Pat Laprade looks at five members of PWHL Montreal he believes the team needs to re-sign before they hit the open market on June 21.
Pat Laprade looks at five members of PWHL Montreal he believes the team needs to re-sign before they hit the open market on June 21.
PWHL Montreal has five forwards - Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, Kristin O’Neill, Maureen Murphy, Kennedy Marchment - signed for next year, three defenders - Erin Ambrose, Kati Tabin, Dominika Laskova - and one goaltender - Ann-Renee Desbiens. That means the team needs at least 12 more players for next season.
A total of 19 players are free agents in Montreal, the most of all the teams in the PWHL. Here’s a look at 5 players who Daniele Sauvageau absolutely needs to re-sign before the window of exclusivity to sign them ends on June 21.
Mikyla Grant-Mentis
She proved to be a very good acquisition by Sauvageau at the trade deadline and twice this year, including the game at Bell Centre, she was the best player on the ice for her team. She ended up on the second line in the playoffs and has something to offer for season two. Even with the probable addition of Swedish’s all-star, Lina Ljungblom, Grant-Mentis has the potential to squeeze her way into the top six forwards, even more so if injuries come into play again next year.
Elaine Chuli
With Ann-Renee Desbiens in Montreal, no one could have expected Chuli to play that much and be that good. In many categories, she had better stats than Desbiens. Aside from the duo of Nicole Hensley and Maddie Rooney, Chuli was the best number-two goalie in the league. With no expansion team next year, it would be surprising for her to get a number one spot in another team. Daniele Sauvageau needs to convince her that being number two in Montreal is the best fit for her.
Amanda Boulier
In the only trade GM Sauvageau did last season, Boulier brought depth to Montreal’s defenders. She only played a total of nine games in Montreal including the playoffs, but Boulier showed enough to keep her job, and from what she said after the season, would very much like to stay in Montreal. Especially if Montreal wants more depth next season, they need someone like Boulier, who, among other things, skates very well with the puck. With Ambrose, Tabin, Laskova, Boulier, and possibly Claire Thompson, or another defender chosen with their first pick, Montreal would improve greatly from their top six defenders they had at the beginning of last season.
Catherine Dubois
Montreal needs French-Canadians. That’s how the market is here. And Catherine Dubois deserves to be more than a reserve player. She’s one of the few on the team who has the size to compete with more physical teams like Boston. With a more physical league, it fits right into what she’s good at. Her energy and outspokenness quickly made her one of the favourites with the fans and the media. She knows what she needs to work on during the summer and Sauvageau knows her well. She can play on the third line and on the power play to screen the shots, something that was missing during the series against Boston.
Claire Dalton
Claire Dalton did well for a rookie last season. She’s the only one with Marie-Philip Poulin who had a hat trick for Montreal. The 24-year-old nine points in 20 games is more than one could have expected from a 12th-round pick. Very discipline – zero penalties in 23 games, including playoffs– playing top minutes, the former captain at Yale University should have a place in Montreal for years to come.