Montreal Canadiens: AHL Tryouts who deserve a contract for 2018/19

The Montreal Canadiens were handing out auditions through the Laval Rocket this season, and there are a few who should be given a contract for next year.

One of the themes this season for the Montreal Canadiens AHL affiliate was turnover. From callups to trades and a steady number of injuries, the Laval Rocket had 51 players wear the uniform for a game this year. After the NHL Trade Deadline, there was a shift to find young talent wherever possible thus starting the Tryout Era for Laval.

It saw seven players get a sniff at the professional level after finishing their respective junior and college seasons. Adding talent so late into the season isn’t that surprising, especially when you consider how poor the Laval Rocket were, but they left no stone untouched. Not every trout made it to the end though. Bailey Webster, who was signed out of the QMJHL from the Saint John Sea Dogs was released after only playing one game.

The Laval seemed to be making it clear that they weren’t just looking for anyone, but for those who had the talent and drive to push for a spot. Now that the regular season is over, decisions will have to be made as to who stays and who goes.

Seeing as how Laval doesn’t have a head coach after relieving Sylvain Lefebvre of his duties, those choices may not be made until a new person is hired. Whoever gets the job will most likely have a say in who, if any, receive a contract for the following season. That decision may take more time even though there are a set of names connected to the job.

Either way, there are some tryouts who, based on their play in the remaining games with the Laval Rocket, should get a contract.

1. Johnny Austin

Johnny Austin was one of the first tryouts in the latest wave. The 23-year-old was given the opportunity after completing his senior year at the University of Connecticut. Austin stood out from his first Laval game recording an assist on Jeremiah Addison’s first AHL goal. His quicking thinking and skating allowed him to play key minutes on the top pairing alongside Matt Taormina for a stretch of games after both Noah Juulsen and Brett Lernout got the call from the Montreal Canadiens.

There were few times where Austin looked overwhelmed by the other team’s top players despite getting caught on for a number of goals against. With other smaller defencemen in the system already, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Laval Rocket pass on him, but with openings from NHL promotions, there could be a spot.

2. Nikita Korostelev

It’s tough to get excited about a player on a tryout, but Nikita Korostelev was a particularly interesting prospect. After being taken in the seventh-round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft and attending development camps, the young forward couldn’t find a way to transition to the professional game. Korostelev’s raw skill was what opened eyes, but his degree of consistency kept him off many team’s radars.

The 21-year-old showed some of those peaks and valleys in his 10 games with Laval. He recorded his first AHL point alongside Austin on the same Addison goal, and his work to get the puck in the slot was a big part of it. Korostelev found the back of the net himself in a game against the Binghamton Devils after getting bumped up to the top line with Chris Terry and Adam Cracknell.

It begs the question of whether playing with a lack of offensive skill hurt the winger’s potential in the lineup. Either way, there’s enough there for the Laval Rocket to want to explore Korostelev more, especially with the influx of players such as Will Bitten, Hayden Verbeek, and Michael Pezzetta.