season to be excited about. So far, so good for a player who was on his way to Nashville’s development camp before the Habs picked him in the draft back in June.
Stats: 8 GP, 6-2-0 record, 1.39 GAA, .947 SV%, 0 SO
3rd Star: Michael Hage (Michigan, NCAA) – It’s not often this gets said about a college player but Hage has basically been ‘Mr. Consistent’ since joining the Wolverines last season. He didn’t have a ton of multi-point games to crank up his point total; instead, he just keeps hitting the scoresheet almost every night despite a drop in ice time compared to last season. Notably, he’s spending more time on the wing which isn’t ideal for a Montreal team that needs centre help but he’s still contributing all the same.
Stats: 9 GP, 4 goals, 7 assists, 11 points, +9 rating, 31 shots, 4 PIMS
Honourable Mention: Logan Sawyer (Providence, NCAA) – Sawyer’s freshman year last season was decent which provided some cause for optimism. This year (and last month, in particular), he has certainly built off that as he has flirted with the point-per-game mark all season and is showing signs that he could be a project that pans out into an intriguing prospect. He’s still not playing down the middle (he’s a natural centre but has played exclusively on the left wing in college) but at this point, why mess with what works?
Stats: 9 GP, 4 goals, 4 assists, 8 points, +3 rating, 29 shots, 12 PIMS