The Montreal Canadiens announce that 31 players will participate in the team’s rookie camp…
The group includes first-round picks Jarred Tinordi , Louis Leblanc , and Max Pacioretty.The trio – representing the upper tier of the last three draft years will be joined by other top propsects such as P.K. Subban, Lars Eller and Alexander Avtsin.
P. K Subban is expected to make the big club this season after an amazing debut in last season’s
play-offs. The youngster showed incredible poise and maturity as he stepped in to fill a void left by the injured Markov. His skating, his enthusiasm and creativity will propel Subban’s sweater into the rafters one day if he remains grounded as the money and the accolades come his way.
Alexander Avtsin has a shot but it will depend on how well he has recovered
from a serious wrist injury.The Russian forward is an incredible skater with ‘magic’ hands and has the skills to be a star in the NHL . At the development camp during the summer however, he was definitely favoring his wrist as he navigated the various drills set up by the coaching staff.
Lars Eller , aside from Louis Leblanc, should be the most watched player on the ice as he attempts to prove all of Pierre Gauthier’s detractors wrong. Eller of course is the main player involved in the Jaroslav Halak deal which also brought Calgary Hitman Ian Shultz to Montreal from St. Louis.
Eller’s reaction will be an excellent gage of how well he handles the pressures of not only playing in Montreal but also handling the effects of being the ‘guy’ who replaces one of the best loved players in recent Canadiens history. It is unfair to the young player from Denmark – it is hard enough to crack an NHL line- up without such issues hanging over one’s helmet.He does have experience playing in the NHL and is expected to make the team on the third line and it is up to him whether he cracks the top two and plays with Gomez, Gionta , Cammelleri and Plekanec.
Max Pacioretty…? This will be the Connecticut born player’s last chance to play for the Canadiens as the Habs management patience is surely running thin. The former 2007 first round pick shows signs of being a solid twenty – twenty five goals scorer and his work effort is commendable yet he consistently finds himself out of position.
Enthusiasm sometimes carries your brain away from things that you should be doing – in others words, a lack of discipline. Once Max acquires that and incorporates it into his daily game , good things will come.
Jarred Tinordi, the son of former NHL defenceman Mark – will be given a good look at camp only to decipher what he needs to work on during his upcoming season playing for the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League. Tinordi JR. will never become another Guy Lapointe offensively yet may evolve into a fantastic stay at home defenceman. He has a mean streak and is big and tough but must work on his skating if he hopes to become a regular in the Habs line-up. Tinordi will be coached by former Capital and Nordique Dale Hunter which , along with some help from his Dad – will facilitate his progress.
Louis Leblanc
The Pointe Claire, Quebec native and first round pick in 2009 will also be given a good look at camp. The Montreal Junior player holds high expectations for the Habs and their fans.Leblanc won rookie of the year last season playing with Harvard but Leblanc will soon realize that playing among older players in the QMJHL is not the same. No matter how Leblance performs, the Habs must keep him in the Juniors for a year and keep him away from the Wolves in the French media.
This is Part 1 of an ongoing evaluation of the Habs prospects and players leading up to the regular season. If you have any information and or photos that you wish to share – contact me at keenerick@hotmail.com
Habs Rookie Camp Information
Twenty-six of the 31 players also participated in one of the Canadiens’ development camps at the Bell Sports Complex this summer. The camp will run from from September 13-16, at the Bell Sports Complex, in Brossard. Fifteen of the 31 players at camp are Canadiens draft selections.
Players will take part in on-ice practice sessions and tests as well as off-ice conditioning sessions. Scrimmages will also take place and open to the public on Monday, September 13 and Wednesday, September 15, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Annual Golf Tournament
The Canadiens will hold their annual golf tournament to benefit the Montreal Canadiens’ Children’s Foundation on Thursday, September 16 at the Club de golf Laval-sur-le-lac. The shotgun start is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Media availability with players and management will take place starting at 9:00 a.m.
Main Training Camp
The Canadiens’ main training camp will debut on Friday, September 17 as players will be reporting for medicals and physicals at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard. The training camp will run until Wednesday, October 6, and include a stay in the Charlevoix area, (October 3-6), in preparation for the season opener against the Maple Leafs at Air Canada Center on Thursday October 7.
Goalies
Robert Mayer
Nicolas Champion
Peter DelmasDefensemen
Sébastien Bisaillon
Marc-Antoine Desnoyers
Morgan Ellis
Kyle Klubertanz
Brendon Nash
Frédéric St-Denis
Joe Stejskal
P.K. Subban
Jarred Tinordi
Yannick Weber