David Savard's retirement sets up battle for the right defence vacancy

Pascal Vincent has the Montreal Canadiens farm team operating like a nice classic v8, they are purring along, and have a real nasty edge.

Laval Rocket, remember the name, because this team is no joke. They have serious playoff pressure, and they are absolutely dominating the American Hockey League. 

Everywhere you look, Vincent’s paintbrush is developing some very fine prospects on the Canadiens’ landscape.

And with Savard retiring, there is some youth looking up after the recent news.

The AHL playoffs just became very fun to watch if you weren’t already interested. 

Mailloux-Reinbacher - lets go. And there is a cast of young studs-in-the-making who will have their fingerprints all over the statistics sheets after each game.

Lets dive into first the Rocket lineup, and see what they are rolling into the playoffs with, to be mentioned - 46-19-3 record their record - is the league’s best.

Laval Roster

15- Sean Farrell, 27- Laurent Dauphin, 12 - Alex Barré-Boulet

49-Jared Davidson, 42-Lucas Condotta, 81-Xavier Simoneau

10-Joshua Roy, 63-Florian Xhekaj, 62-Owen Beck

17-Luke Tuch, 21- Riley Kidney, 48-Filip Mesar

6 (Tyler Thorpe) -

Defence:

23-Tyler Wotherspoon, 5-Gustav Lindstrom

56-Adam Engstrom, 64-David Reinbacher

84-William Trudeau, 94-Logan Mailloux

Goaltenders:

31-Cayden Primeau

1- Jacob Fowler

Laval isn’t hot at the right time, they have formed into a nice diamond, after a brilliant season. 

The Rocket were hot like a pistol and the young core have every reason to be watch in their upcoming playoff run.

I expect they will take no lip, and punch their opponent in the mouth if needed. But they can score goals, as well as handout knuckle sandwiches.

No. 58 was slowing, but the impact and lessons that were passed along will never go unnoticed or unrecognized. He is a gamer, and these last playoffs are for him.

But you have to wonder if he is doing this because he is sure they have somebody internally that can take over next season.

Perhaps the Calder Cup playoff performances will be a determining factor in Martin St. Louis’s decision for his 2025-26 iteration of his defensive corps.

We will wait, and enjoy the fantastic smell of playoff hockey for Montreal and Laval. While also enjoying watching what the cast down in Laval can do, to match their big brother club up in Montreal.

The Bell Centre, and Place Bell are sure to be electric, and traveling to the area, might be a fun idea for every Habs fan that is able, because the work of Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton, along with their staff is going to give us all some good watching, as the snow melts away, and the bees start buzzing.

June's draft is also not so far away, so imagine the infusion of whatever talent is drafted being dispersed through Laval, and such down the road. Montreal has a focus that cannot be shaken, and whatever way Hughes chooses to go, the CH will be better for it.

Look at the work he has already done, bring this team from licking their wounds, to shining bright as the underdog, like Rockey Balboa against Ivan Drago.

Allez-y dans les series les boys, apres on va repecher les bons jouers pour remplir les 'prospect cupboard'.