Prospect Info: Xavier Simoneau, Centre, Drummondville, 191st Overall

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

So we got Desharnais back? New first line center!

I'm so bad at judging skating but he seems to be better at it then DD at the very least.

seems speedy-ish? I don't think there's quite enough here to be an NHLer of note but he's got some swagger and seems strong for his size.

I like that we got some playmakers anyways. we actually have guys on the habs who can put the puck in the net but we lack playmaking/skill imo in our forward group. back end as well tbh. lol.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

I know, right. Fast, slick passing. I know that the quality of their opponents is not the same as what the Habs faced in the finals, but man these kids in the video looked like they could have put together a better PP than the Habs did.

he seems a little too pass first but then saw a couple goals where he didn't seem to have that bad a shot.

 

[Banjo Cat]

I'm so bad at judging skating but he seems to be better at it then DD at the very least.

Yeah I said that before I watched the vids. Not to mention he also seems pretty gritty.

 

[Kimota]

Seems that Simoneau was organizing or playing in a softball tournament today when they learned the news....to which everybody jumped on the field to congratulate him! He's loving it!

Wow nice.

 

[Justin11]

Great kid from a very nice family. Very happy for him.

 

[26Mats]

I like it when Timmins takes these small skilled players that everyone overlooks in late rounds. As, his percentage of hits is pretty damn good for the rounds they're taken in:

Grabovski, Gallagher, Corey Locke, Hudon, Andrighetto, Bitten, RHP, Farrell. Am I forgetting anyone?

Not bad to get 2 top six forwards out of the 6 that we know what they'll be. That's a 33% success rate. And RHP and Farrell are working their way up our prospects list. But too bad we missed Point, and Gaudreau, and Marchessault, and Gourde!

 

[26Mats]

I wonder if they were targeting playmakers, with Simoneau and kidney.

We have a lot of shoters (Gallagher, Toffoli, Anderson, Caufield), but only 1 real playmaker (Suzuki). Maybe Drouin gets back in the picture, but who wants to count on that.

 

[Stive Morgan]

He sounds like Cam Atkinson mixed with Lehkonen.

 

[26Mats]

He sounds like Cam Atkinson mixed with Lehkonen.

Cam Atkinson is a goal scorer. I think Simoneau is a passer. Let's hope Simoneau isn't like 6th rounder Simon Bourque.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

He sounds like Cam Atkinson mixed with Lehkonen.

Cam Atkinson is a pure shooter......Simoneau is a pure passer

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

I'm so bad at judging skating but he seems to be better at it then DD at the very least.

seems speedy-ish? I don't think there's quite enough here to be an NHLer of note but he's got some swagger and seems strong for his size.

I like that we got some playmakers anyways. we actually have guys on the habs who can put the puck in the net but we lack playmaking/skill imo in our forward group. back end as well tbh. lol.

His edges are good but his straight ahead speed is very underwhelming, he will need to make significant gains in this area in order to have any shot at the NHL. Desharnais was very similar and really improved his speed to above average for the NHL. He is a smart player and is aware when he has a player flat-footed and/or the player is just a poor skater as he will take advantage of this and beat them with his skating. Such players will become much more rare at higher levels and he will have to improve his speed to continue to have a chance at making such plays.

I suspect he has disproportionately short legs relative to his height which may be good for balance but could prove to be a major hindrance to improving his speed as his stride may just be too short. I have played with guys with such a build and his skating looks very similar to theirs.

His aversion to shooting is also very Desharnais-like and he will have to address this as well as he will be far too predictable at the pro level.

I like the pick as he has great vision, passing skills, is shifty and relatively sturdy and apparently has a good work ethic to go with a little sand paper. If he can make the improvements in his skating and improve his shot he has a real chance.

 

[Harry Kakalovich]

I like these kind of hard worker players. Hopefully he pans out. I've never seen him play but I get a Gabriel Dumont vibe from this pick.

 

[JuicyHam]

Cam Atkinson is a goal scorer. I think Simoneau is a passer. Let's hope Simoneau isn't like 6th rounder Simon Bourque.

Simon Bourque got us Armia

 

[Vachon23]

I like these kind of hard worker players. Hopefully he pans out. I've never seen him play but I get a Gabriel Dumont vibe from this pick.

That’s a good comparison, I think Simoneau has a little bit more skills though

 

[Whitesnake]

Insane vision. Kid is strong on his skates. Doesn't hesitate to implicate himself physically. A kid that deserved to be pick. And deserves a shot to shine. NHL bound? Maybe not. But at the very least, he will MOST definately help your AHL team and become the veteran that will make you win. Until....he decides to go for the payday and go to Europe. That's what I see for him. But if Nathan Gerbe made it, if I would bet to see another really smallish guy make it...he's my pick. So happy for him.

 

[Gally11]

Do you guys think he starts off in 3R and works up to AHL?

 

[Adam Michaels]

Do you guys think he starts off in 3R and works up to AHL?

I think it's the path they'll take. But he can also go back to Junior for his overage year.

Either way, I think they'll do the same with Simoneau like they did with RHP. Since they didn't have to sign RHP to an ELC before June 2021, he went back to Chicoutimi for his overage year, signed to to an AHL deal and then to his ELC.

If they send Simoneau back to junior, then they will sign him to an AHL deal and see if he earns his ELC. If he doesn't go back to Junior, they can sign him to an AHL/ECHL deal right away and have him play 2 years in 3R/Laval and see where it goes from there.

3R changes a lot for the organization.

 

[Deebs]

I think it's the path they'll take. But he can also go back to Junior for his overage year.

Either way, I think they'll do the same with Simoneau like they did with RHP. Since they didn't have to sign RHP to an ELC before June 2021, he went back to Chicoutimi for his overage year, signed to to an AHL deal and then to his ELC.

If they send Simoneau back to junior, then they will sign him to an AHL deal and see if he earns his ELC. If he doesn't go back to Junior, they can sign him to an AHL/ECHL deal right away and have him play 2 years in 3R/Laval and see where it goes from there.

3R changes a lot for the organization.

What is 3R?

 

[Adam Michaels]

What is 3R?

Trois-Rivieres.

 

[Deebs]

Trois-Rivieres.

Ok thanks

 

[Luigi Habs]

How would it work if he plays in the ECHL or AHL next season? Should we sign him to an ELC and he would count against the 50 contracts limit? Or we could sign him to an AHL/ECHL contract?

 

[Et le But]

Probably not an NHL player but has the upside and deserves the chance. Happy to have him in the system.

 

[calder candidate]

Better late than never… should be a good player in ECHL or AHL at the very least…

 

[Adam Michaels]

How would it work if he plays in the ECHL or AHL next season? Should we sign him to an ELC and he would count against the 50 contracts limit? Or we could sign him to an AHL/ECHL contract?

Habs lose his rights on June 1st, 2023. So as long as they sign him to an ELC by then, they can sign him to an AHL/ECHL deal in the meantime.

Simoneau could even return to junior for his overage year and next year, when he has to turn pro, they can still sign him to an AHL deal next year before having to decide if they want to give him an ELC or not.

That's what they did with RHP last year. They drafted him in 2019 and would lose his rights on June 1st, 2022. But they signed him to an AHL deal last year since they still had a year left before losing his rights.

 

[montreal]

How would it work if he plays in the ECHL or AHL next season? Should we sign him to an ELC and he would count against the 50 contracts limit? Or we could sign him to an AHL/ECHL contract?

no, they wouldn't likely sign him to an ELC, as we are likely going to be up against the 50 which if the plan is for Norlinder to play in the SHL next year, then we are starting off at 49 contracts so having him in the system on an AHL contract would be wise.