THIS Habs Prospect Has People Talking…NOW | Montreal Canadiens

THIS Habs Prospect Has People Talking…NOW | Montreal Canadiens

So, we talk about Montreal Canadians goalie depth, right? Thanks for watching that episode on YouTube.com. You know, the Montreal Canadians have stacked cupboards across positions, and it’s funny, here we are again talking about depth and how much has changed with the new regime bringing in uh advanced metrics. The Canadians didn’t have uh fancy stats, analytics department before Gorton comes in, Hughes comes in, things are established. How is the Canadian’s prospect pool looking these days, Marco? Well, we discussed it. It’s probably one of the better uh it’s probably top three in terms of uh top three, top four depending on who you speak to in terms of U23 prospects. It’s got to be it’s still got because obviously if you consider Denid still a prospect because he he has only played like nine games I think or seven games. Um if you consider him still a prospect and it’s a top five prospect pool in the NHL as we speak. But I think, you know, we’ve done this before where we talked about like who the top five prospects are and I think that’s borderline universal at this point. I would think so. Um, you know, so like the Dened, Ryan Bacher, Hig Fowlers, Zavski, you know, interchange whoever you want at five. Exactly. That’s basically what you got. But let’s get some new names. Let’s get some new names out there we can educate some people with. Well, I mean, this isn’t new, but I feel like outside of Montreal, yeah, people are starting to take notice. And uh, you know, this was uh an interesting comment actually made by Logan Mayu on uh Tony Marino’s sick podcast, but he believes that a guy like Florian and Jackey should be in the NHL next year. And I love that. There’s a lot of love for Logan Mayu and the Jackeye brothers. They are uh they are very good friends. Um, and you know, in my conversation with him, he had nothing but flowers for both of those brothers. Um, and I I do I think that uh Florian and Jackey should be in the NHL full-time, probably not. Do I think he’s going to get games? I think so. And the reason I say that is because he’s got that maturity to his game. He’s got this the the the elements to make him an everyday bottom six forward that’s going to be able to contribute offensively but also have an impact physically and defensively. And I think those are the kinds of players that teams spend high picks to trade for in their prime uh when the time comes to contend. So if you have one in your backyard that you can slowly develop that’s fantastic. What I what I think is very uh underrated when it comes to Florian is that, you know, everyone sees him as kind of like the straight nose shooter, and I think that’s it. He’s got one of the better uh straight line combinations of stick handling and shooting on the team. I think that was very visible during the playoffs. But you want to see more consistency offensively before you make him jump to the NHL. I mean, like Michael Pazetta is not necessarily considered an, you know, a regular contributor in terms of offense in the NHL. And even he was a point per game player in the American Hockey League before he earned a full-time callup, which is what a lot of people would hope the Florian Jackie does this season already. The 20 plus goals that he did with fourthline minutes is incredibly impressive. Now, it’s time to give him more minutes and see if he could take it up a notch in all facets. And I feel like he has the potential to do so. That makes him far more than your regular like I’ve seen a lot of people like nothing more than a fourth liner. I think he’s I think he’s got more value than that to the point where I now believe that across the league he’s a little bit more of an underrated player that if he can continue to be strong on faceoffs, uh, you know, left shot faceoff guy. Yeah, exactly. Um, you see where I’m going with this? Oh, they got one. They have one now. They got one now. they got one guy. Um, and so you’re starting to see that kind of element uh kind of build out in his game. I feel like, you know, when you look at the overall structure of the team, he’s the kind of profile that they lack on the current roster that they’re slowly kind of building up. So, it’s someone to keep an eye on uh next season. It’s a big season for him. uh you know all eyes are going to be on him to to really kind of take that next next step and you know jump up from being kind of like the fourth line center of the team to being more of a an you know allaround kind of second line center. I think that would be like the next step for him in his game, you know, and I and I’ve, you know, I’ve read a lot of of opinion around Florian Jackie. And I like that you referenced the the uh the interview you did, Marco, with with Logan Mayu with RG. And you know, he pumps the tires for Florian. What do he scored? 24-25. He said never saw the ice on the power play. And I think I’m a little bit more confident in a guy like Florian coming to the National Hockey League and his skill sets more transferable than let’s say I’ll give you two names, okay? One from way back, Charles Dudon, one Joshua Adawa. And in my mind, you know why I’m comfortable saying that and having this discussion with you? Because I think FY and Jackie comes at you in a certain way. I think guys like Hudong and Joshua Dwa have a little bit more little bit more flare to their game where I think Jackey has a more simple approach. He’s a hard nose player which I don’t think could be taught. I think that’s how you play and I think that allows him to gain advantages on the ice because you got to wake up. I remember former NHLer Bobby Dles telling me this when he was in the league. He used to say, “Man, if we’re playing a tough team, I’m going to look at one of their tougher guys. the first chance I have, I’m going to give him a dirty cross check. And I want to see what he’s going to do about that. You know, if he comes back and pushes hard, you’re like, “Okay, I’m in for a fight tonight.” But if he folds, you have the upper hand. And I don’t think Florian Jackie is a fold. I don’t think he’s going to fold. I think he’s going to be the guy that gets in there, can be confrontational, and that’s why I like his chances when we talk about prospects that, you know, we can see coming, but wow, they’ve arrived. I think Florian Jackkey has more transferable skills than some of those other guys. Oh boy. Uh those that know will understand why I’m laughing at that one. Um when it comes that mean I don’t like being left out. What does that mean? Don’t worry, I’ll tell you later. Um when it comes to when it comes to uh when it comes to Florian though, I will add this. I think the Canadians want him to be more than just that. more than what you just described, more than the the the guy coming in the corners and stirring up the pot and stuff like that. Like they see bigger than simply just an agitator. And I think that’s the element. Like if they were just that, he’d have a surefire shot. Sometimes it’s not about who’s the best player at camp. It’s what the best decision is for the long term of said player in terms of their development. And sometimes that’s an that’s a gut-wrenching decision because I understand fans that want to see a guy like like F. Heck, having both Jackeye brothers would be just like the Bash brothers in the NHL. Like they would just wreak havoc together on the play hockey though. Bash brothers can’t play hockey. That is a lie. That is an absolute lie. They play with their toy on the suitcase, man. Fulton Reed can slap that puck. That is I I take offense. I’m I’m honestly I’m taking offense. Um, when it comes to when it comes to Florian though, like very good shooting ability, really good two-way acumen that he kind of developed in the AHL and Posan was talking about how that just kept getting better and better and better. I just want to see one more season. No one’s ever been hurt by staying staying in the AHL too long. I want to see one more season where he can kind of carry his line. That’s that that element. I just want to see that. And if we can do that consistently, you’re gonna we’re not going to have this conversation a year from now. He’s you can start penciling him into a fourth line on the Montreal Canadians, but it’s just that you want him to be more than just the agitator. There’s there’s potential for this player to be, you know, I’m not going to say Brian Bole because Brian Bole wasn’t necessarily physical like fighting presence, but he could have the same kind of overall impact on a fourth line if he continues to develop that that many teams saw Brian Bole. not the same outcome, but being able to play in all situations, having that big body, and being able to be strong on the on the on the dot, I think that’s exactly what you want. And teams again, pay first round picks for players like that. And you have one in your backyard. So, that’s why I think he’s one of the most underrated when it comes to the value that he can bring to the Canadians long term. What about a name and you brought this up in season? Uh let’s bring it up again here in late July. Vincent’s Roarer who we saw come to life as part of the Montreal Canadians uh property and asset at the World Hockey Championship. Um and again I’ll reiterate Marco Demo was the kind of first in this in this uh in this market to kind of let us know Vincenzor. What about his value in terms of, oh, we know about him now, but we’re going to know a lot lot more about him, let’s say, July, late July 2026. Is he part of the underrated prospect pool? Yeah, I feel like the Canadians have a glut of bottom six potential forwards, so it’s kind of when you say like underrated, is it is it really? I think he’s exactly I I think that a lot of fans don’t know what the Canadians have with him yet. uh very much I see like a grittier Paul Byron when I see him play just that electric speed, strong defensive acumen. Also, you know, pretty strong along the boards for a guy that’s listed at 5’11. Um this is he’s the Energizer Bunny. He is basically a taller, faster Gallagher. And I think that is the kind of profile that you want on your bottom six, right? And I know a lot of people would be like, “Oh, well, too small.” Oh, well, I mean, if you’re playing with like five other guys on that bottom six that are like 6’2 and up, which the Canadians are basically building up, I don’t necessarily see this as a problem, right? So, you need a mix, right? And if you want that lightning speed buzzsaw, that that Connor Garland light kind of player, that’s exactly what a guy like uh like Roar projects to be. Now obviously uh he’s more than likely going to be spending the season uh in Switzerland this year but at the end of that season he is now that he signed an entry-le contract he can join the Laval Rocket for a playoff run in the spring of 2026. So you might not even have to wait till July. You could probably see him sometime in like midappril uh maybe depending on how Zurich performs in in the uh you know Swiss uh playoffs. So it is he’s an interesting guy in terms of like the bottom six and how he can play. But in fact, and a good friend of Sean’s, uh, Canadian’s, uh, assistant general manager, John Swick, pointed out that the player that was drafted, uh, in the same round as as Vizroar, Adam Angstrom, was the player to watch. I’m so glad. It’s like we rehearse this, which we don’t. I mean, we we know what we’re talking about, obviously, but the fact that you brought up Adam Angstrom is the next name I want to pick your brain on. I think this fan base is getting a more solid education on who he is to the point where some fans are like, “Hey, let’s I want to see him play with the Montreal Canadians.” How close is Angstrom to making Jeff Gordon, Ken Hughes, and Martine St. Louis into a spot where like they got to make a decision and and give this guy an opportunity here? How close are they to that being discussed internally? I said this on record probably like two months ago, but if the Canadians were as weak uh on the left side in uh today as they were in say like 2017 when they were pigeon holing Victor Mate on the first pair. Yeah, PTSD Canadians fans, I get it. Yeah. Um I think Adam Angstrom would have made that roster. Okay, that’s right there. That’s the way I see. That’s what I see. I think I think the the progress was just so remarkable that even Poscal Visa told us uh we don’t know what his ceiling is because every time we think oh he’s can he can be this he breaks the mold and he goes a little bit further. So, this is a guy that went from being, you know, coming in at 20, being a healthy scratch from time to time because, you know, he wasn’t necessarily adapting to North American ice as quickly as they would have liked to being one of the most relied upon defenseman in the playoffs and just, you know, being looking dominant in the offensive zone at times just because of his skating and his ability to to hold the puck and to make plays and to be patient. like there’s just a lot of skill involved that you know a player of that age would be more apt and um I would say uh prone to wanting to to to to force the play and make a play happen. No, no, he he I’ll never forget this. There was a play that he made where he literally did a 360 around the the center of the offensive zone and just skated the puck and then quick pass, boom, shot in the net. And I was just, it was such a smart play that really put his skills on display that is just so transferable to the NHL that um we were in the stands uh when that happened. And I remember peering down. There’s usually like the media in in Lava will sit on the top and then the scouts for the professional teams would be on the just below on the bottom row. And I I didn’t even have to listen. One of the scouts slapped his desk and was just like like you looked at him. It was just like that’s that’s crazy that that that would have played. That’s an NHLer is what I remember hearing, right? And so to me, I think that stay the course, right? As we talked about before, like there’s no rush. I think at worst Adam Angstrom could be a bottom pair left defenseman that could play in all situations and and really kind of impact the game through his skating, right? I think at worst I think that ceiling wise there’s legitimate potential for a number four. Yeah. Yeah, in the NHL, I think I think the the way that he plays like he could skate himself out of trouble. He has a really strong understanding of of the offensive zone, it’s mostly what most, you know, players that grew up on bigger ice that come to North America have to work on, which is gap control, timing, stick positioning, uh, you know, oneto ones, board battles. Those are the things that you need reps in the AHL to kind of develop. So, I say skill-wise, he’s he’s really close. Just got to continue to get used to it. He’s gonna have way more responsibility this year in my honest opinion. And if you have John talking about him that way, saying like, you know, this guy’s gonna play NHL minutes, I agree that he’s probably going to get into some games this year despite the Canadians having Strugel and Jack eyee in the lineup. Can can we agree on this last parting thought here on on Habs prospects, underrated prospects, uh starting to make a little bit more noise that Jeff Gorton and Ken Hughes are two men who are living up to their word when they talk about how what they’re trying to do in Montreal and establish in this marketplace is have a team good enough, deep enough, consistently competitive they can have multiple looks at a Stanley Cup And listen, I you know, without bias, and I mean this without bias, I really get a very strong impression that they’re patient. And that’s exactly what they’re doing. They’re not in the business of rushing, expediting this to get to the finish line. Rosie Ruiz, hop in a cab, C at the finish line. That’s not happening. I I for the first time in what feels like multiple decades, brother, like they’re taking very very specific approach to what they’re doing here. And I I’ll give you a d I’ll give you a direct example and then I have two more names to drop before we end this. But I’ll give you a direct example. Yeah. If they felt like rushing the process, one of Michael H or David Rybacker would no longer be a Montreal Canadian right now. If they if they felt like rushing the process, I think that there’s a lot of interest in both players and there were some, you know, when we talk about players that could be close to NHL ready. Yeah. Yeah. So when teams were talking trade and they were looking to go player for player and they realized there was no player for player deals, some teams started kind of coming around to the idea of close to NHL ready prospects uh as being uh okay, right? Ha a little less just because he’s probably got another year or two, but David Rybacker, for all intents and purposes, is going to play, you know, uh probably a handful of games this year. So, it’s very he’s a guy that if you’re really weak on the right side, you could probably put into a a bottom pair right shot roll right this season if you’re that deep and in if you’re that thin and need it. So, this is why I appreciate the long term because we’ve seen the Canadians kind of panic trade and and give away the blue chip defensive prospects like Serge and Mcdana in the past. Um, so I think that, you know, that patience will pay off. Now, in terms of what they’re building sustainably, what I think I like is that they’re adding different elements, right? It’s not you’re not overc course correcting. Like, for example, Canadians, uh, the this summer was, oh, they need to get bigger. You didn’t see them overc course correct on that regard. Yes, they drafted some guys with size, but then they drafted LJ Mooney, and LJ Mooney is a name. I mean, yeah, we’re the same size. So, yeah. Yeah. Um LJ LJ Mooney is to me probably the biggest the most intriguing pick of that entire class for the Montreal Canadians in the sense that if he hits I know a lot of people are going to say ah he’s too small this he’s too small that it’s about developing a player and making him into something that will be valuable for the organization be it as a trade ship be it as a player you know whatever but to me LJ Mooney is the kind of boomer bus pick slam dunk home run style uh you know steel that you can look back on in a couple of years and be like what were teams thinking right and the way that he plays like it he is either a top six player or he’s a bust it’s it like really seems like one or the other and honestly I like the kind of players that have just been doubted their entire careers I agree and then they just turn around and go like watch me I’m going to burn you right remember Jeff Gordon He wants He wants that dog and what you describe those little guys that have to always punch uphill. Uh they have a dog in them, man all the time. I will tell you I will tell you that when I spoke to representatives at the University of Minnesota, they were like they felt like they almost like acquired a first round pick in talent. Yeah. Right. But this is the NHL, brother. You’re going to tell me there’s a possibility the Canadians could have Cole Cfield, LJ Mooney, and Lane Hudson on the ice at the same time? That’s a That’s a small threeman unit there. That is, but you got to surround those guys. Agreed. You got you got to surround those guys at a certain point. At a certain point in time, if you have if if LJ Mooney becomes a top six forward, you’re not going to be like, “Ah, I can’t play you in the NHL because we’re too small.” At that point, you make a decision. You see what you got to do, but you set yourself up to have an electric player. Like again, if he hits, if he continues that trajectory, and what I like about him going to the University of Minnesota is the University of Minnesota’s in the Big 10. It’s generally a a more mature league. Like if he can make it there, it’s like Cole Cfield. Cole Cfield played in the Big 10 with the Wisconsin Badgers, and it was very much kind of the same thing. If he can make it there, then a lot of the doubts that he couldn’t make it in the NHL were already kind of dissipated by the time he turned pro. Same applies to LJ Mooney, right? where he can play the two years with the with the Minnesota Gophers and really kind of evolve there and play and he’s going to get minutes. Like I’m he’s not going to get just like a fourthline role. He’s going to get minutes. And this is the kind of guy that he’s going to be directly faced with that extra physical element that the NCAA brings over, you know, some of the other amateur leagues. And I feel like that will be really telling. And then the last player I want to bring attention to uh is uh Papanicus. And I think that was to me like I remember sitting next to Cam Robinson in the league prospects and he just like tapped the table looked at me and goes Adam Lowry with skill. And that to me is really interesting because the offensive numbers don’t explode off the page. But it was a tough season for him being traded mid-season and going to the Colona Rockets which at the time was just not happening. This season Colona is going to be a much better team. They’re hosting the Memorial Cup. they’re loading up and they see Papanikas in the middle of that. He would be like one of their pre if not their top center, their second center uh in a on a team that’s pushing towards uh you know a memorial cup and to be competitive in the in the WHL. What I like about Papanik is is just the combination of hands, size, speed, and his ability in the in the faceoff circle. I think if you had to design a prototypical third line center for the Montreal Canadiens down the line, that’s exactly like could you if he hits and Jack eye is your fourth line, correct? Yes. Then then no one’s going to be talking about size down the middle anymore. Holy cow. Well, Tyler Thorp to me is the guy to watch in Laval this year. Yeah, exactly. is I just the his straight line speed to go with his shot I find is going to be very dangerous and I think one of the other elements to him and I think anybody who watched him at development camp or this year in in the WHL again um he’s got a really sneaky one-time like he has this ability for a guy that’s 66 to really kind of like get lost in coverage and get ready for the one-time and just slowly slide back. But the thing is he takes up so much space that if you’re coming up behind him, it’s really hard to stick check that. So I I have a funny feeling that we may see him on a power play in Laval, probably second wave, but this is a guy that I strongly believe can be at worst uh an energy fourth liner. Again, we’re talking about a lot of the bottom six guys, but that is what you need those guys to hit and be above their payroll effective for you to really have a chance at being able to spend the money on the top six guys and the top pair of guys and move ahead. Listen, I’ll bring the NFL into the conversation here. You show me a good quarterback, I’m going to show you a good running game. You run the ball to set up the pass, baby. And uh that’s how I interpret building up your bottom six to let your top six free run, baby. And the Montreal Canadians have some skill there. That’s Marco Demo. Follow him at MN Demo with RG Media.

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