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Montreal Canadiens: Predicting Where All 37 Development Camp Players Play Next Season

By Ken MacMillan

Jun 28, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Montreal Canadians draft pick David Reinbacher puts on his sweater after being selected with the fifth pick in round one of the 2023 NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 28, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Montreal Canadians draft pick David Reinbacher puts on his sweater after being selected with the fifth pick in round one of the 2023 NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /
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LAVAL, QC – MAY 12: Head coach of the Laval Rocket, Jean-François Houle. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
LAVAL, QC – MAY 12: Head coach of the Laval Rocket, Jean-François Houle. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

Laval Rocket

Jared Davidson was an overager for the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL last season so his JUnior career is over. He signed a one-year AHL-only contract for the 2023-24 season so his only two options right now are AHL and ECHL. He scored 38 goals and 82 points in 60 games last season and was one of the best players on one of the best teams in Junior hockey so he has the skill to jump to the AHL. He should immediately fit in as a regular on the team’s top nine.

Riley Kidney could technically return to the QMJHL as an overager next season, but has done enough over the past two years to show he is ready for a pro job. He scored over 100 points in each of the past two seasons and was one of the top playmakers in the QMJHL in that time. He is a smart, two-way center who will likely start out as a depth piece but has the skill to work his way up the lineup.

Filip Mesar was a first round pick of the Canadiens in 2022 and then came to North America to play with the Kitchener Rangers. He was good, not fantastic, and scored 17 goals and 51 points in 52 games in the OHL, but spoke out earlier this week that he believes he is playing for the Laval Rocket next season. He has played against men in Slovakia previously, so should be able to make the transition to the pro game quickly.

Joshua Roy was one of the best players for gold medal winning Canada at each of the past two World Juniors. He was also one of the top scorers in the QMJHL each of the past two seasons and scored 46 goals and 99 points in 55 games. He is an exceptionally smart, two-way winger who will figure things out quickly at the pro level and should be an impact player for the Rocket this season.

Xavier Simoneau was in Jared Davidson’s skates a year ago. He was too old for Junior and signed an AHL-only contract and played well, scoring 38 points in 62 games while being a bit of a pest on the ice as well. He should be among the top six wingers on the Rocket this season.

Logan Mailloux is a recent first round pick who is a big right shot defenseman that is a great stickhandler, can move the puck well and has a booming shot from the point. He scored 25 goals and 53 points in 58 OHL games with the London Knights last season and will truly make a push to crack the NHL lineup to begin the season. He missed considerable development time in the past two seasons due to injury and suspensions and would benefit from a little more seasoning at the AHL level to begin the season.

Jayden Struble turned pro at the end of last season and is a physical presence on the blue line that has some decent puck moving skills as well. The Canadiens are quite deep on left defense so it is going to be difficult for Struble to push through and crack the NHL lineup. For now, he will bide his time and continue to progress into a trusted defensive, shutdown presence on the Rocket.

Miguel Tourigny played last season in Slovakia instead of playing his final Junior season as an overager in the QMJHL. That was not predicted at the time to be a long term move, so he could very well be back in North America and helping add some speed and skill as a right defenseman. He scored 26 points in 43 pro games in Slovakia last season and had 80 points in 65 games in his final Junior season.

William Trudeau moved up the Laval Rocket depth chart due to injuries and call ups to the NHL and the 20 year old proved to be a reliable two-way player for them. He had 27 points in 60 games and really moved up the Canadiens prospect ranking charts as he was not expected to be as complete of a player as he proved to be last season. There still isn’t room for him to jump to the NHL and he needs more development time, but he will play a lot of minutes in Laval.

Jakub Dobes appears to be the starting goaltender for the Rocket after two strong seasons at Ohio State. He was a fifth round pick of the Canadiens in 2020 and will make his pro debut this season. He could be joined by Cayden Primeau on the roster, but Primeau would need to clear waivers first. If Primeau does not end up in Laval, Dobes is going to get a chance to take the ball and run with it in the AHL.

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