NHL Player of the Month: Cole Caufield
Caufield was our final player of the month last season when he scored eight goals in nine games played in April. Following the off-season and a number switch to honour late friend and idol Johnny Gaudreau, he has picked things up right where he left off.
In 11 games in the opening month, Caufield scored 10 goals, which tie him with New Jersey’s Nico Hischier for the league lead. He enters November on a four-game scoring streak, a consistent offensive performer throughout the ups and downs the Habs have experienced so far.
Can he maintain this pace of scoring on over 30% of his shots? That’s probably not going to happen, but it’s also true that he could have had even more than 10 goals with the number of posts and shots that have gone just wide of his target. An improved power play is helping his production, and that should only increase when he starts to get paired more often with the second-most impressive player on the team so far.
Honourable mention: Lane Hutson
In a regular situation, there wouldn’t be a debate about who deserves the recognition when a player is scoring near a goal-per-game pace, but Lane Hutson is no typical player. The rookie gave us an appetizer of what was in store during a brief debut last year, and the start to his first full NHL season has been nothing short of incredible.
The Bell Centre crowds have been absorbed in every second that he has the puck on his stick as he seems to make something happen each time he does. He posted seven assists in the first 11 games, and has set up even more chances for players who aren’t yet anticipating the types of passes he can make through traffic.
Anyone who believed he would just become a power-play specialist would be shocked to see that he ranks second on the team in average ice time, just nine seconds back of Mike Matheson. There are already very loud calls for Hutson to push the veteran blue-liner off he top power-play unit, but he’s putting in the work at five-on-five, and ranks as the top defenceman on the team in full-strength points with five assists.
— Justin Blades
AHL Player of the Month: Joshua Roy
The Laval Rocket have been rolling right out of the gate this season, losing just one of their first seven games played in October and looking totally different than the team that struggled last year. A big part of that has been the excellent play of Joshua Roy as he is helping to power the Rocket’s top line and power play once again.
In October he tallied six points in seven games (and added another on the first night of November to keep that train rolling). Roy’s chemistry with his linemates Alex Barré-Boulet and Brandon Gignac is readily apparent as the trio seemingly know exactly where the others are going to be at any given time in the offensive zone. Roy’s ability to get lost in space allows him to jump on passes or loose pucks, then walk in to use his quick wrister to beat goalies clean.
More than that, Roy is constantly putting pucks toward the net; his 29 shots on goal have him fourth in the AHL and give defences plenty of panic when he crosses over into the offensive zone. While his high level of play may see him back in the NHL before long, the Rocket are taking full advantage of his presence in their lineup right now.
— Scott Matla
European Prospect of the Month: Ivan Demidov
A lot has been said about the Russian, and maybe even more about his coach, but Demidov is making things happen for an SKA team that is “struggling.” The team is second in the west, and third in the combined KHL standings. To stand out on such a team is a feat in itself, but doing it while playing limited minutes is even more impressive.
At the time I write this, Demidov is 15th in scoring, with his time on ice hovering just above 11 minutes, with 19 points (6G, 13A), three off the scoring lead in the KHL. This is without playing on the first power-play unit.
Demidov has showcased both highlight-reel goals and passes, and with a third of the KHL season done it is more of an interest to see how much he can beat the Junior scoring record by.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Demidov gets all the nods for European player of the month this season. With that in mind I want to point out Vinzenz Rohrer and Rasmus Bergqvist for their success (albeit in different ways).
— Patrik Bexell
North American Prospect of the Month: Sam Harris
Despite a massive wave of pro graduates, the Habs’ prospect cupboard still manages to feature some star talent — Michael Hage’s seven points in six games for Michigan and Tyler Thorpe’s 12 in 13 for Vancouver come to mind — but given the cards he has been dealt, Sam Harris easily earns this month’s award.
With six goals and two assists for eight points in six games to start his sophomore NCAA campaign, the gap in points between Harris and Hage isn’t massive. However, Hage is Michigan’s top-line centre, whereas Harris is putting up these gaudy point totals while being primarily used as Denver University’s third-line left winger.
An energetic and opportunistic scorer, Harris has been getting inside positioning on defenders at the net-front and driving the middle of the ice more often, leading to a noticeable uptick in on-ice impact. He remains a shoot-first winger, but has been adding layers to his passing game. Give-and-goes, tic-tac-toe plays, look-off passes, and on-puck delays now feature sporadically in Harris’s skill set. His ascension in Denver’s lineup, if he manages to keep up this quality of play, is inevitable.
— Hadi Kalakeche
Matt Drake and Patrik Bexell get together to discuss the organizational players of the month on Habsent Minded