Prospect Info: William Trudeau, LHD, Charlottetown Islanders (QMJHL) - 4th round 113th pick overall

[schwang26]

22 points in 34 games since that, 9th for rookie dmen for the whole season. All the guys ahead were drafted way higher and/or are older. Pretty damn good for a 4th round pick.

He really came on in the 2nd half. He had absolutely nothing in the first half. Teasdale was the same. He was pretty invisible in the first half and just went on a tear after that.

 

[Trabdy2]

Trudeau was definitely adjusting his game in the first half of the season. I don't think he even recorded a point before Christmas, but then he had fairly steady production after that.

I think his progression through the season showcases his IQ and how he's been able to re-tool his game from juniors to the AHL after enough exposure and coaching/development. I still see a Top 4 role as a ceiling for him.

A lot of defencemen from his draft class were still in juniors, and Trudeau's AHL production was almost on par with the highly-drafted Edvinsson. Not saying that Trudeau's potential is the same as Edvinsson, but it's encouraging to see this as part of Trudeau's trajectory.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

Just remembered how he stood out at training camp. Intriguing production.

 

[Whitesnake]

People underestimate what the kid is doing right now. He should have been in Blainville. Fixing a deal. Instead, he gained INSANE valuable experience and has skyrocketed his development. Could be a bottom 2 in the NHL that nobody would be surprise now. Love the kid and how he evolved.

 

[Scintillating10]

Trudeau turned into good prospect. Not given any hype but he was Laval first pairing at 20.

 

[HabzSauce]

This guy is damn good man! Looks like a sure fire NHLer - top 4 to be precise. Never seen play prior to the rookie tournament so I was very impressed. Only stat watched when he was in Laval, so I could be jumping the gun here.

I gotta watch more of him. I love what I see though the only annoying thing is he's another LD but whatever. Gives us many options for building our team, and whoever doesn't make the cut gets traded.

 

[Egresch]

Trudeau was definitely adjusting his game in the first half of the season. I don't think he even recorded a point before Christmas, but then he had fairly steady production after that.

You are right, his first point came on Dec 28. After Christmas, his stats were 43GP- 7G- 20A- 27P and +16 for a 20y old D on average team. That is pretty impressive. Those are similar stats to Simon Nemec who is just 1y 4m younger.

 

[Vachon23]

Where gonna have more info on him at the real camp

 

[badfish]

Looked good for sure. I think he will get NHL games at some point. I think projecting him at top-4 is a bit ambitious, especially with the current defensemen on the roster and the other defensive prospects in the pipeline. 5-6 is a better possibility, and I think it's more than likely on a different team than the Canadiens.

 

[Rapala]

I only caught him at the tail end of last season but he was definitely by far the best Dman for keeping the puck in the proper zone. There were moments defensively but there always are. It's funny how the good ones always seem to recover while the bad ones are always fishing the puck out of their own nets.

 

[26Mats]

Where gonna have more info on him at the real camp

Yes, and like Juston barron, he's still young and has plenty of room to keep developing. In fact he's 1 year younger than Barron.

 

[26Mats]

This guy is damn good man! Looks like a sure fire NHLer - top 4 to be precise. Never seen play prior to the rookie tournament so I was very impressed. Only stat watched when he was in Laval, so I could be jumping the gun here.

I gotta watch more of him. I love what I see though the only annoying thing is he's another LD but whatever. Gives us many options for building our team, and whoever doesn't make the cut gets traded.

Yes, hopefully Hugjes will play his hand well and get good assets back for all the surplus young LD's. We could very realistically have 8 Ld's that will all be NHLers for only 3 spots. That would be 5 assets to hopefully use to bolster the forward corps and find a goalie.

Guhle
Matheson
Hutson
Xhekaj
Engstrom
Harris
Struble
Trudeau

 

[EveryDay]

Yes, hopefully Hugjes will play his hand well and get good assets back for all the surplus young LD's. We could very realistically have 8 Ld's that will all be NHLers for only 3 spots. That would be 5 assets to hopefully use to bolster the forward corps and find a goalie.

Guhle
Matheson
Hutson
Xhekaj
Engstrom
Harris
Struble
Trudeau

What do they do if Trudeau look better than Harris and Xhekaj at camp, do they keep him in MTL on the bottom pairing or send him back to Laval?

 

[26Mats]

What do they do if Trudeau look better than Harris and Xhekaj at camp, do they keep him in MTL on the bottom pairing or send him back to Laval?

It's a good question. Management/we will cross that bridge if we come to it. I'd rather the young guys that are waiver exempt play in Laval than sit in the pressbox.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

What do they do if Trudeau look better than Harris and Xhekaj at camp, do they keep him in MTL on the bottom pairing or send him back to Laval?

He's 100% sent back to Laval.

 

[Scriptor]

He's 100% sent back to Laval.

Really? I could see him play and another waiver exempt D being sent down to Laval.

Before the injuries last year, the plan was to rotate LHDs up and down from Laval, so they could get mix of a taste in the NHL and plenty of TOI in choice game situations in Laval.

That could still be the plan this season, with everyone healthy.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Really? I could see him play and another waiver exempt D being sent down to Laval.

Before the injuries last year, the plan was to rotate LHDs up and down from Laval, so they could get mix of a taste in the NHL and plenty of TOI in choice game situations in Laval.

That could still be the plan this season, with everyone healthy.

Barron is the only D out of the 9 we have that could be sent down without waivers. I can't see Trudeau making the team over Barron, and even without Barron, we have too many Ds.

Trudeau might play some nhl games this season, but I would be shocked if he made the team from camp.

 

[Scriptor]

Barron is the only D out of the 9 we have that could be sent down without waivers. I can't see Trudeau making the team over Barron, and even without Barron, we have too many Ds.

Xhekaj won't clear waivers? Really? Harris won't clear waivers? Really? Kovacevic, I get, but he can be the 7th D. Lindstrom, who cares? Wideman, who cares?

We're talking about a rotation, to work on certain issues in the AHL and test who that works out at the NHL level. That's what development is all about.

 

[1909]

I find him ahead of Norlinder. Fairly easily too.

Right. And he is not far behind Harris.

Barron is the only D out of the 9 we have that could be sent down without waivers. I can't see Trudeau making the team over Barron, and even without Barron, we have too many Ds.

Trudeau might play some nhl games this season, but I would be shocked if he made the team from camp.

Xhejaj and Harris are also waivers exempt.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Xhekaj won't clear waivers? Really? Harris won't clear waivers? Really? Kovacevic, I get, but he can be the 7th D. Lindstrom, who cares? Wideman, who cares?

We're talking about a rotation, to work on certain issues in the AHL and test who that works out at the NHL level. That's what development is all about.

What? There is 0 chance Xhekaj and Harris clear waivers. It would also make no sense to send them down when they had a good NHL rookie season last year.

Having a young player play every few games in the nhl isn't good development.

 

[1909]

He's 100% sent back to Laval.

It could be unfair, but he is the youngest. If no injuries to other D men, he goes to Laval.

 

[Matthew McConaughay]

What do they do if Trudeau look better than Harris and Xhekaj at camp, do they keep him in MTL on the bottom pairing or send him back to Laval?

Trudeau can replace Harris but not Xhekaj, Xhekaj brings something all the other D don't.

 

[Scriptor]

What? There is 0 chance Xhekaj and Harris clear waivers. It would also make no sense to send them down when they had a good NHL rookie season last year.

Having a young player play every few games in the nhl isn't good development.

If you think that platooning them every few games is what I suggested, give your head a shake. That makes no sense.

Development is best served in 10-game, 15-game increments.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

If you think that platooning them every few games is what I suggested, give your head a shake. That makes no sense.

Development is best served in 10-game, 15-game increments.

So you're saying it makes sense to risk losing Harris/Xhekaj to waivers just to play Trudeau for 10-15 games?

 

[DAChampion]

Xhekaj won't clear waivers? Really?

I assume that Xhekaj would definitely not clear waivers.