Prospect Info: Zachary Lauzon | Left Defenseman | Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL) | 2nd round, 51st overall

Sidney the Kidney

One last time
Jun 29, 2009
55,519
46,242
As a 98 birth he can (and probably will) join the baby Pens to start the 18-19 season.

Yeah, because he's a late '98 birthday instead of a '99 birthday like most of the 2017 class, he's only got one more year of junior eligibility. He can play a 2nd season, but it would be his overage season and, typically, highly rated guys move on to the AHL by that point.
 

TKNoodle

Registered User
Jun 19, 2013
8
0
I've seen a lot of people getting excited about Lauzon winning Kevin Lowe Trophy, comparing him to Letang since he won it before too. So to play devil's advocate here I think I may need to do a little bit of bubble bursting...

First it is worth mentioning that the QMJHL is the only one of the CHL leagues that has an award for Best Defensive Defenseman. There are a lot of D from the WHL and OHL who may have similar skillsets, but we don't have a trophy to point to in order to identify their accomplishments. The QMJHL, WHL, and OHL all have awards for Best Defenseman (who then become finalists for the CHL top defenseman), but only the Q has the additional distinction for Defensive D.


Second, in the year that Letang won the Kevin Lowe Trophy he also won the Emile Bouchard Trophy (QMJHL Defenseman of the Year), was a 1st Team QMJHL All-Star, and an 2nd Team CHL All-Star (not to mention winning Gold at the WJC and being recognized as a Top 3 Player on Team and a member of the WJC All-Star Team). And when he made the QMJHL All-Rookie Team (like Lauzon did last year) he also made the CHL All-Rookie Team and the WJC All-Star Team at the U18s. So there is a big difference between winning one less important trophy and taking home all of them.

Letang was older, he won it in his 3rd year in the Q, but we're still talking apples and ranges here. 17-year-old rookie Letang had 13G/32P in 70gp, 17-year-old rookie Lauzon had 1G/12P in 61gp. 18-year-old Letang had a massive 25G/68P in 60gp, 18-year-old Lauzon had 3G/21P in 63gp. So it is quite a reach to say "Letang won a Defensive Defenseman award (during a year in which no other D came close to he 1.3 P/gm), so maybe Lauzon will be like him too!" Letang was and is an offensive D, his game is built on high risk scoring. Lauzon is a physical shutdown D, his game is built on punishing hits and limiting the opponents ability to score. Maybe next year will be different, it has been suggested they want him to get work on the PP, but we'll have to wait and see how that works out (and how he adjusted to playing bigger minutes).


Third, the Kevin Lowe Trophy isn't necessarily a marker for success. Yes, Letang won it, and as somebody pointed out so did David Savard from Columbus (like Letang he was also QMJHL Defenseman of the Year and a 1st Team QMJHL All-Star that year, but unlike Letang he was also CHL Defenseman of the Year and a 1st Team CHL All-Star). But none of the other winners have gone on to have success in the NHL.

Saunders started in the AHL, dropped off the playing in Tier II minors (ECHL/CHL), down to the LNAH and spent the final 4 years of his career in a senior league in Newfoundland.

Magnan spent 5 years with the Devils (mostly in the AHL but 18 games in the NHL) before heading off to Europe where he has spent the past 6 seasons.

Bolduc went undrafted and unsigned, played for years at Uni in the CIS, and then retired.

Ouimet spent 3 years playing in the LNAH before going off to Europe to play in France, although he returned and was playing in the LNAH again this past season.

Randazzo went to Uni but left after a year and then spent 3 years in the SPHL before dropping down the the LNAH the past 2 years.

Morgan Ellis (a former Wheeling Nailers D) spent 4 years with the Canadiens mostly playing in the AHL (3 games in the NHL), then he played with another AHL team last season and is heading to Europe to play next year. And he was also a 2nd Team QMJHL All-Star the year he won the Kevin Lowe Award.

Narbonne played 3 years in the ECHL (with 4 different teams) before going off to play in France where he is currently under contract.

Hache spent 3 years in the Coytes system (getting traded to the Stars this year) without ever getting past the AHL. He is headed to Denmark in the fall. And he was also a 2nd Team QMJHL All-Star the year he won the Kevin Lowe Award.

Kostalek is still in the Jets system (spent the past 2 years in the AHL), but when he won the Kevin Lowe Award he was also a 1st Team QMJHL All-Star and the QMJHL Defenseman of the Year, so he may be fortunate enough to go the path of Letang and Savard.

Caron went unsigned and undrafted and spent last year at Uni playing in the CIS.

So all in all winning the Kevin Lowe Award doesn't really mean much. If he doesn't have some kind of breakout year next season and continue down the path of others who came before him that won just the Defensive Defenseman trophy then we could be looking at a guy who's ceiling may be getting to play for the Wheeling Nailers.


Now, that is not to say there are any definites here, he is a 19-year-old kid heading into his 3rd full season of playing in the QMJHL. Anything can happen over the next couple years, he could blossom into an offensive dynamo or at least a solid 2-way threat. The point is that people shouldn't be jumping to conclusions based on one piece of hardware, and that maybe those people who are expressing concern at trading a 1st round pick to use a 2nd round pick on a guy slated to go no earlier than the 5th round may have been a bit of a head scratcher.
 

SCPens

Registered User
Feb 9, 2008
444
0
I've seen a lot of people getting excited about Lauzon winning Kevin Lowe Trophy, comparing him to Letang since he won it before too. So to play devil's advocate here I think I may need to do a little bit of bubble bursting...

First it is worth mentioning that the QMJHL is the only one of the CHL leagues that has an award for Best Defensive Defenseman. There are a lot of D from the WHL and OHL who may have similar skillsets, but we don't have a trophy to point to in order to identify their accomplishments. The QMJHL, WHL, and OHL all have awards for Best Defenseman (who then become finalists for the CHL top defenseman), but only the Q has the additional distinction for Defensive D.


Second, in the year that Letang won the Kevin Lowe Trophy he also won the Emile Bouchard Trophy (QMJHL Defenseman of the Year), was a 1st Team QMJHL All-Star, and an 2nd Team CHL All-Star (not to mention winning Gold at the WJC and being recognized as a Top 3 Player on Team and a member of the WJC All-Star Team). And when he made the QMJHL All-Rookie Team (like Lauzon did last year) he also made the CHL All-Rookie Team and the WJC All-Star Team at the U18s. So there is a big difference between winning one less important trophy and taking home all of them.

Letang was older, he won it in his 3rd year in the Q, but we're still talking apples and ranges here. 17-year-old rookie Letang had 13G/32P in 70gp, 17-year-old rookie Lauzon had 1G/12P in 61gp. 18-year-old Letang had a massive 25G/68P in 60gp, 18-year-old Lauzon had 3G/21P in 63gp. So it is quite a reach to say "Letang won a Defensive Defenseman award (during a year in which no other D came close to he 1.3 P/gm), so maybe Lauzon will be like him too!" Letang was and is an offensive D, his game is built on high risk scoring. Lauzon is a physical shutdown D, his game is built on punishing hits and limiting the opponents ability to score. Maybe next year will be different, it has been suggested they want him to get work on the PP, but we'll have to wait and see how that works out (and how he adjusted to playing bigger minutes).


Third, the Kevin Lowe Trophy isn't necessarily a marker for success. Yes, Letang won it, and as somebody pointed out so did David Savard from Columbus (like Letang he was also QMJHL Defenseman of the Year and a 1st Team QMJHL All-Star that year, but unlike Letang he was also CHL Defenseman of the Year and a 1st Team CHL All-Star). But none of the other winners have gone on to have success in the NHL.

Saunders started in the AHL, dropped off the playing in Tier II minors (ECHL/CHL), down to the LNAH and spent the final 4 years of his career in a senior league in Newfoundland.

Magnan spent 5 years with the Devils (mostly in the AHL but 18 games in the NHL) before heading off to Europe where he has spent the past 6 seasons.

Bolduc went undrafted and unsigned, played for years at Uni in the CIS, and then retired.

Ouimet spent 3 years playing in the LNAH before going off to Europe to play in France, although he returned and was playing in the LNAH again this past season.

Randazzo went to Uni but left after a year and then spent 3 years in the SPHL before dropping down the the LNAH the past 2 years.

Morgan Ellis (a former Wheeling Nailers D) spent 4 years with the Canadiens mostly playing in the AHL (3 games in the NHL), then he played with another AHL team last season and is heading to Europe to play next year. And he was also a 2nd Team QMJHL All-Star the year he won the Kevin Lowe Award.

Narbonne played 3 years in the ECHL (with 4 different teams) before going off to play in France where he is currently under contract.

Hache spent 3 years in the Coytes system (getting traded to the Stars this year) without ever getting past the AHL. He is headed to Denmark in the fall. And he was also a 2nd Team QMJHL All-Star the year he won the Kevin Lowe Award.

Kostalek is still in the Jets system (spent the past 2 years in the AHL), but when he won the Kevin Lowe Award he was also a 1st Team QMJHL All-Star and the QMJHL Defenseman of the Year, so he may be fortunate enough to go the path of Letang and Savard.

Caron went unsigned and undrafted and spent last year at Uni playing in the CIS.

So all in all winning the Kevin Lowe Award doesn't really mean much. If he doesn't have some kind of breakout year next season and continue down the path of others who came before him that won just the Defensive Defenseman trophy then we could be looking at a guy who's ceiling may be getting to play for the Wheeling Nailers.


Now, that is not to say there are any definites here, he is a 19-year-old kid heading into his 3rd full season of playing in the QMJHL. Anything can happen over the next couple years, he could blossom into an offensive dynamo or at least a solid 2-way threat. The point is that people shouldn't be jumping to conclusions based on one piece of hardware, and that maybe those people who are expressing concern at trading a 1st round pick to use a 2nd round pick on a guy slated to go no earlier than the 5th round may have been a bit of a head scratcher.

I think you're right, anything can happen over the next couple of years.
 

tigervixxxen

Optimism=Delusional
Jul 7, 2013
53,056
6,154
Denver
burgundy-review.com
Rouyn-Noranda is an excellent development system, any team is lucky to have a prospect from there plus I know you guys have a great system in WBS so he's the type of player I'd like to bet on. Not going to lie, I was shocked he was drafted so high but small market Q teams don't get heavily scouted either. I'm not sure on the offensive upside but he's a smart, solid defender and I really hope he does well for you guys.
 

Nakawick

Minty Fresh
Apr 5, 2010
11,291
2,796
The Range
it's possibly that sibling rivalry could motivate Zachary to keep up with or surpass his older brother. He already has Jeremy beat in draft spot, who was #52 in 2015 to the Bruins.
 

Malkinstheman

Registered User
Aug 12, 2012
9,270
8,033
Looking forward to following the Huskies next year. With Lazuon and Drozg both there, it will be interesting. Hopefully both can explode offensively.
 

Darth Vitale

Dark Matter
Aug 21, 2003
28,172
114
Darkness
tenor.gif
 

tigervixxxen

Optimism=Delusional
Jul 7, 2013
53,056
6,154
Denver
burgundy-review.com
What kind of team are they expected to have next season?

Some will say rebuilding but I think they will be pretty competitive, they are excellently coached and will be bringing enough vets back.

Enjoy watching the Huskies, I did for the last three years and they are by far my favorite junior team to watch.

Also just read this, says they heard rumor that Montreal was going to take Lauzon with one of their late seconds.

http://www.tvasports.ca/2017/06/25/zachary-lauzon-choix-surprise-du-deuxieme-tour
 

Dipsy Doodle

Rent A Barn
May 28, 2006
76,532
21,073
I've seen a lot of people getting excited about Lauzon winning Kevin Lowe Trophy, comparing him to Letang since he won it before too. So to play devil's advocate here I think I may need to do a little bit of bubble bursting...

First it is worth mentioning that the QMJHL is the only one of the CHL leagues that has an award for Best Defensive Defenseman. There are a lot of D from the WHL and OHL who may have similar skillsets, but we don't have a trophy to point to in order to identify their accomplishments. The QMJHL, WHL, and OHL all have awards for Best Defenseman (who then become finalists for the CHL top defenseman), but only the Q has the additional distinction for Defensive D.


Second, in the year that Letang won the Kevin Lowe Trophy he also won the Emile Bouchard Trophy (QMJHL Defenseman of the Year), was a 1st Team QMJHL All-Star, and an 2nd Team CHL All-Star (not to mention winning Gold at the WJC and being recognized as a Top 3 Player on Team and a member of the WJC All-Star Team). And when he made the QMJHL All-Rookie Team (like Lauzon did last year) he also made the CHL All-Rookie Team and the WJC All-Star Team at the U18s. So there is a big difference between winning one less important trophy and taking home all of them.

Letang was older, he won it in his 3rd year in the Q, but we're still talking apples and ranges here. 17-year-old rookie Letang had 13G/32P in 70gp, 17-year-old rookie Lauzon had 1G/12P in 61gp. 18-year-old Letang had a massive 25G/68P in 60gp, 18-year-old Lauzon had 3G/21P in 63gp. So it is quite a reach to say "Letang won a Defensive Defenseman award (during a year in which no other D came close to he 1.3 P/gm), so maybe Lauzon will be like him too!" Letang was and is an offensive D, his game is built on high risk scoring. Lauzon is a physical shutdown D, his game is built on punishing hits and limiting the opponents ability to score. Maybe next year will be different, it has been suggested they want him to get work on the PP, but we'll have to wait and see how that works out (and how he adjusted to playing bigger minutes).


Third, the Kevin Lowe Trophy isn't necessarily a marker for success. Yes, Letang won it, and as somebody pointed out so did David Savard from Columbus (like Letang he was also QMJHL Defenseman of the Year and a 1st Team QMJHL All-Star that year, but unlike Letang he was also CHL Defenseman of the Year and a 1st Team CHL All-Star). But none of the other winners have gone on to have success in the NHL.

Saunders started in the AHL, dropped off the playing in Tier II minors (ECHL/CHL), down to the LNAH and spent the final 4 years of his career in a senior league in Newfoundland.

Magnan spent 5 years with the Devils (mostly in the AHL but 18 games in the NHL) before heading off to Europe where he has spent the past 6 seasons.

Bolduc went undrafted and unsigned, played for years at Uni in the CIS, and then retired.

Ouimet spent 3 years playing in the LNAH before going off to Europe to play in France, although he returned and was playing in the LNAH again this past season.

Randazzo went to Uni but left after a year and then spent 3 years in the SPHL before dropping down the the LNAH the past 2 years.

Morgan Ellis (a former Wheeling Nailers D) spent 4 years with the Canadiens mostly playing in the AHL (3 games in the NHL), then he played with another AHL team last season and is heading to Europe to play next year. And he was also a 2nd Team QMJHL All-Star the year he won the Kevin Lowe Award.

Narbonne played 3 years in the ECHL (with 4 different teams) before going off to play in France where he is currently under contract.

Hache spent 3 years in the Coytes system (getting traded to the Stars this year) without ever getting past the AHL. He is headed to Denmark in the fall. And he was also a 2nd Team QMJHL All-Star the year he won the Kevin Lowe Award.

Kostalek is still in the Jets system (spent the past 2 years in the AHL), but when he won the Kevin Lowe Award he was also a 1st Team QMJHL All-Star and the QMJHL Defenseman of the Year, so he may be fortunate enough to go the path of Letang and Savard.

Caron went unsigned and undrafted and spent last year at Uni playing in the CIS.

So all in all winning the Kevin Lowe Award doesn't really mean much. If he doesn't have some kind of breakout year next season and continue down the path of others who came before him that won just the Defensive Defenseman trophy then we could be looking at a guy who's ceiling may be getting to play for the Wheeling Nailers.


Now, that is not to say there are any definites here, he is a 19-year-old kid heading into his 3rd full season of playing in the QMJHL. Anything can happen over the next couple years, he could blossom into an offensive dynamo or at least a solid 2-way threat. The point is that people shouldn't be jumping to conclusions based on one piece of hardware, and that maybe those people who are expressing concern at trading a 1st round pick to use a 2nd round pick on a guy slated to go no earlier than the 5th round may have been a bit of a head scratcher.

I think you may be imagining projections that simply aren't there. No bubbles need to be burst. Nobody's expecting Lauzon to become an elite offensive defenseman just because he won the same award for best defensive defenseman that Letang did.
 

WheresRamziAbid

Registered User
Oct 31, 2013
7,183
2,049
Some will say rebuilding but I think they will be pretty competitive, they are excellently coached and will be bringing enough vets back.

Enjoy watching the Huskies, I did for the last three years and they are by far my favorite junior team to watch.

Also just read this, says they heard rumor that Montreal was going to take Lauzon with one of their late seconds.

http://www.tvasports.ca/2017/06/25/zachary-lauzon-choix-surprise-du-deuxieme-tour

The part that gets me is everyone is screaming "reach" because a couple websites say so but at least 2 pro scouting staffs had him as their pock in the 2nd rd.

Everyone on heres favorite saying is "appeal to authority" when you dare mention pro execs/coaches might know what theyre doing bug are the first people to "appeal to a non authority" when the draft rolls around.
 

Peat

Registered User
Jun 14, 2016
29,292
25,206
The part that gets me is everyone is screaming "reach" because a couple websites say so but at least 2 pro scouting staffs had him as their pock in the 2nd rd.

Everyone on heres favorite saying is "appeal to authority" when you dare mention pro execs/coaches might know what theyre doing bug are the first people to "appeal to a non authority" when the draft rolls around.

Reaching in a draft is pretty much defined as ignoring what the consensus of the various mock drafts done by experts and scouting reports say. We use that because that's the biggest pool of authority available to all.

So yes, he's a reach. It doesn't change because two pro scouting staffs thought differently.

I don't think anyone should care he's a reach though.
 

WheresRamziAbid

Registered User
Oct 31, 2013
7,183
2,049
Reaching in a draft is pretty much defined as ignoring what the consensus of the various mock drafts done by experts and scouting reports say. We use that because that's the biggest pool of authority available to all.

So yes, he's a reach. It doesn't change because two pro scouting staffs thought differently.

I don't think anyone should care he's a reach though.

Its only a reach if thet drafted him ahead on concensus (of nhl teams). We dont have that information, literally every single team could have him ranked 50-55 but we will never know.

The point is that every single person on here will die on the dont appeal to authority hill but they have no issue appealing to rankings by people who arent even authorities. Its hilarious.
 

Honour Over Glory

Fire Sully
Jan 30, 2012
77,316
42,447
Yeah, because he's a late '98 birthday instead of a '99 birthday like most of the 2017 class, he's only got one more year of junior eligibility. He can play a 2nd season, but it would be his overage season and, typically, highly rated guys move on to the AHL by that point.
He'll probably work on his skating and offense in this next year and then go to wbs and get a chance to work with some solid guys and learn from Sarge, Martin, and Letang.
 

Shady Machine

Registered User
Aug 6, 2010
36,691
8,111
Its only a reach if thet drafted him ahead on concensus (of nhl teams). We dont have that information, literally every single team could have him ranked 50-55 but we will never know.

The point is that every single person on here will die on the dont appeal to authority hill but they have no issue appealing to rankings by people who arent even authorities. Its hilarious.

By that definition no one is a reach since teams don't openly share lists
 

#66

Registered User
Dec 30, 2003
11,585
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I've seen a lot of people getting excited about Lauzon winning Kevin Lowe Trophy, comparing him to Letang since he won it before too. So to play devil's advocate here I think I may need to do a little bit of bubble bursting...

First it is worth mentioning that the QMJHL is the only one of the CHL leagues that has an award for Best Defensive Defenseman. There are a lot of D from the WHL and OHL who may have similar skillsets, but we don't have a trophy to point to in order to identify their accomplishments. The QMJHL, WHL, and OHL all have awards for Best Defenseman (who then become finalists for the CHL top defenseman), but only the Q has the additional distinction for Defensive D.


Second, in the year that Letang won the Kevin Lowe Trophy he also won the Emile Bouchard Trophy (QMJHL Defenseman of the Year), was a 1st Team QMJHL All-Star, and an 2nd Team CHL All-Star (not to mention winning Gold at the WJC and being recognized as a Top 3 Player on Team and a member of the WJC All-Star Team). And when he made the QMJHL All-Rookie Team (like Lauzon did last year) he also made the CHL All-Rookie Team and the WJC All-Star Team at the U18s. So there is a big difference between winning one less important trophy and taking home all of them.

Letang was older, he won it in his 3rd year in the Q, but we're still talking apples and ranges here. 17-year-old rookie Letang had 13G/32P in 70gp, 17-year-old rookie Lauzon had 1G/12P in 61gp. 18-year-old Letang had a massive 25G/68P in 60gp, 18-year-old Lauzon had 3G/21P in 63gp. So it is quite a reach to say "Letang won a Defensive Defenseman award (during a year in which no other D came close to he 1.3 P/gm), so maybe Lauzon will be like him too!" Letang was and is an offensive D, his game is built on high risk scoring. Lauzon is a physical shutdown D, his game is built on punishing hits and limiting the opponents ability to score. Maybe next year will be different, it has been suggested they want him to get work on the PP, but we'll have to wait and see how that works out (and how he adjusted to playing bigger minutes).


Third, the Kevin Lowe Trophy isn't necessarily a marker for success. Yes, Letang won it, and as somebody pointed out so did David Savard from Columbus (like Letang he was also QMJHL Defenseman of the Year and a 1st Team QMJHL All-Star that year, but unlike Letang he was also CHL Defenseman of the Year and a 1st Team CHL All-Star). But none of the other winners have gone on to have success in the NHL.

Saunders started in the AHL, dropped off the playing in Tier II minors (ECHL/CHL), down to the LNAH and spent the final 4 years of his career in a senior league in Newfoundland.

Magnan spent 5 years with the Devils (mostly in the AHL but 18 games in the NHL) before heading off to Europe where he has spent the past 6 seasons.

Bolduc went undrafted and unsigned, played for years at Uni in the CIS, and then retired.

Ouimet spent 3 years playing in the LNAH before going off to Europe to play in France, although he returned and was playing in the LNAH again this past season.

Randazzo went to Uni but left after a year and then spent 3 years in the SPHL before dropping down the the LNAH the past 2 years.

Morgan Ellis (a former Wheeling Nailers D) spent 4 years with the Canadiens mostly playing in the AHL (3 games in the NHL), then he played with another AHL team last season and is heading to Europe to play next year. And he was also a 2nd Team QMJHL All-Star the year he won the Kevin Lowe Award.

Narbonne played 3 years in the ECHL (with 4 different teams) before going off to play in France where he is currently under contract.

Hache spent 3 years in the Coytes system (getting traded to the Stars this year) without ever getting past the AHL. He is headed to Denmark in the fall. And he was also a 2nd Team QMJHL All-Star the year he won the Kevin Lowe Award.

Kostalek is still in the Jets system (spent the past 2 years in the AHL), but when he won the Kevin Lowe Award he was also a 1st Team QMJHL All-Star and the QMJHL Defenseman of the Year, so he may be fortunate enough to go the path of Letang and Savard.

Caron went unsigned and undrafted and spent last year at Uni playing in the CIS.

So all in all winning the Kevin Lowe Award doesn't really mean much. If he doesn't have some kind of breakout year next season and continue down the path of others who came before him that won just the Defensive Defenseman trophy then we could be looking at a guy who's ceiling may be getting to play for the Wheeling Nailers.


Now, that is not to say there are any definites here, he is a 19-year-old kid heading into his 3rd full season of playing in the QMJHL. Anything can happen over the next couple years, he could blossom into an offensive dynamo or at least a solid 2-way threat. The point is that people shouldn't be jumping to conclusions based on one piece of hardware, and that maybe those people who are expressing concern at trading a 1st round pick to use a 2nd round pick on a guy slated to go no earlier than the 5th round may have been a bit of a head scratcher.
Great post. I think of him more as a Vlasic type. More of a defensive type that can move the puck up ice instead of rimming it.

This isnt the same staff from ten years ago that made questionable decisions. If theyre targeting a player... Its for a good reason.

We also have to trust the player development. Theyve been great and know what they can work with.
 

WheresRamziAbid

Registered User
Oct 31, 2013
7,183
2,049
By that definition no one is a reach since teams don't openly share lists

Exactly. The concept of fans calling draft picks reaches, when they have nowhere near enough information is silly. You can call a pock good, bad, etc and even if your wrong you can base it on actual information (tape, measurables, stats) but the concept if reaches only applied to information a fan doesnt have.
 

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