The Montreal Canadiens' rookie camp is underway, and while it doesn't feature very big names, it's still an important exercise.
The Montreal Canadiens’ rookie camp is now underway, and on Thursday, the coaching staff met with the media. Coach Daniel Jacob and assistant coaches Martin Laperrière and David Urquhart spoke at length about the camp, what’s to come, and the players who will wear the Red, White and Blue this weekend.
Jacob was asked about the list of players he has to work with in the next few days and clarified that he didn’t have a say in who was invited; that responsibility falls to the scouting staff’s department, and he added that some of the Rocket players from last season have now moved on to the next stage since they have a chance to make the main camp, which no doubt means David Reinbacher, Adam Engstrom, Florian Xhekaj and Owen Beck.
As for Laperrière, he conceded that, unlike some of the past years when they were lucky enough to have some big names at camp, such as Kaiden Guhle, for instance, this year’s roster lacks big names, but that doesn’t mean the staff cannot find diamonds in the rough. After all, Arber Xhekaj was once an invitee, and he certainly showed that he belonged.
Last season, Martin St-Louis repeatedly praised Pascal Vincent and his staff for how ready the players were once the Canadiens gave them an opportunity, and that shouldn’t change this season even if Vincent is gone. Jacob made it clear that everyone’s goal is to get players ready to play with the big team; their job is to make sure that when they get the call, they put on their skates, have few questions, and can hit the ground running.
The coaching staff had kind words for Owen Protz. Laperrière recalled that the first time he saw him at development camp, he was very rough, but he was ready to learn and do what was expected of him. Last year, he made such a good impression that he was invited to the main camp. Protz knows what’s expected of him: a rugged style of play and a good first pass, and chances are that’s what he’ll be putting forward this time as well. Last March, he was signed to a three-year ELC deal that starts this season, and he should be a regular with the Rocket once the AHL season starts.
None of the coaches wanted to put tags on the players; for now, they are all competing to make the Canadiens’ roster, and the coaching staff feels it would be unfair to start categorizing them.
This weekend’s games against the Winnipeg Jets and the Ottawa Senators prospects may not feature very big names, but it takes a little bit of everything to make up a winning team. You do need star players with lots of skills and talent, but you also need good players down the lineup who can play the game the right way, even if they cannot be expected to produce like your top-of-the-lineup guys.
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