Sniper, One-Timer Option
In terms of talents that will beat goalies regularly, there are two players that stand out and give Laval the best chance to strike and grab the momentum. Both played in the CHL, one in the Western Hockey League with the Seattle Thunderbirds, and the other in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the Sherbrooke Phoenix. Joshua Roy and Jared Davidson are the two purest shooters on the roster, with Jesse Ylonen and Emil Heineman looking to make the jump to the NHL this season.
To me, Roy is a little ahead of Davidson, so I think he will wrestle the top powerplay spot away from Davidson, which shouldn’t take anything away from Davidson. Roy, at the moment, is the most deceptive and because his playmaking skills are so strong, he earns the respect of the opposition, as a dual-threat player.
He freezes the opposition regularly, and his ability to mask his intentions until the last second makes him a nightmare in the offensive zone, if the defender guesses wrong, the puck could end in the back of his net.
Davidson has been a late bloomer, and with that, he will take a little more time to sharpen his tools in the offensive zone, which I would bet on him to do. He lacks the deceptiveness that Roy has, but there are teachable things, and Davidson has the toolkit to become a great powerplay sniper, he will just need some coaching to refine his game.
For now, Roy, in my opinion, will be the best option as the number one shooter, throughout the entire lineup.