Montreal Canadiens: Laval Rocket Has Exciting Lineup For Opening Night

The Montreal Canadiens got off to a great start to their 2022-23 season on Wednesday night with a surprising 4-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. They are back in action tonight, but so are their top affilliate.

The Laval Rocket enter this season fresh off a lengthy playoff run. They lost in the Calder Cup semifinal last season, and are back in action looking for more playoff success in 2023.

They will hit the ice tonight for the first time this season, and with an exciting lineup to keep an eye on for viewers. Often, the AHL squads with the most veterans are the teams that go far, but the minor league teams with the most prospects are the ones that fans enjoy following.

Canadiens affiliate has blend of AHL vets and exciting prospects

The Canadiens affiliate will feature a nice blend of veteran minor league players, as well as exciting prospects that could be on the big club in the future.

The first line has Mitchell Stephens between Jesse Ylonen and Rafael Harvey-Pinard. They could be the first three forwards called up to the NHL when the inevitable injuries occur. Ylonen and Harvey-Pinard are two wingers on the cusp of becoming full-time NHL players and are worth keeping an eye on to see if they are ready.

Their second line is more of the veteran minor leaguer type, but they will provide plenty of offence even if they are unlikely to be called up at any point. Danick Martel (27), Alex Belzile (31) and Anthony Richard (25) are at the age where they aren’t really considered prospects anymore, but they can provide scoring punch for the Rocket.

Brandon Gignac and Gabriel Bourque fit that description as well, but they are joined on the third line by Xavier Simoneau who is making his pro debut. The 21 year old forward is a scrappy player with plenty of scoring touch and he could push for an NHL job in the future as a plucky two-way winger on the bottom six.

The fourth line is going to be a fun one to watch as Jan Mysak and Filip Mesar are beginning their first season with the Rocket. Mysak scored 30 goals in the OHL last season and looks to have NHL potential as well. Mesar was a first round pick last summer and was terrific in training camp with the Canadiens. Lucas Condotta is on that line too.

The defence has a couple of players that will be very interesting to follow this season. Justin Barron is on the top pairing and Mattias Norlinder is on the second pair. Both of the young defenders have terrific skating skills and plenty of offence to their game.

Barron will play with Otto Leskinen on the first pairing, while Norlinder is alongside Tory Dello. The third pair features Madison Bowey and Alex Green.

Cayden Primeau gets the start in goal and he will be looking to build off his strong Calder Cup playoff performance. He had a 2.17 GAA and a .936 SV% in the Rocket’s playoff run after an up and down regular season. He will be looking for more consistency throughout the year like he had in the playoffs.

All in all, it will be an exciting roster to begin the season, with plenty of AHL veterans who can score, as well as plenty of youngsters to keep an eye on and watch develop.

The Rocket will play their opening game at home tonight against the Belleville Senators. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM EST.

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