HW 3 Stars: February’s Top Prospects

The month of February saw several players in Laval have strong months offensively to keep them atop the North Division.  It was a quieter month for some of Montreal’s other youngsters, leading to some new names in our three stars.

Laval

1st Star: Joshua Roy – After a quieter couple of months, Roy bounced back quite nicely in February.  Perhaps he was showcasing himself leading up to the trade deadline but what he was doing was working.  And what he was doing was shooting a lot at more than four shots on goal per game.  Roy has the skill to be a top scorer in the minors and that type of volume is a good way to get there.

Stats: 12 GP, 6 goals, 7 assists, 13 points, +1 rating, 20 PIMS, 50 shots

2nd Star: Alex Belzile – With the usual caveat that for this article, we look at all Laval players, not just prospects, Belzile was a lot more of a threat last month.  It was usually Laurent Dauphin (his linemate) who was the more dominant player on his line but Belzile took that over in February.  His ability to shift down the middle when needed is particularly handy as well.  I don’t think a recall to the Habs is likely (unless it’s a late-season look for ’emergency’ reasons if they want to rest a player) but he has been a worthwhile veteran addition.

Stats: 12 GP, 7 goals, 6 assists, 13 points, +1 rating, 8 PIMS, 29 shots

3rd Star: Samuel Blais – While Blais isn’t much of an offensive threat in Montreal, he has been much more impactful with the Rocket.  He spent a good chunk of last month on the third line where he was a little quieter but when he was on the first line, he was much more impactful.  The ability to succeed in that role will give Pascal Vincent some extra options down the stretch in terms of mixing lines around when injuries or recalls strike.

Stats: 11 GP, 4 goals, 9 assists, 13 points, +2 rating, 38 PIMS, 23 shots

Honourable Mention: Owen Beck – I’m not ready to say he’s all the way back to being the player he was last season but last month’s showing was a good step in the right direction.  Beck has an above-average shot that can be a real difference-maker at this level.  He hadn’t been scoring much but that was due to go the other way and it did as he more than doubled his goal output last month.  More consistency like that down the stretch would go a long way toward giving Laval a second legitimate scoring line heading into the playoffs.

Stats: 12 GP, 7 goals, 6 assists, 13 points, +1 rating, 8 PIMS, 29 shots

Other Prospects

1st Star: Bryce Pickford (Medicine Hat, WHL) – While he missed a few games with a day-to-day injury that, well, lasted a lot longer than that, Pickford picked up exactly where he left off.  Scoring at the clip he has is simply unheard of for a defenceman, especially one who was passed up in his first year of draft eligibility.  Given that the Tigers are expected to have a long playoff run, it’s unlikely that he’ll be able to get his feet wet with Laval, barring the Rocket going on a long playoff run.

Stats: 5 GP, 4 goals, 5 assists, 9 points, even rating, 8 PIMS, 29 shots

2nd Star: Michael Hage (Michigan, NCAA) – His February was a glass-half-full/half-empty situation.  He didn’t score a single goal.  Given that he’s on a dominant college team, that’s not good.  On the other hand, Hage averaged 1.25 assists per game, not that far off his season average of points per game.  I’d definitely like to see him hunt his shot more often instead of getting too pass-happy but at the same time, I don’t think the Wolverines were too unhappy with his performance either.

Stats: 8 GP, 0 goals, 10 assists, 10 points, -1 rating, 4 PIMS, 16 shots

3rd Star: Bogdan Konyushkov (Torpedo, KHL) – Last month wasn’t one where a bunch of prospects lit the lamp offensively so it’s a good time to focus on the blueliner.  He has been remarkably consistent for the better part of the last three seasons and it was more of the same last month, plus a small uptick in output for good measure while still logging over 20 minutes a night.  There’s a legitimate NHL profile here and with how long he’s staying in Russia (he’s signed through next season), Konyushkov should be NHL-ready when he comes to North America.

Stats: 9 GP, 2 goals, 5 assists, 7 points, even rating, 0 PIMS, 17 shots

Honourable Mention: Sam Harris (Denver, NCAA) – It’s fair to suggest that the first few months of the season were a little underwhelming, especially for someone likely hoping for a contract when his season ends.  However, Harris has picked things up as of late, including a five-game point streak to end the month (which made it to seven before being snapped last weekend).  All of a sudden, he has a shot at getting to his output from last year and if he does, the possibility of a late-season signing becomes a little more realistic.

Stats: 6 GP, 3 goals, 5 assists, 8 points, +5 rating, 15 PIMS, 15 shots