The Montreal Canadiens are facing a number of decisions that will impact their AHL affiliate in 2024.
As the Rocket kick off the second half of the 2023-24 season in the middle of a playoff race, there are several situations to keep an eye on.
Loaded Defense
The number of defensemen in the Montreal Canadiens organization has been well documented. Montreal currently has eight healthy defensemen on the roster, which resulted into the difficult decision in December to assign Arber Xhekaj to the AHL for a six-week period.
On Monday, Justin Barron was demoted to Laval and Xhekaj was recalled to Montreal. During his stint with the Rocket, Xhekaj was paired with Logan Mailloux forming the team's number one duo, obtaining a lot of ice time.
When Mailloux was cut from the Canadiens camp, Martin St. Louis said that he expected the 20-year-old to play NHL games at some point.
The Rocket have had eight defensemen on the their roster for most of the season. It has forced Jean-Francois Houle to make difficult decisions. The dilemma will continue for Houle as he distributes ice time between the organizations' prospects and the depth players.
Nicolas Beaudin is unhappy with the limited opportunities received and asked his agent to help him obtain ice time.
Since returning from the Spengler Cup, there have been teams from Europe inquiring whether Beaudin is available. For Beaudin to head overseas this season, an agreement needs to be reached with the Canadiens before the European deadline on February 15th.
The domino effect continues to the ECHL that impacts defenseman Miguel Tourigny. Tourigny was drafted by the Canadiens in the seventh round of the 2022 entry draft and hold his signing rights until June 15th.
The 21-year-old signed an AHL contract for this season, but has spent the entire season with the Trois-Rivieres Lions where he has totaled 27 points in 40 games. If the defenseman doesn't get an opportunity for an audition in Laval before the end of the season, his signing rights will likely be forfeited by the Canadiens.
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Extending Veteran Goalie
One of the factors in the Rocket's slow start to the season was due to the inexperience between the pipes. The duo of Jakub Dobes and Strauss Mann had a combined 20-game AHL experience before the start of the season.
On December 18th, Kasimir Kaskisuo signed a professional tryout (PTO) contract with the team. The 30-year has stabilized the goaltending with a perfect 4-0 record, 1.96 goals against average and .948 save percentage.
A PTO is a contract valid for a maximum 25 games and a second PTO contract can be signed after the first one expires. Kaskisuo is free at any time to sign an AHL contract with any team. Will the Rocket sign the veteran to an AHL contract to secure his rights until the end of the season?
It might be a bit of a stretch, but if Kent Hughes trades Jake Allen or Cayden Primeau before trade deadline, Kaskisuo might be a good option to act as a backup in case of an injury to a goalie in Montreal. The Finnish native has played two games in the NHL and it would allow Dobes to remain in Laval and participate in the AHL playoff hunt.
Coach's Future
Jean-Francois Houle is in the final year of his deal as the coach of the Rocket. The typical lame duck situation. There has been no indication from either side about any negotiations for an extension.
There's always a grey zone in determining and evaluating the right balance between winning and development in the AHL. Whether an extension is signed will be an indication of how management evaluates his work in Laval.
On the Canadiens roster, Justin Barron, Jayden Struble, Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Joshua Roy, Mitchell Stephens, Jesse Ylonen and Cayden Primeau have spent time in Laval with Houle.
From a winning perspective, Laval clinched a playoff spot in the two full seasons under Houle, including a run to the Conference final and are currently in a playoff spot this season.
If Houle is uncertain about his future, will game and roster decisions tilt the balance further towards winning over development in order to bolster his resume for his next opportunity?
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