The Laval Rocket have a relatively young team, and their journey through the AHL playoffs will only serve them well as them attempt to win a Calder Cup. Pascal Vincent is the perfect coach to lead this young team, as he is one of the best coaches in the game for developing prospects. However, as the Rocket enters the Eastern Conference Final against the Charlotte Checkers, it looks like the Montreal Canadiens' organization will be prioritizing results.
Tyler Thorpe, Will Dineen, and Joe Dunlap were all released from their professional tryout contracts, while Owen Protz was also released from his amateur tryout. Neither player had any impact on the postseason, but releasing them from their contracts shows that the team is trying to cut back on players as they enter a critical stretch, eight wins away from the Calder Cup.
The Rocket have already been prioritizing results in some ways. Filip Mesar recorded 18 points in 42 games during the regular season, but he hasn't played any in the playoffs. It was a disappointing season for one of the Canadiens' former top prospects, and Vincent's reluctance to play him might be a bad sign.
The Rocket might also start rolling with Cayden Primeau, as he has been the more reliable goaltender since the last series. It hasn't been a terrible effort from Jacob Fowler, as he owns a .903 save percentage and a 2.46 goals-against average. However, Primeau has been lights out as he has since the regular season, recording a 2.03 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage.
It might be to the detriment of some other players, but winning a Calder Cup will be beneficial to a number of the Canadiens' top prospects. David Reinbacher, Logan Mailloux, Owen Beck, Josh Roy, and Oliver Kapanen all figure to play a crucial role if the Rocket win these final eight games to complete the journey.
The series gets underway on Wednesday night.