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The month of December was a strong one for the Habs along with several key prospects (and a couple of veteran minor leaguers). Here are our three stars for the month.
Laval
1st Star: Alex Belzile – No, he’s not a prospect but his performance last month has to warrant a mention here. Anytime a player averages more than a goal per game, that counts for something. Belzile has been the top-line scoring threat that he was brought back to be. At this point, he could very well be one of the next players in line for a recall if there are any more injuries up front.
Stats: 8 GP, 9 goals, 3 assists, 12 points, +8 rating, 17 PIMS, 24 shots
2nd Star: Laurent Dauphin – Like Belzile, he’s not a prospect and joined his linemate in serving a three-game suspension last month. But Dauphin saw his point streak continue in every December game which was a big part of Laval reaching and holding onto the division lead. A recall won’t be in the cards (he’s not on an NHL contract) but Dauphin remains a crucial piece for the Rocket.
Stats: 8 GP, 2 goals, 10 assists, 12 points, +7 rating, 2 PIMS, 18 shots
3rd Star: Joshua Roy – Let’s go away from the top line. Roy (when he wasn’t also serving a three-game suspension) was the offensive anchor for the second line, one that is being anchored by Florian Xhekaj in his first taste of extended top-six action (and the adaptation has predictably been inconsistent). Roy being a proven scoring threat at that level really allows the Rocket to roll two legitimate scoring lines. Unfortunately, that will be a little harder now since Roy is out until around the Olympics due to injury.
Stats: 8 GP, 4 goals, 5 assists, 9 points, -4 rating, 2 PIMS, 25 shots
Honourable Mention: William Trudeau – He’s the oft-forgotten piece of Laval’s back end which is unfortunate because he’s such a key player for them. He has spent a lot of time on the top pairing or being the all-around veteran on the second pairing when David Reinbacher was moved up. He kills penalties, can play the power play, and last month, he was one of their more productive players offensively as well. From a merit perspective, he arguably deserves to get an NHL look. That might take some time with Kaiden Guhle’s pending return so for now, Trudeau will remain his usual reliable self in Laval.
Stats: 11 GP, 2 goals, 5 assists, 7 points, +4 rating, 21 PIMS, 27 shots
Other Prospects
1st Star: Bryce Pickford (Medicine Hat, WHL) – One of the questions with Pickford this season was if he could repeat his breakout performance offensively. Few thought he could beat it, even fewer thought he’d be among the league’s leading scorers which is a counterargument to the suggestion that the numbers are only inflated because of the weaker talent level. Alas, that’s where he is which understandably earned him a quick entry-level deal from the Habs last month. His defensive game remains a question mark but with how effective he is offensively, he’s worth starting to get a little excited about.
Stats: 9 GP, 14 goals, 8 assists, 22 points, +15 rating, 17 PIMS*, 40 shots
*-Pickford actually had 57 in-game penalty minutes last month. However, four of those were misconducts which aren’t added to his official total. He’s up to six misconduct penalties on the season now.
2nd Star: Michael Hage (Michigan, NCAA) – There isn’t much to say about his college performance last month as there were just two games. But he was one of Canada’s top performers in the preliminary round at the World Juniors (the medal round games came this month). Hage’s offensive creativity is particularly noteworthy given Montreal’s talent level. It’s not implausible to picture him fitting in with their quick puck-movement system down the road, particularly on the power play. He’s showing he’s ready to take another step development-wise.
NCAA Stats: 2 GP, 0 goals, 2 assists, 2 points, -1 rating, 0 PIMS
WJC Stats: 4 GP, 2 goals, 6 assists, 8 points, +5 rating, 0 PIMS, 15 shots
3rd Star: Alexander Zharovsky (Salavat Yulaev, KHL) – His offensive numbers tapered off ever so slightly but he was still once again the league’s top rookie. While his numbers are better than Ivan Demidov’s, it doesn’t mean that he’s at Demidov’s level or better; the fact he’s as much of a key contributor in his post-draft year is a great sign from a skills perspective. Like Hage, Zharovsky has the creativity that fits in with where the Canadiens appear to be heading.
Stats: 12 GP, 4 goals, 7 assists, 11 points, +4 rating, 6 PIMS
Honourable Mention: Hayden Paupanekis (Kelowna, WHL) – A late start to his season has the third-round pick sneaking under the radar a bit. That’s particularly notable since his 6’5 frame makes it hard for him to go under the radar. As expected, Paupanekis has taken some steps forward offensively this season. He’s not dominating consistently but there are more of those types of bursts compared to a year ago. The end result is a productive player taking a good step in his development.
Stats: 10 GP, 6 goals, 7 assists, 13 points, even rating, 13 PIMS, 27 shots
