While the Habs were busy securing a playoff spot and getting through Tampa Bay in the first round last month, several of their prospects were still playing as well. Here’s a rundown of their top performers from April.
Laval
1st Star: Joshua Roy – Frankly, this year was a disappointment for him on the whole and he has likely dropped on the organization’s depth chart as a result. However, he certainly finished up the campaign on a high note, allowing him to hit the playoffs with some momentum. As I’ve noted before, Roy’s mindset should be that he’s auditioning for 31 other teams right now as well as trying to make a case for a roster spot in Montreal. With his waiver eligibility next season, this playoff run is his last chance to showcase himself.
Regular Season Stats: 5 GP, 6 goals, 2 assists, 8 points, +2 rating, 26 shots, 0 PIMS
Playoff Stats: 1 GP, 1 goal, 0 assists, 1 point, +1 rating, 3 shots, 0 PIMS
2nd Star: Samuel Blais – He’s not really a prospect but as always, we stick the strong-performing veterans here too. Blais finished up quite strong as Laval managed to (barely) hold onto the top spot in the North Division. His production tapered off after a hot start with the Rocket but this late-season performance provided some hope that he’d be able to carry it over to the playoffs. So far, so good on that front.
Regular Season Stats: 5 GP, 3 goals, 6 assists, 9 points, even rating, 14 shots, 10 PIMS
Playoff Stats: 1 GP, 1 goal, 0 assists, 1 point, +1 rating, 2 shots, 2 PIMS
3rd Star: Owen Beck – Overall, his season was a bit underwhelming as well (though not necessarily as disappointing as Roy’s as he still has another year on his rookie deal). But injuries have pushed Beck into more of a full-time top-six role, at times lining up on the top line with Laurent Dauphin’s injury as well. The defensive side of the game is there; we’ve seen that from him already. Now, the offence needs to get to a more consistent level and while April was a short month for games, there was some progress on that front.
Regular Season Stats: 6 GP, 3 goals, 3 assists, 6 points, -2 rating, 16 shots, 2 PIMS
Playoff Stats: 1 GP, 0 goals, 1 assist, 1 point, +1 rating, 1 shot, 0 PIMS
Honourable Mention: Alex Belzile – Injuries cost him a couple of games last month, while, like several others, he was rested in the final game of the regular season. In between, he stepped up quite nicely in Dauphin’s absence, seeing some time down the middle and on the wing. If he wants to keep playing in the minors, there’s definitely a case to make to bring him back for another year as he’s a reliable and versatile veteran top-sixer.
Regular Season Stats: 3 GP, 1 goal, 4 assists, 5 points, +2 rating, 6 shots, 10 PIMS
Playoff Stats: 1 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists, 0 points, +1 rating, 3 shots, 0 PIMS
Other Prospects
1st Star: Yevgeni Volokhin (Khimik, VHL) – The Russian netminder continues to show why he’s too good for the level he’s at (the AHL equivalent of the KHL). While games in that league are typically low-scoring, Volokhin has been especially stingy, capping off his month with three straight shutouts. He may be a while away in terms of potentially coming to North America but he has very quietly become one of their better prospects.
Playoff Stats: 10 GP, 7-2-1 record, 1.25 GAA, .948 SV%, 3 SO
2nd Star: Bryce Pickford (Medicine Hat, WHL) – Yes, his playoff run came to an end a little earlier than expected, denying him another Memorial Cup opportunity. But despite playing a good chunk of the postseason injured (believed to be a shoulder issue), he was still his usual productive self. Now with a league MVP under his belt, it will be interesting to see if he’ll be healthy enough to join Laval should they move on past the Marlies. Skill-wise, he would have a legitimate chance to crack their lineup.
Playoff Stats: 10 GP, 4 goals, 4 assists, 8 points, +6 rating, 42 shots, 4 PIMS
3rd Star: Owen Protz (Brantford, OHL) – One of the fun parts of running the April version of this column is that there aren’t as many prospects still playing, allowing us to highlight some others that normally wouldn’t get the attention. Protz is one of those. His numbers last month weren’t anything flashy but he played a solid defensive game, played physical without going too far over the proverbial line, and saved his best for the final few games of the Barrie series. All in all, a pretty solid end to his junior career. He’s also eligible to join the Rocket as he did for part of their playoff run last year.
Playoff Stats: 10 GP, 0 goals, 4 assists, 4 points, +7 rating, 21 shots, 2 PIMS
Honourable Mention: Mikus Vecvanags (Victoria, BCHL) – I have to say, I did not envision Vecvanags making this list, even in a light month. But after being waived out of the QMJHL, he became Victoria’s starter and gave them solid efforts in a first-round playoff exit. Included in that was a 78-save, one-goal performance that landed him some national attention.
Playoff Stats: 7 GP, 3-3-1 record, 2.97 GAA, .935 SV%, 0 SO