Introduction
There are now 54 players under the age of 25 in the organization, making it impossible for every player with the potential to play in the NHL to crack the Top 25. When the rankings were calculated, there was a group of seven players who made up a close-knit tier in the results; the ones we call the near misses.
All of these players were ranked last year, and several of them have featured among the Top 25 in the past, but this year they’re found on the outside looking in.
#32 Jan Myšák
C/LW – 21 – Laval Rocket (AHL)
After getting drafted in the second round in 2020, as one of the younger prospects available, Jan Myšák made his debut at place 18 on that year’s Top 25 Under 25. Since then, he has been a pillar within the top 20, with a 12th place in 2021 being his highest ranking to date.
However, after his first full season in Laval, where his point-production left more to be desired, he sees himself not making the cut for the very first time. I think the Canadiens front office had higher hopes for Myšák than a limited bottom-six role and a meagre five goals in 40 games played during his rookie season in Laval.
The step from Junior hockey to the AHL can be a tough one for many a player, but Myšák’s previous experience of pro hockey back home in Czechia, as well as his brief 2021-22 stint with the Rocket should have made the transition more smooth than it actually became.
Still just 21, there is plenty of time for Myšák to reach his potential with the Rocket. However, there are questions about his offensive upside. Will he ever prove to be anything more than a bottom-six role player in the NHL? With players like Emil Heineman, Joshua Roy, and Riley Kidney coming into Laval for their full rookie seasons, it’s difficult to see Myšák getting a full-time opportunity to prove himself in a top-six role.
However solid his contributions may be from a standpoint of effort, the attacking traits which are so present in the other three forwards seem to be missing from Myšák’s arsenal.
#31 Mattias Norlinder
D – 23 – Laval Rocket (AHL)
Speaking of previous constants within the top 20, Mattias Norlinder has gone from unknown, over-aged third-rounder, to being one of the more tantalizing prospects in Swedish hockey, and now being looked at as more of an afterthought in the Laval Rocket’s impressive staple of young talent.
Starting off at position 16 in his first year of eligibility, he quickly rose up to the top five, peaking at number 4 in 2021. A down year in 2021-22, when Norlinder found himself lost in translation between North America and Sweden, combined with nagging injury problems, meant that his stock was back down at place 16 going into his first full year in Laval.
Now 23, Norlinder suddenly finds himself in an underdog position, competing with the likes of Jayden Struble, Kaiden Guhle, Lane Hutson, and Jordan Harris for the premium spots on the left side of the defence. The question is: can he grow into his full potential, or have injuries and changes in deployment hampered his development for good?
I had the chance to speak to Mattias when I was in Montreal this spring. He spoke about how great it felt to get consistent game time for a full season in one place. Going into his second full season with Laval, he will now have to demonstrate that he can deliver more to Jean-François Houle than just being a steady body on the defensive line.
In Frölunda and MoDo, Norlinder was known for his transitions and his ability to use his excellent skating to add to his team’s offence as a fourth attacker. During our chat, he did say that he wishes to show more of his offensive ability as he grows more comfortable.
A Laval defence featuring both a rejuvenated Norlinder and Logan Mailloux has the potential to be, at the very least, entertaining to watch.
#30 Xavier Simoneau
C – 22 – Laval Rocket (AHL)
Lil’ Nas X(avier) remains in the exact same ranking as a year ago. This despite an AHL rookie season which could only be described as highly promising.
Just as with another undersized, over-aged, Quebécois forward, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, Simoneau has made impressive strides since being drafted by the Canadiens two years after originally being eligible. Moving from Drummondville to Charlottetown in 2021 gave Simoneau a chance to prove himself in a different setting from the one he had already gotten used to. Forty-eight games and 86 points later, he was ready to make the jump to the pros.
Originally signing a one-year AHL contract in July, 2022, Simoneau finally became part of the official 50-man roster on March 1, 2023, signing a two-year deal with the Habs starting in 2023-24. There are currently no NHL players who are below Cole Caufield’s listed height of 5’7″, but Theo Fleury demonstrated for more than a decade that there can be rare exceptions for forwards who are 5’6″ and can make an impact in the best of all hockey leagues.
Time will tell if Simoneau can beat the odds and take the final step, from being a quality AHLer to a full-time NHL player. His work ethic, leadership qualities, and well-rounded 200-foot game will certainly not work against him in his future endeavours.
#29 Cayden Primeau
G – 24 – Laval Rocket (AHL)
Norlinder’s move from 16 up to 4 may have been impressive, but it pales in comparison to Cayden Primeau’s. Starting off in 36th position back in his draft year, Primeau’s strong collegiate career saw him rise to #6 in 2020. A .931 save percentage over his first two NHL games helped him look like the best goalie prospect the Canadiens had seen in years.
Unfortunately, in the three years since, it has been difficult for Primeau to make that last jump and establish himself as an NHL regular. His fall from 11th in 2022 to 29th in this year’s ranking seems to indicate that people are starting to doubt his upside.
Historical year-to-year drops
| Player | Rank (Year) | New Rank (Year) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brett Stapley | 23 (2021) | 46 (2022) | -23 |
| Alexander Gordin | 29 (2021) | 51 (2022) | -22 |
| Cayden Primeau | 11 (2022) | 29 (2023) | -18 |
| Dmitri Kostenko | 28 (2021) | 45 (2022) | -17 |
| Cam Hillis | 24 (2021) | 41 (2022) | -17 |
| Luke Tuch | 14 (2021) | 31 (2022) | -17 |
| Daniil Sobolev | 31 (2021) | 47 (2022) | -16 |
| Andreas Engqvist | 15 (2011) | 31 (2012) | -16 |
| Alexander Avtsin | 11 (2011) | 27 (2012) | -16 |
| Joe Vrbetic | 34 (2022) | 49 (2023) | -15 |
| Joni Ikonen | 20 (2019) | 35 (2020) | -15 |
| Mattias Norlinder | 16 (2022) | 31 (2023) | -15 |
He has been remarkably consistent during his four years with Laval, ending every regular season with a save percentage between .908 and .909. Up in the major league however, he haven’t been nearly as effective, with a goals-against average above 3.40 and save percentages below .870 in each of the last three years.
His very best stint post his Northwestern days was during the Rocket’s unexpected playoff run in 2022, where he was instrumental in getting his team one single win shy of an appearance in the Calder Cup Final.
We know that goaltenders continue to develop well into their 20s, something which has been demonstrated by the continued improvement by Samuel Montembeault. Now 24, Primeau’s main difficulty will be to fend off competition from the Canadiens’ new, younger goalie prospects. Jakub Dobeš is already breathing down his neck as his presumed AHL backup, while the Habs ended 2023’s draft tally with three(!) new netminders in their system.
Let’s see if Primeau is up to the challenge, and whether he can use the increased competition as a motivator.
#28 Vinzenz Rohrer
C/RW – 18 – ZSC Lions (NL)
Two years in Ottawa seem to have been enough for young Vinzenz. As of this upcoming autumn, he will rejoin the Swiss club on which he spent most of his formative years.
The Austrian forward has several interesting aspects to his game, which should blend in well in a senior-team environment. A tenacious worker with strong skating, Rohrer has found himself using his lack of size to his advantage. His physicality and active stick annoy opponents more than just a little.
Somehow, Rohrer tends to get away with being a nuisance more often than not. In fact, despite the physicality of his game and his unwillingness to shy away from intense battles, Rohrer only accumulated 32 penalty minutes in his two seasons with the Ottawa 67’s.
Watching Rohrer play for one of the better sides in one of Europe’s top leagues will be great fun. If he can make an impact there, it will provide far more clarity in terms of how high his potential actually is. Taking a roster spot on a good Swiss side is not an easy task, and if you can do so as soon-to-be 19-year-old, you have come pretty far on your journey between talented youngster and professional hockey-playing adult.
If Rohrer ever feels the need to ask for advice from someone who has already taken this step, he can just travel 10 kilometres north of Zürich and spend an afternoon with fellow Austrian David Reinbacher.
#27 William Trudeau
D – 20 – Laval Rocket (AHL)
One year ago, I had William Trudeau ranked at number 42 out of 52 eligible players. He then proceeded to make me look like a fool by not only holding his own, but by being Mister Reliable on an inexperienced Laval defence. Trudeau featured in 62 out of 74 possible AHL games, while also mustering up 27 points. After a slow start as he was eased into the lineup by the coaching staff, he became virtually undroppable from November onward.
Back in January, head coach Houle had this to say about his young adept: “He’s taking the opportunity and taking advantage of it. Sometimes people can’t deal with that pressure and can’t take advantage of it but he doesn’t seem to be fazed. That’s a great, great quality to play in a market like Montreal for a young French Canadian: not to be fazed and take the opportunities.”
Trudeau started his Top 25 Under 25 journey ranked in place 27 post-draft, before falling five spots to number 32 last year. His strong rookie season with the Rocket means that he’s now been bumped back up to his original position.
There is a lot to like about the left-handed defenceman from Varennes. After Justin Barron was called upon for NHL duty, Trudeau took over as a regular on the Laval power play. This gave him the opportunity to show doubters (me?) that he could be used in virtually every aspect of play, and be deployed as something more than just a stable, stay-at-home type of blue-liner.
It’s not unreasonable to believe that Trudeau will have made his NHL debut before the end of the 2023-24-season.
#26 Oliver Kapanen
C – 20 – KalPa (Liiga)
Turning 20 on July 29 (Onnittelut, Oliver!), Kapanen has been working in the shadows of European hockey for the two years that have passed since getting drafted. The 2021 64th overall selection had a difficult year post-draft, trying to break into the KalPa lineup on a nightly basis. The season saw him split time between KalPa’s Liiga team (16 games, 2 points) and their U20 side (11 games, 15 points), while also getting sent out on loan both to Liiga competitor Kärpät (2 games, 2 points) and lower-tier side IPK (8 games, 4 points).
If that seemed like somewhat of a messy year for a young hockey talent, last season was more straightforward. His 27 points in 55 games ranked in the top five among NHL-drafted players born in 2002 or later. Kapanen also captained his Team Finland in the 2023 World Junior Championship, where he unfortunately lost in the quarter-finals to their ever superior rivals from the west.
Kapanen has the smarts and the skills to be a major asset for his Liiga team this season. If he has another year with similar or better production, it would be wise for the Boyz in the Hood – the hood being Laval – to take a good, long look at him for the start of the 2024-25-campaign.
We’ve now profiled the 29 players who didn’t make the list, some of whom made the cut before, and others who will in the future. Next it’s time to begin the individual looks at the 2023 Montreal Canadiens Top 25 Under 25.
