Time for another thread! Draft is one month away.
2016 picks: 1-2-2QC-3MON-3GAT-5-5DRU-5BAT-5CHI-6-9-11-12-13-14
2017 picks: 1-1SHE-2-2VDO-2GAT-3-4-4VDO-5-6-6BC-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14
We don't know yet which picks are going to Sherbrooke for Jeremy Roy but hopefully it will be our 2017 1st + Sherbrooke's 1st + a 2nd or 3rd from this year. It would suck to give up our high pick from this year especially since Sherbrooke's pick from next season could be top-3. Two top picks would be a big prize to pay for one season of Roy. Will be confirmed at the draft.
At forward: I would hope Bouchard can grab a top-end European player at Import draft with his first rounder. We need a Jevpalovs replacement. Dufek has done well since coming over from Sherbrooke (picked up on waivers) and we might as well keep him for now as our 2nd Euro. He is familiar with the club and the system.
We have a lot of younger players that need to burst out onto the scene if we wanna be competitive. Teasdale did well this year and into the playoffs but it remains to be seen if he can get 50-60 pts and be consistent enough for the top-6. The 2014 draft trio of Katerinakis-Picard-Hylland have been mostly busts so far, nothing more than decent 3rd/4th liners. One of them could be traded this summer. 2015 draft with Crete-Belzile, Teasdale, Boucher and Poulin look alright now, though the last 2 I have my doubts about. I don't think Boucher will be back. William Gignac could be one of our 20's but he isnt top-end.
The addition of Alexandre Alain from Gatineau will be welcomed and with a top euro to replace Pospisil it could get interesting. I think Miller, Katerinakis, Poulin and Teasdale have very high offensive potential but it is up to them to take the next step and grab a top-6 spot and produce with consistency. With a good camp from the youngsters I think Bouchard will get rid of the 19 years old Hamelin and Bramwell.
At defense: It seems as though I say this every year but I think the Armada will have a top-2 or top-3 D next season. With Roy coming on board and the great performances of Melancon and Beaudoin this season as well as the impressive point production of Pascal Corbeil it gives us one heck of a top-4 not to mention the bluechip Antoine Crete-Belzile and veteran Charlie Roy who can easily play top-4. To me we have 6 guys for the top-4 as well as Castonguay who can play the #6 role. A trade is imminent. 2 options: deal one of our 20's (Melancon/Beaudoin) to get a forward instead or trade Charlie Roy or Pascal Corbeil for picks. When you think about it, it might be smarter to deal Corbeil away since Charlie Roy could be a key 20 years old for us in 2017-18, a year we are expected to contend. It depends if Bouchard thinks Corbeil can further developp and be a legit top-3 guy on D.
Goaltending: There is about 1% chance Montembeault is back with his performance in these playoffs and the fact FLA doesnt have any good goaltending prospect to rival with him for AHL playing time, but I sure hope he is back. If he is then for sure one of Beaudoin/Melancon is gone for picks. With Montembeault back + that defense we might just be contenders for the cup next season. But like I said I don't think he will be back. I could see Bouchard rolling with Francis Leclerc who has decent potential (they did give up Gramebauer knowing they had this guy coming up) and Jacob Stewart who has good potential too. We are still a young club so going with 2 young tenders could be a good strategy for the future.
I could see the Armada finishing top-4 in the Q with Montembeault back but more realistically we will play the young kids and have a solid D and maybe make a move to upgrade at Christmas so a top-8 finish is more likely, with the team gearing up to contend in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
LINE-UP;
William Gignac (20) -- Joel Teasdale (17) -- NEW EURO
Shawn Miller (17) -- Alexandre Alain (19) -- Jan Dufek (19)
Yvan Mongo (19) -- Miguel Picard (18) -- Alex Katerinakis (18)
Tyler Hylland (18) -- Anthony Poulin (17) -- Morgan Adams-Moisan (19)
Antoine Crete-Belzile (17) -- Jeremy Roy (19)
Guillaume Beaudoin (20) -- TJ Melancon (20)
Deven Castonguay (18) -- Pascal Corbeil (18)
Francis Leclerc (18) -- Jacob Stewart (17)
Traded or released: Connor Bramwell(19), Brendan Hamelin(19), Anthony Boucher(18), Charlie Roy(19)
Note: if not traded to Sherbrooke our 1st round pick from 2016 will likely be in the line-up
2016 picks: 1-2-2QC-3MON-3GAT-5-5DRU-5BAT-5CHI-6-9-11-12-13-14
2017 picks: 1-1SHE-2-2VDO-2GAT-3-4-4VDO-5-6-6BC-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14
We don't know yet which picks are going to Sherbrooke for Jeremy Roy but hopefully it will be our 2017 1st + Sherbrooke's 1st + a 2nd or 3rd from this year. It would suck to give up our high pick from this year especially since Sherbrooke's pick from next season could be top-3. Two top picks would be a big prize to pay for one season of Roy. Will be confirmed at the draft.
At forward: I would hope Bouchard can grab a top-end European player at Import draft with his first rounder. We need a Jevpalovs replacement. Dufek has done well since coming over from Sherbrooke (picked up on waivers) and we might as well keep him for now as our 2nd Euro. He is familiar with the club and the system.
We have a lot of younger players that need to burst out onto the scene if we wanna be competitive. Teasdale did well this year and into the playoffs but it remains to be seen if he can get 50-60 pts and be consistent enough for the top-6. The 2014 draft trio of Katerinakis-Picard-Hylland have been mostly busts so far, nothing more than decent 3rd/4th liners. One of them could be traded this summer. 2015 draft with Crete-Belzile, Teasdale, Boucher and Poulin look alright now, though the last 2 I have my doubts about. I don't think Boucher will be back. William Gignac could be one of our 20's but he isnt top-end.
The addition of Alexandre Alain from Gatineau will be welcomed and with a top euro to replace Pospisil it could get interesting. I think Miller, Katerinakis, Poulin and Teasdale have very high offensive potential but it is up to them to take the next step and grab a top-6 spot and produce with consistency. With a good camp from the youngsters I think Bouchard will get rid of the 19 years old Hamelin and Bramwell.
At defense: It seems as though I say this every year but I think the Armada will have a top-2 or top-3 D next season. With Roy coming on board and the great performances of Melancon and Beaudoin this season as well as the impressive point production of Pascal Corbeil it gives us one heck of a top-4 not to mention the bluechip Antoine Crete-Belzile and veteran Charlie Roy who can easily play top-4. To me we have 6 guys for the top-4 as well as Castonguay who can play the #6 role. A trade is imminent. 2 options: deal one of our 20's (Melancon/Beaudoin) to get a forward instead or trade Charlie Roy or Pascal Corbeil for picks. When you think about it, it might be smarter to deal Corbeil away since Charlie Roy could be a key 20 years old for us in 2017-18, a year we are expected to contend. It depends if Bouchard thinks Corbeil can further developp and be a legit top-3 guy on D.
Goaltending: There is about 1% chance Montembeault is back with his performance in these playoffs and the fact FLA doesnt have any good goaltending prospect to rival with him for AHL playing time, but I sure hope he is back. If he is then for sure one of Beaudoin/Melancon is gone for picks. With Montembeault back + that defense we might just be contenders for the cup next season. But like I said I don't think he will be back. I could see Bouchard rolling with Francis Leclerc who has decent potential (they did give up Gramebauer knowing they had this guy coming up) and Jacob Stewart who has good potential too. We are still a young club so going with 2 young tenders could be a good strategy for the future.
I could see the Armada finishing top-4 in the Q with Montembeault back but more realistically we will play the young kids and have a solid D and maybe make a move to upgrade at Christmas so a top-8 finish is more likely, with the team gearing up to contend in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
LINE-UP;
William Gignac (20) -- Joel Teasdale (17) -- NEW EURO
Shawn Miller (17) -- Alexandre Alain (19) -- Jan Dufek (19)
Yvan Mongo (19) -- Miguel Picard (18) -- Alex Katerinakis (18)
Tyler Hylland (18) -- Anthony Poulin (17) -- Morgan Adams-Moisan (19)
Antoine Crete-Belzile (17) -- Jeremy Roy (19)
Guillaume Beaudoin (20) -- TJ Melancon (20)
Deven Castonguay (18) -- Pascal Corbeil (18)
Francis Leclerc (18) -- Jacob Stewart (17)
Traded or released: Connor Bramwell(19), Brendan Hamelin(19), Anthony Boucher(18), Charlie Roy(19)
Note: if not traded to Sherbrooke our 1st round pick from 2016 will likely be in the line-up
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