Pascal Laberge, 2016, 36th overall, what happened to him? - signed an ECHL contract

[Artorius Horus T]

Pascal Laberge was ranked 20-32, got drafted by the Flyers at 36th in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
- Draft Profile: Pascal Laberge
Philadelphia Flyers: Hexy’s Draft Theories–Possession Forwards

Pascal was the 2nd overall pick in the 2014 QMJHL Draft (PLD was 5th overall)

He signed his ELC just over 2 weeks after he got drafted.

Flyers fans liked this pick it seems
- Prospect Info: - Round 2, Pick 36, Pascal Laberge, C, Victoriaville (QMJHL)
- Pascal Laberge A Possible NHL Star in the Making

54 career AHL games (Phantoms), 15 goals, 5 assists
24 career ECHL games (Royals), 6 goals, 6 assists

What happened to him?, i did some research, he got a heavy hit to the head,..in 2017?
so that probably effected his progression, was it the only reason, why he didn't pan out,
hasn't pan out yet.

Plenty saw him as a 1st rounder, he "fell" to 36th, to 2nd round.
- now today, he signed a ECHL contract
Mariners sign Laberge

- what went wrong? -

 

[Rebels57]

The concussion he took less than 10 games into his Draft +1 was one of the most devastating I have seen. Some scumbag Zachary Malatesta skated the length of the ice at full speed and nearly took his head off. It was a long road to recovery and he was never the same. Malatesta was suspended 7 games but it should have been much longer.

I also think his hockey sense may have been questionable as well regardless of the injury, but I didn't get to see him enough prior to the injury. He may have been a little overrated on draft day due to his performance in the 2016 CHL/NHL Top Prospects game.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Whenever I see a debate about a player I hide. Not a fan of how they develop some players.

Every team has one or two players drafted from the Q that leaves fans asking what happened

 

[UrbanImpact]

concussion for sure!

He wasnt an aggressive, hard player to begin with but after the concussion it seemed like he was scared to even go into a corner or puck battle. He was probably protecting himself and didnt want to sustain another major injury but unfortunately he wasnt playing up to standards.

Side Note: I was with a Flyer fan when they drafted Pascal, he was pissed and kept saying we should have drafted Debrincat or Hart.

At least they got Hart with their other 2nd round pick a few picks later. They had 3 2nd round picks that year if im not mistaken.

Its not exactly a disaster like the Boston 3 1st round picks goof up,

but hindsight 20/20 if Philly connected with their 3 2nd round pick they could have had...

Debrincat, Hart, Fox

(All of which were projected late 1st round to late 2nd round)

 

[Hobble]

Scouts thought he was a laxceptional prospect, but turned out he was only laberage.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Some scumbag Zachary Malatesta skated the length of the ice at full speed and nearly took his head off. It was a long road to recovery and he was never the same. Malatesta was suspended 7 games but it should have been much longer.

When we talk about how hitting is being taken out of the game, Zachary Malatesta is the kind of player that made those rule changes necessary.

 

[Rebels57]

concussion for sure!

He wasnt an aggressive, hard player to begin with but after the concussion it seemed like he was scared to even go into a corner or puck battle. He was probably protecting himself and didnt want to sustain another major injury but unfortunately he wasnt playing up to standards.

Side Note: I was with a Flyer fan when they drafted Pascal, he was pissed and kept saying we should have drafted Debrincat or Hart.

At least they got Hart with their other 2nd round pick a few picks later. They had 3 2nd round picks that year if im not mistaken.

Its not exactly a disaster like the Boston 3 1st round picks goof up,

but hindsight 20/20 if Philly connected with their 3 2nd round pick they could have had...

Debrincat, Hart, Fox

(All of which were projected late 1st round to late 2nd round)

Yeah a lot of us wanted DeBrincat at 36th overall but Hextall has a type and Alex wasnt it. Thankfully Wade Allison, who we also got in thay 2nd, looks like he is gonna be a good one. Joined the AHL after his college season ended last year and had 10 pts in 14 games. Called up to the Flyers and had 7 points in his first 14 NHL games. Tenacious player with a good shot and big personality. Has some Hartnell in him.

 

[JianYang]

One of the least talked about elements in a prospect's journey to the nhl is also something that happens all too commonly.

I would bet that every team has injury stories that derailed promising prospects in their recent history.

 

[GJB]

I remember watching the Top Prospects game where he was named player of the game. Laberge reflects on unforgettable night in Vancouver – LHJMQ

Seemed like a very promising player, but as @Rebels57 points out, he had a very serious concussion that seemed to derail his progress.

 

[57special]

I thought he was a promising player. Agree that the concussion may have derailed his career, but we'll never know for sure.

 

[The Pale King]

The hit is out there on Twitter for those with strong stomachs. Surprising that Malatesta recently signed an AHL deal whereas the massively more skilled of the two players will be suiting up in the ECHL.

Tough to watch career changing plays of all types, but especially when it's a kid who's essentially leaving millions of dollars on the table. Gotta feel for him.

 

[Smartguy]

When we talk about how hitting is being taken out of the game, Zachary Malatesta is the kind of player that made those rule changes necessary.

For those interested in the hit.

While I would say it isn’t clean by today’s standard, that’s just one of the most dangerous positions for a FWD to be. Puck is hanging on the wall just below the blue line off a transition, turning back up ice completely blind. In that position you’ll rarely see an NHL player turn back up ice, more often then not they carry the puck back into their zone to set up or they will just chip it back up the wall so it’s out of the zone

 

[tarheelhockey]

While I would say it isn’t clean by today’s standard,

LOL, it was five years ago.

I get what you’re saying about it being a dangerous spot for the forward, but that’s the point. Hitting him there is totally fine. Malatesta didn’t just hit him, he charged across the ice to throw a direct headshot. He knew exactly what he was doing, based on his long record of similar predatory hits.

Again this is five years ago, not fifteen or fifty. Malatesta wasn’t even in juniors yet when the headshot rules were changed. He knew exactly what he was doing there, and chose to do it because that’s the kind of player he is. Basically a Raffi Torres who never got the chance to get kicked out of the NHL.

 

[Smartguy]

LOL, it was five years ago.

I get what you’re saying about it being a dangerous spot for the forward, but that’s the point. Hitting him there is totally fine. Malatesta didn’t just hit him, he charged across the ice to throw a direct headshot. He knew exactly what he was doing, based on his long record of similar predatory hits.

Again this is five years ago, not fifteen or fifty. Malatesta wasn’t even in juniors yet when the headshot rules were changed. He knew exactly what he was doing there, and chose to do it because that’s the kind of player he is. Basically a Raffi Torres who never got the chance to get kicked out of the NHL.

LOL !!!

That’s why I said “today” it wasn’t clean then and isn’t now. But in the 90s and even early 2000s you turn up ice with you head down like that it’s getting taken off every time, without a whistle.

 

[Juicy Pop]

LOL !!!

That’s why I said “today” it wasn’t clean then and isn’t now. But in the 90s and even early 2000s you turn up ice with you head down like that it’s getting taken off every time, without a whistle.

The point is that you're not adding anything to it by talking about today's standards. If you remove that lingo it doesn't change anything about what you had said.

 

[tarheelhockey]

LOL !!!

That’s why I said “today” it wasn’t clean then and isn’t now. But in the 90s and even early 2000s you turn up ice with you head down like that it’s getting taken off every time, without a whistle.

Even in the 90s and 00s, a charge was a charge. There was more to this play than just head contact, it was a blatant major penalty by any era's standard.

More to the point, though, this hit was thrown in 2016 by a player who was born in 1997. He was 7 years old at the start of the lockout. What does another era's standard have to do with it in the first place?

This would have been a better take:

While I would say it isn’t clean by today’s standard, that’s just one of the most dangerous positions for a FWD to be. Puck is hanging on the wall just below the blue line off a transition, turning back up ice completely blind. In that position you’ll rarely see an NHL player turn back up ice, more often then not they carry the puck back into their zone to set up or they will just chip it back up the wall so it’s out of the zone