Takeaways from Montreal Canadiens Rookie Camp Games vs. Maple Leafs
Rookie Camp was a good precursor before the big club begins camp on September 18th.
It's always exciting for the Montreal Canadiens to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs. Unfortunately, the rookie team for the Canadiens couldn't do that over the weekend, losing two consecutive games to the Leafs' prospects. However, it wasn't all bad for the Canadiens, as some players made impressions, and hope for the future continues to build. Let's look at the biggest takeaways from this weekend's games.
1. Lane Hutson doesn't care about everyone's concerns
We covered it in an article about yesterday's game, but Lane Hutson continued to thrive in Sunday's matchup. He took a devastating hit in the second period, but returned and looked no worse for the wear. He will take his bumps and bruises and possibly have some issues defensively, but Hutson's offensive upside will be a massive addition to the Canadiens.
Who wouldn't want to see this nightly at the Bell Centre? The Canadiens may take a conservative approach, but if not, expect Hutson to begin the season in Montreal.
2. Goaltending situation caused these games to look worse than they were
The Canadiens lost both games to the Leafs but their two goaltenders didn't do much to help the cause. They couldn't roster some of their best goaltending prospects, as Jacob Fowler isn't allowed to participate in the rookie camp. Quentin Miller suffered a shoulder injury, so the Canadiens invited Matteo Drobac from the Ontario Hockey League. The pairing of him and Samuel Richard from the University of New Brunswick didn't help the skaters much over the two games, and allowed some costly goals to give Toronto the wins.
Let the Maple Leafs fans have their moment, but let's not crown them as having the better prospect pool because of these two games. (Ivan Demidov, Joshua Roy, Michael Hage, and Fowler weren't in attendance.)
3. Stop worrying about David Reinbacher
The David Reinbacher haters were out in full force after both games. Reinbacher is in an impossible position, as he isn't as flashy as Hutson, Logan Mailloux, or Adam Engstrom. Let's face it, the Canadiens aren't going to win a Stanley Cup with six flashy defensemen. What I saw out of Reinbacher this weekend was a steady presence who lost minimal battles and overpowered many players physically. For every offensive blueliner like Brandon Montour and Shea Theodore, you need a steadying presence like Gustav Forsling and Alex Pietrangelo, just ask the last two Stanley Cup champions.
4. Florian and Arber Xhekaj could be a fun pairing in Montreal
Florian Xhekaj began his weekend with a fight on his first shift. It led many people to compare him and Arber, which offered some funny reactions online. It could be a few seasons until Florian gets a full-time spot in Montreal, but it would be a fun added wrinkle for a contending team if there are two brothers wreaking havoc. Florian may not be as physical as Arber, but he'd be an intriguing pest on the fourth line.
5. Charles Savoie earned a longer look
Charles Savoie was invited to rookie camp to fill up some roster spots. Savoie planned to go to Concordia University after the camp and play his first season of USports. However, he stood out as one of the best players on the Canadiens in the two games and could likely earn a longer look in training camp if he accepts. Savoie would be effective in Trois-Rivieres, and could even make the Laval lineup out of camp.
6. Don't forget about Adam Engstrom
Adam Engstrom will play his first North American professional season in 2024-25. He will likely play the full season in Laval, but there are plenty of reasons for optimism after the rookie camp performance. He used his elite skating ability to create open space for himself and his teammates and could be this year's version of Mailloux for Laval this season. It's a numbers game for Engstrom with plenty of defensemen in front of him on the depth chart, but he could leapfrog a few of those names if he continues playing like this weekend.