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LAVAL – Opportunities, that’s not what’s missing these days at the Laval Rocket.
As proof, of the 20 players who donned the jersey of the Montreal Canadiens farm club on Saturday at Place Bell to face the Toronto Marlies, eight have played at least one game in the ECHL this season.
The chances, we said, are there.
Just jump on it.
Since the start of the campaign, and especially in the last month, that is what William Trudeau has been doing.
In the absence of Justin Barron, recalled at the end of December by the Canadian, and several defenders held in the infirmary, it is to the 20-year-old rookie that head coach Jean-François Houle turned. to complete Corey Schueneman on the team’s first defensive pairing.
“I thought it was definitely coming. We were losing defenders all the time. I expected to have my chance and finally it happened. I was stressed, but I think it went really well. »
Houle confirms, it went really well. To the point where playing time on the first wave of the power play has even recently been added to his responsibilities.
“He is a player who is not afraid to take chances and when you give him an opportunity, he takes it,” appreciated the driver after the team’s training session on Tuesday.
“We love players like that. We put him on the power play, so for sure he had a little pressure to perform and that didn’t bother him at all. He’s a relaxed guy a bit; he doesn’t worry if he makes mistakes. It’s fun to see players improve like that. »
Even more when this development is somewhat unexpected.
“I’m surprised because the year spent at rookie camp [du Canadien], I found it to be really average, observed Houle. This year at rookie camp, he was good. But there, since the beginning of the year, he has really taken a beating. Every month, it seems like he takes a couple of ticks. That’s what you want to see in a player. That’s why they’re in the American League, it’s to develop. »
Under the Radar in Charlottetown
Since his promotion in early January, Trudeau has finished just one of his 10 games with a negative differential on a team that ranks 30th in the league in total goals against (148) and 27th for the average of goals conceded per game (3.70).
At the other end of the ice, Trudeau’s use of the five-man offense has allowed him to collect four assists in his most recent three games and extend his streak to four with at least a point.
“Just that, it gives a little more confidence to make plays with the puck,” noted the 4th round choice of the Canadian in 2021 (113th), who was eligible to play one last campaign in the junior ranks.
“I saw him play last year, I’m not surprised [de ses performances] “, indicated for his part his teammate Xavier Simoneau, with whom he played last year with the Charlottetown Islanders in the QMJHL.
“He was under the radar, but he was a very good defender all the time. We had Lukas Cormier in Charlottetown who was rolling the defense a bit. Everyone talked about him often, but I saw William as an elite defender too. »
So far, Trudeau is proving at least that he has the potential. And above all, he was right to believe when he arrived in Laval last October that he could “go straight to the professionals”.
“In the American League, consistency is very important, so we want him to continue to improve from month to month,” Houle said. But I think he can be quite a player for the organization of the Montreal Canadiens. I love his progress. »