Prospect Info: Samuel Houde

[Et le But]

I keep reading that the organization has a strong bias towards Québec players and that it's a xenophobic stategy (actual quote of one poster here), so I went back to our three last draft and turns out that out of the 24 players we selected, ... ONE, Samuel Houde, is from Québec.

One out of 24. When like another poster pointed out, around 10% of players selected are from the QMJHL. Tell me again how the Canadiens suck because they focus too much on Quebec talent.

It's sad how far Quebec has fallen in producing hockey talent compared to the way they used to. There's still talent but this was another poor year for Quebecois prospects. I don't care how many Quebecois play for the Habs but I wish Quebec was still able to compete with Ontario and western Canada for producing talent.

I don't think Houde was a good 5th round pick, but it sounds like he was on draft radars, I'd feel better if he was a 7th rounder (instead of the even worse Stapley), but oh well.

 

[1909]

People find it odd that we are complaining about a 5th rounder? Yea, a 5th rounder probably won't make the NHL, but by not going bpa(not even close) you are just lowering your chances.

If the kid was an American, European or English-Canadian, no one would complain about that 5th round pick around here.

 

[The Great Weal]

If the kid was an American, European or English-Canadian, no one would complain about that 5th round pick around here.

If the kid didn't suck nobody would be complaining. Those numbers are try out worthy.

 

[Et le But]

If the kid was an American, European or English-Canadian, no one would complain about that 5th round pick around here.

Look at the reactions to the Harris and Stapley picks, or even the polarizing reaction to the Romanov pick.

This is not the battle you need to pick.

 

[1909]

Look at the reactions to the Harris and Stapley picks, or even the polarizing reaction to the Romanov pick.

This is not the battle you need to pick.

It's not about a battle. It's about the fact that every time the Habs draft a Quebec kid, this is suspicious.... just to please the medias, they say. Who cares about Houde, really ? He could become an AHL player à la Jeremy Grégoire or Audette. The 11 draft picks from yesterday won't play at NHL level. IF very lucky, we could see four or five.

 

[Et le But]

It's not about a battle. It's about the fact that every time the Habs draft a Quebec kid, this is suspicious.... just to please the medias, they say. Who cares about Houde, really ? He could become an AHL player à la Jeremy Grégoire or Audette. The 11 draft picks from yesterday won't play at NHL level. IF very lucky, we could see four or five.

Unfortunately, the media DID bring it up that the Habs took so long to select a Quebecois kid with all their draft picks.

The media is toxic, and it's unfair to Houde as well as to everyone else. The reality is even the picks people are calling steals are still longshots to make the league, which is why I would have liked to see more homerun picks at the end, and instead they seemed to reach for their comfort picks.

 

[1909]

Unfortunately, the media DID bring it up that the Habs took so long to select a Quebecois kid with all their draft picks.

The media is toxic, and it's unfair to Houde as well as to everyone else. The reality is even the picks people are calling steals are still longshots to make the league, which is why I would have liked to see more homerun picks at the end, and instead they seemed to reach for their comfort picks.

The talent pool in the Q was very shallow this year. The only guy I wanted really was Beaudin. The rest, I don't care at all.

 

[Sam I Am]

The talent pool in the Q was very shallow this year. The only guy I wanted really was Beaudin. The rest, I don't care at all.

Veleno...but he's clearly not the kind of player from the Q the media has in mind. Dobson even less so.

 

[Sam I Am]

When Gallagher was picked in the 5th round, he was coming off back to back 40 goal seasons and had already amply displayed the insane determination which was to become his trademark. Was he a long shot? Maybe, but not as much as an offensive forward with 16 goals.

 

[Toene]

Veleno...but he's clearly not the kind of player from the Q the media has in mind. Dobson even less so.

Why not? If MB acquired a late 1st Im sure Veleno wouldve been the target.

 

[montreal]

Look the mods are likely worn out from all the work we've had to do around here lately so let's not get into the whole French thing please. The pick was made and there's no changing that. Some posters need to understand that because others that follow the draft closely liked other picks better and since our management has shit the bed and given much cause for high criticism that they need to let those posters vent. And other posters that just want to complain about where the player is from need to understand that it's going to be highly offensive to some and that Houde is now a Hab prospect and we should just wish him the best.

 

[QuebecPride]

Or just straight up say that it was not a good year for the Q and that they are in the business of winning the Stanley Cup not being a charity.

M'eh, four first rounders is a pretty good year for the 'Q. After the 6-7 best players it did seem pretty shallow though, to be fair.

 

[JianYang]

It's not about a battle. It's about the fact that every time the Habs draft a Quebec kid, this is suspicious.... just to please the medias, they say. Who cares about Houde, really ? He could become an AHL player à la Jeremy Grégoire or Audette. The 11 draft picks from yesterday won't play at NHL level. IF very lucky, we could see four or five.

I will give one example to play devil's advocate. If I recall correctly, Habs fans were fairly happy with picking latendresse in the 2nd round back in his draft year.

Generally, people here are concerned with picking the best player available, french or not, and latendresse was a very intriguing choice who potentially filled needs.

Hearing the scouting report on houde, how can you not be suspicious that they went for the political pick instead of the best player available?

 

[QuebecPride]

I will give one example to play devil's advocate. If I recall correctly, Habs fans were fairly happy with picking latendresse in the 2nd round back in his draft year.

Generally, people here are concerned with picking the best player available, french or not, and latendresse was a very intriguing choice who potentially filled needs.

Hearing the scouting report on houde, how can you not be suspicious that they went for the political pick instead of the best player available?

I think Jerome Bérubé resumed it perfectly. They drafted him because of Donald Audette. He was his GM in the Midget AAA and Houde was seen as an offensive forward coming in the 'Q draft. Everybody was surprised he did not produce thus far. So lots of potential, but not much to show thus far. It reminds me of Olivier Archambault, but with the difference being that Archambault had an awful attitude while Houde seems to be a good kid.

 

[dinodebino]

I think Jerome Bérubé resumed it perfectly. They drafted him because of Donald Audette. He was his GM in the Midget AAA and Houde was seen as an offensive forward coming in the 'Q draft. Everybody was surprised he did not produce thus far. So lots of potential, but not much to show thus far. It reminds me of Olivier Archambault, but with the difference being that Archambault had an awful attitude while Houde seems to be a good kid.

Good post. Goes over the 'pueril language debate' that has plagued this forum since...well, since I came here in 2003. That debate and the 'Habs-had-the-first-pick' myth debate have been the most redundant debates since I started contributing to this forum.

 

[JianYang]

I think Jerome Bérubé resumed it perfectly. They drafted him because of Donald Audette. He was his GM in the Midget AAA and Houde was seen as an offensive forward coming in the 'Q draft. Everybody was surprised he did not produce thus far. So lots of potential, but not much to show thus far. It reminds me of Olivier Archambault, but with the difference being that Archambault had an awful attitude while Houde seems to be a good kid.

Okay, so there are some connections with audette. Now, did the Habs feel that they needed to take him in 5th round because they liked him and were afraid that some other team was going to take him?

That's the real question. If they are picking him because he was at the top of their list, I won't complain, but that's the only acceptable reason for me.

There must be alot of players out there who are underperforming with potential out there, so I'm skeptical whether this player was on other team's radar at that juncture of the draft.

I can't say for sure if this is a political pick because I'm not privy to that information, just like all of us. But I also think that no other market pushes the local narrative quite like Montreal, so I will at least remain suspicious.

 

[Lebowski]

We just need to accept that management has to select a french player just to keep the french media off their back. I don't blame the org for that, I blame the french media itself. I think we had other french targets who were much closer to BPA targets (Beaudin early 2nd for example), they just never made it to the picks we wanted to take them at.

No they don't and that's why we have every right to complain about it.

The issue isn't about picking a French player. Hudon was a good pick, for example. It's picking a guy for the sake of it.

Here's hoping Houde turns into something decent though.

 

[Lebowski]

If the kid was an American, European or English-Canadian, no one would complain about that 5th round pick around here.

Right, no one complained about Casey Staum or Pezzeta or Koberstein or Crisp.

It's all a conspiracy against local players I'm telling you.

 

[Anardil]

Good post. Goes over the 'pueril language debate' that has plagued this forum since...well, since I came here in 2003. That debate and the 'Habs-had-the-first-pick' myth debate have been the most redundant debates since I started contributing to this forum.

Just to correct you. It was not a myth that the Habs had the right to pick two local players every year. The myth was (and still exists, in fact) that they used this advantage to build and sustain the dynasty. The fact of the matter is that the only players of consequence that were obtained via the rule were Marc Tardif and Rejean Houle.

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

Was he at least on a great team where he was down the depth chart and will break out next season with more playing time?

 

[montreal]

Was he at least on a great team where he was down the depth chart and will break out next season with more playing time?

one of the worst teams in the Q.

 

[NotProkofievian]

I never saw him play so I don't get an opinion on him. I would've liked Mathias Laferrière, though, if we simply had to select a quebecker. Let's see what Houde can do.

 

[De Montreal]

Damn, that xenophobic pick has wheels

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="fr"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Samuel Houde has some wheels on him. Here he is ripping down the middle at development camp and getting a shot off on Samuel Harvey. <a href="#Habs hashtag on Twitter">#Habs</a> <a href="Andrew Zadarnowski on Twitter">pic.twitter.com/KP5X6txiUV</a></p>&mdash; Andrew Zadarnowski (@AZadarski) <a href="">3 juillet 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[THE HOFF]

Lot of hate here for this 5th round pick. Wow....

Yeah its pretty depressing considering 99.99% of the people whining about it never saw him play. A restrained local bias (NOT a louis leblanc) is totally acceptable and is displayed in all sports and franchises.... however its accepted everywhere but here. Moreover, the people crying about the pick are arguing that somehow.... ''the pick is racists''!? lol when they should just take a good long look in the mirror. Pretty disgusting easy-to-spot projection. Of course I never expected a guy from here to get the ''let's wait and see'' treatment on HF, I know better ... but some are clearly stepping over the line here.

 

[ProspectsFanatic]

To justify this pick I am hearing that he is skilled, but didn't had the opportunity to perform on his team and/or things simply didn't clicked for him this season; he had 7G-7A PP points which is 3rd highest forward on his team, he did have the ice time. And to me, his previous numbers don't indicate in any way that he is a better player than his current numbers indicate. His QMAAA numbers were pretty poor if you compare them to the other players drafted from the Q in the draft, even compared to the other forward from the Q drafted below him in Mathias Laferrière who tear up the league in the playoff, on top of being slightly taller and younger, and I am not even high on Laferriere whatsoever.

As stated by others, heavily doubt he was the BPA, same player but in the WHL not called Houde, no way he gets drafted by us in the 5th or at any other selection for that matter IMO.

Him and Brett Stapley, can someone tell me what they project at exactly at the NHL level if things go well, because I simply can't see it.

If they absolutely wanted to please the fans with a Q player, they easily could have went with Bouchard there, he actually was a good value pick at that position IMO, but also according to the list of most scouting agencies.