For the second straight year, a Montreal Canadiens prospect is turning heads at the Men's World Hockey Championship. Last year, Oliver Kapanen led Team Finland with six goals in eight games. This year, it's Vinzenz Rohrer, who has four goals and two assists after seven games. He helped Austria advance to the quarterfinals, where they'll face Switzerland on Thursday morning.
Kapanen had some unbelievable momentum behind him after the performance in 2024, which led him to make the Canadiens out of training camp. He eventually returned to Timra IK to finish the year, but then re-joined the Canadiens in the playoffs and is now getting some time in the Laval Rocket's Calder Cup run.
Rohrer is still signed for a year with the ZSC Lions, but he could still sign his entry level deal with the Canadiens this offseason and be eligible to come to training camp. However, he wouldn't gurantee himself a spot in North America, as his contract would fall under the same clause as Kapanen's.
Kapanen was unable to stay in North America after he lost his spot with the Canadiens to start the year, as Kent Hughes wasn't allowed to send him to the AHL. It was either the NHL or the Swedish Hockey League until his contract expired with Timra. Kapanen was able to join Laval now that Timra's season is over, but not any sooner.
It's hard to imagine Rohrer making the Canadiens next season, but there's a possibility that he could play his way into a Kapanen situation. Kapanen stayed for a short period because of Patrik Laine's injury, and anything could happen that would allow Rohrer to get some playing time at the start of next year's regular season.
Rohrer's long-term development would be better off if he gets some more time in the National League and American Hockey League before making the Canadiens, but sometimes a player will give the organization no other choice. Rohrer's blend of tenacity and offensive skill would be a good fit in Montreal's bottom six, but the Canadiens have plenty of those options on the roster, including Kapanen.
Will Rohrer be the second consecutive prospect to improve his place in the organization because of a successful worlds? Another good performance in the quarterfinals, with all eyes on him, would go a long way.