Montreal Canadiens: Top 31 Prospects – #18 Xavier Simoneau

Montreal Canadiens fans don’t get a lot of breaking news in the month of August, so here at A Winning Habit, we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 31 prospects currently in the Habs organization. Each player was carefully deliberated by our writers and ranked accordingly. Today, we continue with our 18th-ranked prospect, Xavier Simoneau.

Simoneau was drafted by the Canadiens in the sixth round of the 2021 NHL draft, as an overager. He was almost certainly looked over in the draft due to his size, listed at only 5’7″. Still, what Simoneau lacks in size, he makes up for with skill, putting together an impressive junior career that saw him amass over 250 career points.

Last season, Simoneau joined the pro ranks, suiting up in 62 games for the Laval Rocket, where, as an undersized rookie, he showed flash. He scored 38 points in those 62 games, not looking out of place at all. He’ll look to build on that heading into this year, where he’ll likely remain, barring an incredible camp that earns him a spot in the NHL.

Simoneau’s game is centered around his playmaking ability, as he’s an excellent distributor. Last season, he lit the lamp just six times but had 32 helpers. He’s also remarkably physical for his size, racking up 86 penalty minutes last season. He is not afraid to go into the corners and battle for possession, and he will not be pushed around. When he’s on the ice, you have to earn everything because he doesn’t take shifts off.

The Canadiens love their undersized forwards who play like giants, and Simoneau is no different. He’s tough, can hold his own, and skilled enough to play up in the lineup if need be. His path to the NHL is probably blocked by a few forwards, even with Mike Hoffman and Rem Pitlick gone, but his path to pro hockey was likely never easy. I’d bet he’s playing NHL games real soon; I’m certainly not going to bet against him.

I see Simoneau as a possible middle-six forward, best paired with someone who can shoot the puck. He’s an assist man first and needs to play with someone who can capitalize on that. He’s versatile in that he can play in all situations, and he’s going to bring energy to whatever team he’s on. I wouldn’t expect to get anything more out of him, but just blossoming into a middle-six guy for the Canadiens is a huge win.