Yesterday the Canadiens made a move that wasn’t very publicized, but once again confirms Trevor Timmins’ ability to find late-round steals in the NHL Entry Draft.
Jeremy Grégoire was signed to an entry level contract by the Canadiens, after the sixth round pick in 2013 (176th overall) had a fantastic draft plus one season in Baie-Comeau, leading his talented team in goals and points.
Grégoire is the kind of player that doesn’t really have a standout skill, though he is good at a lot of things. He stood out heavily to me at the Habs’ summer rookie camp for his pure drive and determination in the scrimmages. He’s not the fastest player, he’s not the biggest player at 6’0″, but he will be the first guy on the puck every time.
In the sixth round you’re not often going to get a star, but Grégoire looks like the kind of guy who always achieves far beyond his skill level, and inspires his teammates to do more. He’s got a little bit of Brendan Gallagher in him, and maybe a bit of Mike Knuble.
With one more season of junior left, Grégoire will be losing Charles Hudon as a linemate to the AHL, but should still be able to work some magic with Valentin Zykov.
