Switch Barron and Mailloux and you are right on it

Not sure...Mailloux seems to "want it more" than Barron.

Farrell will play top 6 LW, Perrault and Mesar will play top 6 as well and I think Mesar plays center. White likely won't get resigned, Reinbacher and Hutson will be paid together on the top pairing, Barron and Engstrom will be pairing 2 and you forgot to sign Fowler to be the starting goalie.

Isn't he too young?

Nope, the AHL age requirement is 18 on or before September 15th, Fowler is 19 turning 20 in November.

Edit*** if he had been drafted from the CHL, he would have to be 20 as per the transfer agreement but being drafted out of the USHL means he can play in Laval now

Barron will be on a one way deal, Mailloux is still on an ELC. He will be in tough to convince management to spend hundreds of thousands of extra money to play him over Barron. If they see it as a possibility I'd think Barron would be traded this offseason before going that route. If he can't crack the NHL full time next year he's done in MTL anyways.



I don't see the need to rush Fowler. Let him develop in the NCAA for another year and play another world juniors (maybe he will win the starting role this time around). MTL needs to sign an AHL veteran that they could call up to support Monty and Primeau if there is an injury. Someone like Domingue, Dobes and Fowler aren't ready for that.

I disagree about Fowler, he isn't facing the quality of shots the AHL has and the NCAA schedule is much easier than the 70+ game AHL schedule. I think it's better for his development to play a heavier schedule now to help acclimate him to the rigors of the NHL schedule, especially if the goal is for him to take over the starters role in a few years. We see all the time, players that get worn down after half a season cause their bodies aren't used to the heavier schedule.

So do you think we should have also brought Primeau along sooner? I felt that he was brought in too soon, and they gave him 2 years in the NCAA. Confidence is an important thing for a young player too, and bringing Fowler along too soon could be detrimental to his development if he isn't quite ready.

Let's say Montembault gets injured next season, he's out for 2 months. Are you comfortable rolling Primeau, Dobes, and Fowler?

Also, I don't think anyone realistically expects Fowler to take over the starters role in a few years. Goalies take a while to develop.

I don't think the NCAA is a good place for goalies to develop period. They only get in 30 ish games a season, going from 30 games (weekends only) to 50-70 games (every other night) is a huge adjustment for anyone, especially a goalie. To me a goalie going from the NCAA to the AHL faces a bigger adjustment than one coming in from overseas. I don't see how it would shake their confidence being sent to the AHL after a year in thr NCAA, it's actually showing them that you believe in them and should build their confidence more. Getting into the rhythm of playing every other day is more important to their development than pussyfooting around their feelings.

I think you are forgetting that Fowler won't be able to start every game in the AHL like he does in the NCAA. The AHL has lots of back to backs to accommodate travel. The leading goalie in the AHL has played 40 games so far this year, Fowler has already played 35 games this season including the world juniors, he's played just as much as the average AHL starting goalie, if not more.

From an organizational standpoint it just doesn't make sense. You burn a year of Fowler's ELC earlier, and you have no reliable goalies in Laval in case Monty or Primeau get hurt, or if Primeau faulters.

They can also sign Fowler after his NCAA season next year too to give him even more games, which would be perfect timing in my opinion.

That's fair, I just think Fowler has earned it

Barron is always lazy but he has all the tools to be regular in the nhl next year. Mailloux still need to improve his defensive abilities to be able to produce at the nhl level

I see them moving on from Kovacevic at the draft and cycling Xhekaj, Harris, Barron, and Mailloux on their bottom pair, at least until they trade David Savard and probably Harris at the TDL.

Obviously there's a lot of projection there, but unless the team goes nuts in free agency and/or lands a game breaker in a trade, this team won't make the playoffs again next year.