The 2024-25 AHL season is starting up very soon, and with it, a renewed focus on teams’ prospects. For Montreal, the future is with the Laval Rocket. This season will open with a weekend road trip starting on October 11th against the Providence Bruins, who finished fourth overall in the AHL last season.
There have been significant changes to the staff and roster this past offseason. Assistant coach Kelly Buchberger moved on to a job closer to home, then head coach Jean-Francois Houle was extended. However, shortly thereafter quit to take on a once in a lifetime opportunity to join his NCAA Alma Mater, Clarkson University. The loss of the two coaches wasn’t insignificant as Houle was responsible for ensuring the Canadiens had a plentiful supply of NHL ready call-ups, but the loss of Buchberger may take longer to recover from as his responsibility was to oversee the defensemen. He was heavily involved in the development of prospects at the blue line such as Logan Mailloux, Jayden Struble, and Arber Xhekaj for a short time.
Fresh Start
Over the last few seasons, the Laval Rocket have had a young and inexperienced roster. Yet, they had two consecutive playoff appearances, including one where they battled their way to the Eastern Conference Final in 2021-22. Unfortunately, Laval finished in the basement of the North Division with 74 points last season. This was mostly due to a rash of NHL and AHL injuries, the loss of key players due to call-ups, and the roster upheaval those issues caused. But that was last year. This is now.
There is a new coaching staff led by Laval local coach Pascal Vincent. His resume is filled with experience, Vincent was head coach in the AHL for five seasons with the Manitoba Moose, where he was named Coach of the Year in the 2017-2018 season. He then made the jump to the NHL as assistant coach and head coach in the NHL with the Columbus Blue Jackets before being fired and joining the Canadiens organization.
With a focus on learning the Canadiens’ system of play, improving their skills and physical conditioning, the players can have a successful season as a team, but also as individuals as they are there to prepare to earn an NHL job. With the new coach there will also be new players.
Names to Watch
With Laval’s 2023-24 captain, 34-year-old Gabriel Bourque announcing his retirement, there will be a leadership void to be filled. This places more pressure on Brendan Gignac to lead, not only offensively, he led the team in points last season, but also take on the mantle of veteran leader. He won’t be alone in shouldering those responsibilities as Xavier Simoneau and Laurent Dauphin are also returning to the club. Their experience will be invaluable as the tidal wave of young prospects and fresh faces is crashing onto Laval’s shores.
Luke Tuch and Florian Xhekaj will bring size and speed to the bottom six of the lineup. Yet these new arrivals will be headlined by 2022 draft picks Filip Mesar and Owen Beck. Beck is coming off a Memorial Cup championship, including being named the Final MVP. He has excelled as a two-way center at every level, and after some adjustment to professional hockey, he is expected to excel in that role at the AHL level.
🚨Beck
🍎Mešár
🍏Gélinas#GoRocket https://t.co/Ll5rzE0pFv pic.twitter.com/oxPPd2ZItW— Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) October 5, 2024
With Mesar, there will be pressure early on as he had two seasons where he wasn’t ready to play in Laval and needed to play in the OHL. In that time, he flashed his offensive skills regularly, but it was the improved physical game that he showed. Something he will need to continue to compete in Laval. He will need to solidify himself as not just an AHL capable player, but one who can provide offense. He brings something the Canadiens system is built on, speed and transition. He must find immediate scoring success to remain a top six option and build his confidence. Otherwise, fans will see him struggle though out the year as he tries to adjust.
With David Reinbacher out for the majority of the season, there will be more pressure placed on Logan Mailloux, who returns for his second professional season and is looking to improve on his AHL all-star performance. There will also be pressure on Adam Engstrom to provide support in the top four, while he adjusts to the North American style game and rink size.
🚨Mailloux fait le tour du filet et compte!
🚨Mailloux circles the net and scores!#GoRocket #AHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/JoF1e4cB2w— Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) February 6, 2024
After a training camp where more was expected of him, Joshua Roy starts the season in Laval as well. While this could be deemed a wake up call, it is almost certainly not a permanent situation. Management choosing to go with Emil Heineman and Oliver Kapanen highlight is the competition among the youth is becoming fierce. He will be relied upon heavily to add the offense he was capable of last season where he scored 32 points in 41 games. A strong start to the season could see him becoming the first option for a forward call-up. The net belongs firmly to Jakub Dobes who showed flashes of brilliance last season as he put up a .906 sv% in his 51 starts. While he was used to being the workhorse for his teams at NCAA Ohio State, he had never played that many games in a single season at any level. With that experience and the help of a veteran goaltender in Connor Hughes, Dobes should be able to find his consistency.
It is clear that the Canadiens rebuild is far from over. The focus for that future needs to be placed onto Laval, who will be heavily relied upon to groom the young Habs prospects into serviceable NHL players who will give the depth needed for any franchise to grow into a Stanley Cup Contender.
