2019-2020 Laval Rocket & ECHL Thread II

[Supersonic]

Imagine if Lefebvre was still coach during this. What a nightmare this pandemic would of been for the young guys with the mindgames and uncertainty for the future. Bouchard is a lifesaver for this org

 

[ahmedou]

#MyRocketLinesCombo(Update4)

Hudon/Kotkaniemi/Ylonen
Belzile/Hillis/Blandisi
Teasdale/Poehling/Vejdemo
Veilleux/Dauphin/Khisamutdinov

Romanov/Brook
Olofsson/Fleury
Leskinen/Juulsen

Primeau/McNiven

 

[Adam Michaels]

Primeau makes the AHL All-Rookie Team.

 

[Adam Michaels]

 

[ahmedou]

ROCKET AGREE TO TERMS ON A ONE-YEAR, ONE-WAY AHL CONTRACT WITH FORWARD YANNICK VEILLEUX – Rocket Laval

 

[ahmedou]

#MyLavalRocketPhotos(Update1)

 

[Habitant le colon]

#MyRocketLinesCombo(Update4)

Hudon/Kotkaniemi/Ylonen
Belzile/Hillis/Blandisi
Teasdale/Poehling/Vejdemo
Veilleux/Dauphin/Khisamutdinov

Romanov/Brook
Olofsson/Fleury
Leskinen/Juulsen

Primeau/McNiven

if it was Evans instead of Kotkaniemi would it be the same team???

 

[Adam Michaels]

if it was Evans instead of Kotkaniemi would it be the same team???

It's no secret that Kotkaniemi is a more skilled player than Evans, and the time KK was in Laval reminded us of the skillset he possesses. So him at 1C over Evans will clearly help the team more.

But, Evans at 1C in Laval is not a step down. While he can't do the things Kotkaniemi can do, he is a good 1C to have. Last season (his first year pro), he started at 4C. But he adapted, improved, and by the end of last year, he was the 1C and he finished second in scoring on the team.

This year, he got off to a slow start, but once he got going, he was great as the 1C. And despite missing about 10-11 games, he still finished first in scoring.

So while individually, KK brings more skill, I would say that if Evans is the 1C, they would still be the same team.

 

[Habitant le colon]

It's no secret that Kotkaniemi is a more skilled player than Evans, and the time KK was in Laval reminded us of the skillset he possesses. So him at 1C over Evans will clearly help the team more.

But, Evans at 1C in Laval is not a step down. While he can't do the things Kotkaniemi can do, he is a good 1C to have. Last season (his first year pro), he started at 4C. But he adapted, improved, and by the end of last year, he was the 1C and he finished second in scoring on the team.

This year, he got off to a slow start, but once he got going, he was great as the 1C. And despite missing about 10-11 games, he still finished first in scoring.

So while individually, KK brings more skill, I would say that if Evans is the 1C, they would still be the same team.

was looking on combination possibilities but yeah both have different type and role in the team.

 

[CoopersFalls]

Looks like Shawn Boudrias isn’t going to be signed by Minny. Could be an interesting option for Laval on an AHL deal, being 6’5 and from the area.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Looks like Shawn Boudrias isn’t going to be signed by Minny. Could be an interesting option for Laval on an AHL deal, being 6’5 and from the area.

He'll have to re-enter the draft and go undrafted before Laval can offer him an AHL deal.

But if he does go undrafted, I wouldn't be opposed to bringing him in.

 

[Treb]

was looking on combination possibilities but yeah both have different type and role in the team.

Juulsen needs waiver, so I don't think he goes down. I also don't see Hillis starting on the 2nd line. I expect something more like this (vets in bold) :

Hudon/UFA - KK/Evans/UFA - Ylonen
Veilleux - Poehling - Belzile
Vejdemo - Dauphin - Alain
Teasdale - Hillis - Khisamutdinov
Pezzetta, Hawel, Verbeek, some of Cox/Jevpalovs/Luchuk/Lucchini/Lynch/Pelletier/UDFA

Ouellet/UFA- Brook
Alzner - Fleury
Olofsson - Leskinen
Some of McEneny, Culkin and UDFA

Primeau
Lindgren / Demchenko

If KK/Evans are expected (KK more likely than Evans as I think Evans is penciled for 4C) to be down in Laval, the vet UFA will be signed anyway, but might be a winger. If Romanov is in Laval, Fleury most likely makes the NHL. If both are down, I would think Leskinen becomes 7th.

 

[ahmedou]

if it was Evans instead of Kotkaniemi would it be the same team???

Actually we rely on a topscorer player. We need more of those type of players. We won't be the complete team without them.

 

[ahmedou]

#MyLavalRocketPhotos(Update2)

 

[Adam Michaels]

 

[wildD]

This is how i see our lines next year.

Veilleux - KK/Evans - Ylonen/Belzile
Vejdemo - Poehling - Belzile
Teasdale - Dauphin - Alain
Khisamutdinov - Hillis - Hawel
Pezzetta, Verbeek, and these are the maybes Cox/Jevpalovs/Luchuk/Lucchini/Lynch/Pelletier
Ouellet/UFA- Brook
Alzner - Fleury
Olofsson - Leskinen
Some of McEneny, Culkin and UDFA
Primeau
Lindgren / Demchenko
I don't place Romanov and Juulsen on the roster bcz i believe they will be staying in MTL

 

[ahmedou]

#MyLavalRocketPhoto(Update3)

PS: Ref got KO'ed by a rocket bullet

 

[ahmedou]

Around the AHL: The AHL Season Cancellation

 

[Adam Michaels]

RHP coming to Laval along with Khisamutdinov, Ylönen, Hillis, and Hawel.

 

[ahmedou]

#MyRocketLinesCombo(Update5)

Belzile/Kotkaniemi/Ylonen
RHP/Hillis/Hawel
Teasdale/Poehling/Vejdemo
Veilleux/Dauphin/Khisamutdinov

Romanov/Brook
Olofsson/Fleury
Leskinen/Juulsen

Primeau/McNiven

 

[Treb]

I like how this team changed how it dealt with contracts. A couple years ago, we would have seen guys like Hawel and RHP signed to ELC (Waked, Alain).

 

[ahmedou]

 

[habsprospects]

I like how this team changed how it dealt with contracts. A couple years ago, we would have seen guys like Hawel and RHP signed to ELC (Waked, Alain).

I'm not sure this is a change in the team' approach. It happened in the past that players just refused to sign AHL contract. I think it's more of a willingness from RHP to do whatever it take to get there.

 

[Adam Michaels]

I'm not sure this is a change in the team' approach. It happened in the past that players just refused to sign AHL contract. I think it's more of a willingness from RHP to do whatever it take to get there.

When he was asked a few weeks back, he mentioned that he was willing to go through the ECHL if it's what it took to get started. And he kept talking about playing for Laval. His goal obviously being to play in the NHL. But his focus was to play in Laval this year.

 

[Habitant le colon]

Imagine if Lefebvre was still coach during this. What a nightmare this pandemic would of been for the young guys with the mindgames and uncertainty for the future. Bouchard is a lifesaver for this org

This is so true. We can also pay some real good credit to Burrows, Bouillon this habs organization have some real good depth there, and for once I feel safe to say : we have something there brewing.

I like how this team changed how it dealt with contracts. A couple years ago, we would have seen guys like Hawel and RHP signed to ELC (Waked, Alain).

I'd say that contract limit push habs and Rocket to split few of the rookies (and habs are hard to also add ECHL in close future [Trois-Rivières plz]) So I guess if we want to build kind of academia we can have 3 leagues and professional contracts, where we can split something along 100 or 120 players under a system. A great pool!