Laval Rocket: 2024-25 Laval Rocket Thread

[Treb]

Wotherspoon in talks for a new contract.

Gignac mentions he got several offers (in Europe as per Marcotte). Feels like he won't be back.



Simoneau getting surgery. He had several different injuries.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Sounds about right. Wotherspoon is a definite must keep and I just don't see a spot for Gignac going forward.

 

[montreal]

 

[Treb]

To the pleasure of some, ABB is still chasing the NHL dream and is unlikely to be back.

Hopefully they go hard after the few top scorers left without contracts for next year. Time for a Hudon comeback?

 

[Adam Michaels]

 

[Whitesnake]

If you don't mind....I'd repeat something I had written this week....First domino with Lindstrom...

What I would do:

OUT (in trades or let go):

• FORWARDS: ABB, Roy, Gignac, RHP, Kidney, Farrell (kid was great this year...but we need size, use his value in a trade)
• D'S: Hayes, Mailloux (use the value he has), Hoefenmayer (Like him but no room)
• G'S: Primeau and Hughes

IN

• FORWARDS: Beck, Condotta, Davidson, Flo, Kapanen,Simoneau, Dauphin, Arseneau
• D'S: Lindstrom (though I predict he's going back to Europe), Engstrom , Reinbacher, Wotherspoon
• G's: Fowler and....Cavallin? If not a vet, maybe give a shot to Cavallin?

ADDED

• Thorpe, Goryunov, Dunlap, Dineen (some Rocket/Trois-Rivières possibilities)
• PLEASE!!! Rohrer (pretty please?)
• Maybe??? Konyushkov?

NOT SURE

• Mesar (as you all know, I gave up on him BUT he might have a great value for us and a real shot at a top 6 with the Rocke than any addition to a trade...
• Trudeau (love the compete....but it might be time to move on). I guess it depends who comes in and what he'd want to do.
• Tuch (a big body we need....but somehow, Never thought he had any kind of ceiling....and somehow, I think that what we see is the top he could ever give us. So keep him and place him on a 4th...but if you could do better...do better.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

ABB can dream about the NHL all he wants, but after 7 full seasons as a pro, I can't say I like his odds. Still, he seems like an OK guy and I'm certainly not rooting against him. All the best to you and thanks for everything Alex!

 

[Treb]

I assume we trade his rights (and I'd add RHP too) for another RFA that fits the team better.

 

[dinodebino]

If you don't mind....I'd repeat something I had written this week....First domino with Lindstrom...

What I would do:

OUT (in trades or let go):

• FORWARDS: ABB, Roy, Gignac, RHP, Kidney, Farrell (kid was great this year...but we need size, use his value in a trade)
• D'S: Hayes, Mailloux (use the value he has), Hoefenmayer (Like him but no room)
• G'S: Primeau and Hughes

IN

• FORWARDS: Beck, Condotta, Davidson, Flo, Kapanen,Simoneau, Dauphin, Arseneau
• D'S: Lindstrom (though I predict he's going back to Europe), Engstrom , Reinbacher, Wotherspoon
• G's: Fowler and....Cavallin? If not a vet, maybe give a shot to Cavallin?

ADDED

• Thorpe, Goryunov, Dunlap, Dineen (some Rocket/Trois-Rivières possibilities)
• PLEASE!!! Rohrer (pretty please?)
• Maybe??? Konyushkov?

NOT SURE

• Mesar (as you all know, I gave up on him BUT he might have a great value for us and a real shot at a top 6 with the Rocke than any addition to a trade...
• Trudeau (love the compete....but it might be time to move on). I guess it depends who comes in and what he'd want to do.
• Tuch (a big body we need....but somehow, Never thought he had any kind of ceiling....and somehow, I think that what we see is the top he could ever give us. So keep him and place him on a 4th...but if you could do better...do better.

Good chance Rein starts in the big show next season on the third pair. I wouldn’t pencil him in Laval.

 

[Rapala]

Also completely unfair to say Fowler has 'sucked' in this round. He's come in to mop up the shit on the floor in two straight games.

Fowler will need time just like Dobes did coming out of College.
What was it some 20 games before Jakub got on track...

 

[WeThreeKings]

Fowler will need time just like Dobes did comning out of College.
What was it some 20 games before Jakub got on track...

Any goalie needs time. Very few come at this age and do anything amazing off the hop. What we saw from Fowler is massively encouraging while reinforcing how special and generational Price was.

 

[montreal]

Fowler will need time just like Dobes did comning out of College.
What was it some 20 games before Jakub got on track...

And that was insanely quick turnaround, you don't often see a 1st year pro struggle that much and then that quickly turn things around. Still have concerns that he's too aggressive and will get exposed but we'll see if he learns and figures it out or not.

 

[Adam Michaels]

I assume we trade his rights (and I'd add RHP too) for another RFA that fits the team better.

JJ Peterka is an RFA.

 

[WeThreeKings]

And that was insanely quick turnaround, you don't often see a 1st year pro struggle that much and then that quickly turn things around. Still have concerns that he's too aggressive and will get exposed but we'll see if he learns and figures it out or not.

It's something he can definitely learn to harness. This isn't a technical or mental flaw like Primeau has.

 

[morhilane]

• PLEASE!!! Rohrer (pretty please?)
• Maybe??? Konyushkov?

Both still have a year to their contract, so very unlikely...

 

[HabsAddict]

Next year Rockets will be made up with at least a 3rd in new players.

Lots of noise but what interests me the most are LX, Davidson, M and Rein making it then if Thorpe takes big steps. As far as big body forwards, he's heavier the LX but with fewer looser screws. Hopefully his tragectory is as upwards as LX wss last season.

Lindstrom is a big loss. If, i say IF M and Rein make it, we have a shortage of RHDs. Mid season the only RHD we had was M...and it wss sooo easy to know when he was on the ice.

BTW...thank you twitter for providing translations. Beats copy/pasting on translation sites.

 

[Treb]

Next year Rockets will be made up with at least a 3rd in new players.

Lots of noise but what interests me the most are LX, Davidson, M and Rein making it then if Thorpe takes big steps. As far as big body forwards, he's heavier the LX but with fewer looser screws. Hopefully his tragectory is as upwards as LX wss last season.

Lindstrom is a big loss. If, i say IF M and Rein make it, we have a shortage of RHDs. Mid season the only RHD we had was M...and it wss sooo easy to know when he was on the ice.

BTW...thank you twitter for providing translations. Beats copy/pasting on translation sites.

I think you're extremely optimistic about the amount of prospects making the Habs next year.

It's probably going to be somewhere between 0 and 2.

 

[HabsAddict]

I think you're extremely optimistic about the amount of prospects making the Habs next year.

It's probably going to be somewhere between 0 and 2.

."If, i say IF M and Rein make it, "

Not a lot of optimism when a sentence starts with "if". There is an opening available but we don't know if HuGo find a cheap FA vet to fill it.

 

[Treb]

."If, i say IF M and Rein make it, "

You also hinted at Davidson and Xhekaj making it.

And if it's 2, it's one of Reinbacher/Mailloux and one of Beck/Kapanen.

I don't see them starting both RD in the NHL. Outside chance both Beck and Kapanen make it.

 

[HabsAddict]

You also hinted at Davidson and Xhekaj making it.

And if it's 2, it's one of Reinbacher/Mailloux and one of Beck/Kapanen.

I don't see them starting both RD in the NHL. Outside chance both Beck and Kapanen make it.

Unless HuGo has dreams of cup runs next season, a good course of action is to use next season as a development season for his 5 POTENTIAL rookies. If M/Rein and Kap/Beck are really NHL material a year away along with Demi then better to break them in sooner rather then a year later if we truly have a playoff worthy team.

Then we have Hage as the only high potential rookie in two yesrs. More easily absorbed then 3 rookies.

Pay now...or pay later.

At work i would hire and train people not only in what i needed but also future potential work load. Cheaper in the long run.

 

[Treb]

Unless HuGo has dreams of cup runs next season, a good course of action is to use next season as a development season for his 5 POTENTIAL rookies. If M/Rein and Kap/Beck are really NHL material a year away along with Demi then better to break them in sooner rather then a year later if we truly have a playoff worthy team.

Then we have Hage as the only high potential rookie in two yesrs. More easily absorbed then 3 rookies.

Pay now...or pay later.

At work i would hire and train people not only in what i needed but also future potential work load. Cheaper in the long run.

There's 10 forwards signed for next year (only rookie being Demidov) and Heineman as RFA who will surely be signed.

There's 5 D signed plus RFA Struble who should be back.

That leaves 4 spots, 2-3 of them being spare skaters.

AHL is still training.

If you want to keep the room, you're not going to strip your team just to play rookies. Suzuki pushed hard for Hughes to keep the team together for the playoff push, you think he's going to be ok with taking a step back just to "train the rookies"?

 

[HabsAddict]

There's 10 forwards signed for next year (only rookie being Demidov) and Heineman as RFA who will surely be signed.

There's 5 D signed plus RFA Struble who should be back.

That leaves 4 spots, 2-3 of them being spare skaters.

AHL is still training.

If you want to keep the room, you're not going to strip your team just to play rookies. Suzuki pushed hard for Hughes to keep the team together for the playoff push, you think he's going to be ok with taking a step back just to "train the rookies

This is a straight up...pay now or pay later.

The novelty of making the playoffs is over and the bigger question is if this team can go multi rounds. As is, MAYBE win a round but no serious threat. So the cost of pay now is that one round win. BUT a year later and a much stronger defense, along with more sorted line-up, then a multi round win gets closer to reality.

 

[Treb]

This is a straight up...pay now or pay later.

The novelty of making the playoffs is over and the bigger question is if this team can go multi rounds. As is, MAYBE win a round but no serious threat. So the cost of pay now is that one round win. BUT a year later and a much stronger defense, along with more sorted line-up, then a multi round win gets closer to reality.

And I say your strategy is pay now and waste later, because you lost the room.

Injuries will happen and guys will get their cup of coffee next year. No need to force rookies in to start the year.

 

[HABitual Fan]

It's something he can definitely learn to harness. This isn't a technical or mental flaw like Primeau has.

Personally, unless Hughes is prepared to give Dobes close to half the starts in Montreal next season, I would prefer him and Fowler splitting the starts evenly in Laval. He needs game action and playing only in pretty much back to back situations will not provide that. If he isn't playing regularly, better to bring in a veteran backup for Montreal.

 

[Nephasted]

Whos under ahl contract for next season?