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Montreal Canadiens: 7 Talking Points on Eric Staal, Cole Caufield, Lines, Jesse Ylonen

By Sebastian High

MONTREAL, QC - OCTOBER 17: Paul Byron #41 of the Montreal Canadiens and Eric Staal #12 of the Minnesota Wild skate against each other during the second period at the Bell Centre on October 17, 2019 in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - OCTOBER 17: Paul Byron #41 of the Montreal Canadiens and Eric Staal #12 of the Minnesota Wild skate against each other during the second period at the Bell Centre on October 17, 2019 in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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MONTREAL, QC – FEBRUARY 19: Ryan Poehling #41 of the Laval Rocket celebrates his goal with teammates on the bench during the first period against the Belleville Senators at the Bell Centre on February 19, 2021 in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC – FEBRUARY 19: Ryan Poehling #41 of the Laval Rocket celebrates his goal with teammates on the bench during the first period against the Belleville Senators at the Bell Centre on February 19, 2021 in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

7. Other notable Laval players

Alright, let’s finish off this week’s 7 talking points with a quickfire round. Ryan Poehling has shown phenomenal progression this season and has proven that he still has middle-6 NHL upside. He has matched his stat-line from last season of 5 goals and 13 points in half the games; it took him 36 last season and only 18 this time around. He has gained a lot of confidence and is playing with a whole lot of heart and power, great news for the Habs. Here’s a phenomenal backhand secondary assist:

Another former-top-prospect that has made a real resurgence this season is Josh Brook. Following a phenomenal 75-point campaign in the WHL in 2018-19, he struggled in Laval last season, putting up only 13 points in 60 games to go along with disappointing defensive play. This season, he has played far more aggressively on defence and has hugely improved his gap control. He has also improved offensively, notching 9 points in 17 games.

Another defenseman that has had a great season would be Otto Leskinen. The 24-year-old Finn has been Laval’s best defenseman, vastly outperforming Xavier Ouellet, who got the call-up to the Habs’ roster when Chiarot went down with his injury. Leskinen has been great on the powerplay and steady in transition and defensively, he has certainly added a consistent dynamic quality to his game that had only been seen in spurts last year. He has 12 points in 19 games, a point total that is tied for first in the AHL amongst defensemen.

The Laval Rocket have been the best team in the AHL’s Canadian division and they are bursting at the seams with NHL prospects, they are not being carried solely by AHL veterans. Cam Hillis, who remains a good Habs’ prospect has been held out of the starting lineup for all but two games, and he has not been battling any injuries. The Rocket have been a joy to watch and the future of the Habs certainly looks bright!

All statistics sourced from EliteProspects.com unless otherwise indicated.

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