Montreal Canadiens: Rhett Pitlick Heating Up in USHL
Montreal Canadiens prospect Rhett Pitlick showing promise in USHL
Montreal Canadiens top prospects Cole Caufield, Kaiden Guhle who were first round picks recently are playing well at the World Junior Championships this week.
However, they are not the only prospects that are playing well right now.
Rhett Pitlick was not a first round selection, he had to wait until the 5th round in 2019 to hear his name called at the draft. But, he is certainly opening some eyes with his performance thus far in the USHL.
Pitlick’s USHL career got off to a decent start last season when he scored four goals and 11 points in 17 games for the Omaha Lancers. It really took off after he was traded to the Muskegon Lumberjacks. Pitlick would pile up 13 goals and 31 points in 28 games for Muskegon last season, and he is producing again this season.
He actually started a little slowly, getting an assist in his first game and then being injured in his third game, after piling up five shots on goal in his second contest.
The Chaska, Minnesota native missed about a month before returning and looking a little tentative in his first game back. Since then, he has been on fire.
Since getting an assist against Dubuque on December 11, the 5’11 and 170 pound left winger has six goals and three assists for nine points in seven games. He has also fired 16 shots on goal in that time, showing he is creating plenty of chances for himself.
Pitlick will turn 20 in February, and should continue to put up impressive numbers at the USHL level. He is committed to the University of Minnesota for next season and should be able to transition quickly to the NCAA level considering he will be 20 years old in his first season, and that he is proving to be an excellent offensive weapon at the USA Junior level.
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Pitlick isn’t the biggest guy on the ice, but the Canadiens have changed their focus from size to skill at the last few drafts. He certainly remains a long term prospect, but with a little patience, the Habs may have found a bit of a gem in the 5th round of the 2019 draft.