Montreal Canadiens: Predicting The Laval Rocket Top Powerplay Unit
Bumper, Half-Wall & Top Playmaker
Assessing the options for the top three roles as complimentary pieces to the top quarterback and sniper is a very tough task. The reason is that there are a ton of different options, and it could boil down to whether JF Houle wants to keep the unit young, with the best options or have some veterans that can help the youth acclimate to the professional level. I am no couch general manager, but I do think letting the best players play the minutes they’ve earned, is the best option.
Riley Kidney stood out in his first preseason outing with the Rocket, earning three assists in a 3-1 win over the Toronto Marlies. For these reasons, and the fact that he projects as a very good playmaker, who skates well and has a sneaky good shot, I think he should find his way onto the top power play. He has brilliant vision, and his passing skills are very good, and while his shot isn’t dynamic, he could become a much better well-rounded threat, if he focused on shooting the puck more. I think he could be great in the bumper position.
Down the middle, is the hardest to predict, and if there isn’t a young guy that can be relied upon to win faceoffs and control the puck right away in the offensive zone, then one of the older guys might need to take the role. Hear me out here, but I think a guy like Xavier Simoneau could mix it up in front of the net and be a nice option to take faceoffs. He isn’t the most skilled guy, but he plays a rugged game for his size and could be the perfect player to distract opposing goaltenders.
I think it would be worthwhile to slot either Filip Mesar or Sean Farrell as the fifth player on the power play, both players add different things, but playmaking is something they both have a skill set to do. Mesar is a great skater, both fast and quick, which is a welcomed addition, especially if there’s a turnover at the blue line, he can keep up in foot races, and his shot is a threat as well. I think Farrell is more of a playmaker, who needs to shoot more, and because of that I feel that Mesar will start the season on the top unit, but Farrell could very realistically wrestle that role back or swap in ahead of Mesar.
This isn’t an exact science but as a Canadiens fan, I want to see the young guys gaining all the experience, and the best way to do that is to play big minutes, and on the man advantage, they can work on their offensive skills. With expectations held in check, and patience being an integral tool in progressing going forward, the young players will benefit from the reps.
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