The Montreal Canadiens signed gritty winger Joel Teasdale to an entry-level contract back in September of 2018.
He had just scored 32 goals and 65 points in 65 games for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL but had gone underfed once again. The Canadiens invited him to their rookie camp and he was terrific, so they offered him an entry-level deal.
Teasdle was terrific the following season, scoring 43 goals and 80 points in 66 games. He was traded to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies to help them in their playoff run and he delivered.
He lead the playoffs in scoring with 34 points in 20 playoff games while leading the Huskies to a QMJHL championship. From there, the Huskies headed to the Memorial Cup, which they won and Teasdale was named the Memorial Cup MVP.
His initial pro season was fairly highly anticipated following such a great Junior season. However, Teasdale injured his knee while training in the summer of 2019 and missed the entire 2019-20 season.
He was back last season for the Covid shortened campaign and looked great for the Rocket. He scored eight goals and 18 points in 26 games while playing a nasty, physical style that consistently forced the opposing team to make mistakes and turn pucks over.
Then, he blew his knee out again.
Teasdale missed the end of last season and was out for the first four months of this season as well. He finally rejoined the Rocket on January 28th, but he was held scoreless in each of his first five games. He finally scored in his 6th game of the season but was held off the scoresheet more often than not.
After 19 games, he had just five points. It looked like yet another lost season, even with a few dozen games played. But then the flip switched for Teasdale and he started piling up points.
He had a pair of assists against the Rochester Americans on March 9th. Then he scored a goal against the Wilkes-Barre Penguins. He had a four point night, including a hat trick against the Hartford Wolf Pack on March 18th.
He has kept the hot streak going through this weekend. The Rocket were outplayed and outscored all weekend in a pair go 5-1 losses to the Toronto Marlies and Syracuse Crunch. But it was Teasdale who scored both goals.
He now has ten goals and 19 points in his last 22 games. The 23 year old has formed a solid second line with Gabriel Bourque and Nate Schnarr for the past few weeks and Teasdale looks very much like a future NHLer once again.
His two knee injuries were quite devastating and have really slowed his development over the past three years. But when he is on the ice, Teasdale clearly shows a two-way game and a physical element that could make him a bottom six winger on the Canadiens sooner than later.
With the Rocket clinching a playoff spot last night, expect Teasdale to bring his game up another notch in the postseason like he did in Junior.
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