Montreal Canadiens Prospect Xavier Simoneau Once Again Leads Charlottetown Islanders to Victory

Montreal Canadiens prospect Xavier Simoneau has had an excellent season for the Charlottetown Islanders. He isn’t slowing down now that the QMJHL conference final is underway.

The 21 year old was a 6th round pick of the Canadiens in the 2021 NHL Draft. The undersized winger was passed over a couple of times at the draft before the Habs took a late flyer on the highly skilled player.

He had scored 57 points in 55 games in 2018-19 and then 89 points in 61 games the following season for the Drummondville Votigeurs. However, no NHL team would call his name at the 2019 or 2020 draft.

Following a 37 points season in just 27 games during the shortened 2020-21 campaign, the Canadiens finally decided it was time to take a chance on the Saint-Andre Avellin native. They must be happy now that they did.

Simoneau was traded to the Charlottetown Islanders for his overaged Junior season and has been terrific. He scored 24 goals and 86 points this season in just 48 games, and would have challenged fellow Habs prospect Joshua Roy for the scoring title if it wasn’t for injury.

Right now, he is battling Roy for supremacy in the QMJHL’s conference final. As of this moment, Simoneau has the upper hand.

A four point night from the Canadiens draft pick led the Islanders to a Game 1 victory. Roy responded with three points of his own, including an overtime game winner in Game 2.

Game 3 went last night and Simoneau took his turn in the spotlight. On a power play late in the first period, Simoneau kept the puck alive on an Islanders stick twice with quick passes from along the boards while under pressure.

At first, he is pressed by two Sherbrooke Phoenix players but calmly waits for both of them to close on him before sending the puck down low to a teammate. He gets it back and slides it to Lukas Cormier at the point. Cormier moves it across to Patrick Guay who fires it home, giving Simoneau his 10th assist of the postseason.

The trio combined once again for a power play goal but this time it broke a tie late in the third period. Simoneau accepts a cross-ice pass and quickly moves it back to Cormier at the point for a one-time shot. The shot is stopped but Simoneau pounces on a juicy rebound and hammers it home for the game’s winning goal.

It gives the Islanders a 2-1 series lead and puts them on the cusp of a QMJHL Final in the Best-of-5 series. Game 4 goes tonight in Sherbrooke, and I believe it is now Roy’s turn to play the hero as he and Simoneau have passed that baton back and forth all series.

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