There has been speculation that big Swedish forward Jacob de la Rose would sign with the Canadiens since he was spotted in Marc Bergevin’s luxury box at the Bell Centre, then working out with the team’s trainers in Brossard, and as it turns out, it was justified.
The Montreal Canadiens have signed 2nd round pick, 34th overall in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft Jacob de la Rose to a three year entry level contract beginning next season.
Playing for Sweden during the World Juniors in Malmo, de la Rose consistently impressed analysts with his strong defensive play, playmaking skill, and nose for the net.
Ranked 17th among Canadiens’ players under the age of 25 in August, his strong season for Leksand combined with his performance at the World Juniors saw him crack the top 10 in the midseason rankings.
It’s unclear as of now where de la Rose will play next season, but it seems essentially guaranteed that he will not be returning to Sweden. According to several reports last summer, de la Rose attempted to leave Leksand to play in the OHL for the Windsor Spitfires, who own his rights, but was blocked by the SHL and Leksand, who were within their rights to retain a signed player.
There is a possibility that de la Rose could jump straight to the AHL next season, but then we have the question of how long would he be willing to stay there, as the city and the team had trouble keeping Swedes Erik Nystrom and Magnus Nygren happy there. Not to say all Swedish players are the same, but Sweden is a country with a very high quality of life, and Hamilton is… Hamilton.
Jacob de la Rose is a 6’3″ power forward of sorts, who plays a rugged defensive game with more offensive output than was originally projected out of him. He can play all three forward positions, though not at the same time. We think. Maybe he’s that good?
He’s projected to be a third liner with a solid two way game, with a possibility to gust up into a 2nd line winger role.
