Laval’s depth continued to be tested last week and while they did get some welcome additions, it wasn’t quite enough for them to put up the points as they managed just a single win over their three games.

With his college career coming to an end over the weekend, it’s now time for Jayden Struble to turn pro. He did just that on Wednesday as the Habs announced that they’ve signed the defenceman to a two-year, entry-level contract.

We’re now at the midway point in our Prospect Rankings series. Included in this group are some players who were rated fairly high not long ago but have seen their stock slip with weaker performances and additions to the system.

It was a nice bounce-back week for Laval. Although they didn’t gain any ground seedings-wise in the standings, they picked up five of six points to creep a little closer to third place which is the target position to avoid a play-in series next month.

Our fourth group of prospects in this year’s rankings includes a 2021 draft pick that is starting to boost his stock in the organization plus one of Montreal’s more intriguing goalie prospects.

March 1st is the first day that players can be signed to entry-level deals for next season and the Habs wasted little time getting one of those done with Xavier Simoneau, announcing they’ve inked the forward to a two-year contract.

It’s possible that the Habs add a second-round pick to the fold leading up to the trade deadline. With that in mind, here’s a quick look at the projected second round of the 2023 draft and how a few of those players could fit in quite nicely with Montreal.

Laval had a pair of divisional games last week including one against a team they’re battling with for playoff seeding. However, the Rocket struggled in both games and weren’t able to come away with any points as they lost some ground in the battle to avoid the play-in round.

On paper, the past stretch for Laval looked like an opportunity for them to take advantage of an opponent that’s below them in the standings and help solidify their playoff status. However, they have struggled against Belleville all season and the end result was the Rocket dropping two of three.

The 2023 NHL Entry Draft is shaping up to be a critical one for the Habs as they build for the future. We wrap up our first-round rankings for June’s festivities with a look at the prospects ranked from 25th to 32nd and how they might fit in with the Canadiens.