Non-Rocket Habs Prospect tracker

[Commandant]

1 hour ago, dlbalr said:

LJ Mooney is on USA's preliminary World Junior roster.  It looks like they have one forward to cut from that initial group and he's someone that appears to be on the borderline of making it or not.

 

Ive seen people like Pronman think Mooney is a lock and a second liner.

[DON]

Pickford 2g (14,15) 1a GWG 4 shots 17 PIMs 1st star of game, 26gms 31pts

Paupanekis 1g (6)

 

[DON]

Mittelstadt 1a 1 shot/Mooney 0pts 3 shots.

[DON]

Habs Prospects

 

Seems like just about every Hab prospect is playing today.

Zharovski's game started 1/2 hr ago to kick the day off.

 

Ak Bars Kazan at Salavat Yulaev Ufa 9:00 am

Alexander Zharovsky - 2a 3 shots 14:46; 22pts 25games

Alexander Zharovsky With 2 Helpers - Has 7 PTs Last 5 GMs - Highlights 12-5-25

 

[DON]

Hage 1a 2 shots

Mooney 2a 3 shots

Harris 1a 5 shots/Miller 22 shot shutout

Cournoyer 29shot 4g loss

 

Pickford 2g 5 shots, 2nd straight 1st star of game, 5pts in the 2 games.

Paupanekis 1a 1 shot 10/18

 

 

 

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

1 hour ago, DON said:

Hage 1a 2 shots

Mooney 2a 3 shots

Harris 1a 5 shots/Miller 22 shot shutout

Cournoyer 29shot 4g loss

 

Pickford 2g 5 shots, 2nd straight 1st star of game, 5pts in the 2 games.

Paupanekis 1a 1 shot 10/18

 

 

 

 

Pickford is having a heck of a year even with no McKenna to pass the puck to.  What are your thoughts on Pickford Commandant?  He seems to have all the offensive tools but could it translate to the NHL level? 

[Commandant]

Hes such an interesting case.  Rare goal scoring for a defenceman.  And its not a one year thing.  13 g in 18 playoff games last year.  20 in 48 in the regular season.  The offensive tools are quite clearly there for his age.

 

The defensive game is fine in the WHL but the question remains how it will translate against pros.  We learn more when he goes to.Laval.  You see the offensive skill clearly translates defensively with his skating helping him to have good gap control, and his skill on the puck helping him start the breakout.  Hes not bad positionally without the puck.  One area i think hes going to need though (and this is normal for a 19 year old) is he looks kinda skinny and not strong enough at times.  Could bulk up before playing men in Laval.  

 

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

Pickford scored a hat trick tonight, he is on fire. Right now he is 2nd in the WHL in goals with 20 in 28 games. Pretty impressive!

 

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

McCagg loves Pickford, phenomenal goal at the 3:30 mark and a rocket at about the 5:30, tremendous shot. 

 

 

 

[DON]

Hage 1a 2 shots in 3-1 loss to rival Michigan State.

Miller 24 shot 5-2 win/ Harris 1g 2 shots

 

Pickford 3g 10 shots with a 10 minute misconduct in 2nd period, 1st star of game for 3rd straight game.

Has matched his goal total from last year.

 

[DON]

Pickfords game yesterday

Bryce Pickford With The Hat Trick - Has 20 Goals in 28 GMs - Is Team Canada Watching? 12-6-25

 

[dlbalr]

Canada will announce its WJC roster tomorrow.  There won't be a full camp with a bunch of cuts but they'll have a few extra skaters at least.  Looks like Hage will be there but not Protz who was a longshot anyway.

[DON]

10 hours ago, dlbalr said:

Canada will announce its WJC roster tomorrow.  There won't be a full camp with a bunch of cuts but they'll have a few extra skaters at least.  Looks like Hage will be there but not Protz who was a longshot anyway.

Assume Protz's defense/psyicality must of been what they were considering or wanting to see more of in the summer?

Is his play similar to Struble's?

[dlbalr]

10 hours ago, DON said:

Assume Protz's defense/psyicality must of been what they were considering or wanting to see more of in the summer?

Is his play similar to Struble's?

 

Protz was a surprise invite in the summer as more of a field-filler.  Then he stood out a bit with his physical play and had a solid start with Brantford which kept him legitimately in consideration but he was going to need to show more (and not have Calgary/Pittsburgh loan a defenceman out) to realistically be considered.

 

There's a cross between Struble and Xhekaj with Protz.  He's more defensively reliable than Xhekaj but he also brings more of the physicality than Struble does.  Not much of an offensive game to speak of though.

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

Bryce Pickford 10?  Seriously. He has been dominant. 

 

 

Montreal Canadiens’ top 10 prospects for December 2025

[DON]

10 minutes ago, Habs Fan in Edmonton said:

Bryce Pickford 10?  Seriously. He has been dominant. 

 

 

Montreal Canadiens’ top 10 prospects for December 2025

Was passed over in his draft year so is turning 20 in April and in his 4th WHL season. Many older non-NHL bound kids light it up vs many high-schoolers. So grain of salt when just looking at his offense.

 

Will see next season (or AHL playoffs this spring?) how he handles being the youngster playing vs men.

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

8 minutes ago, DON said:

Was passed over in his draft year so is turning 20 in April and in his 4th WHL season. Many older non-NHL bound kids light it up vs many high-schoolers. So grain of salt when just looking at his offense.

 

Will see next season (or AHL playoffs this spring?) how he handles being the youngster playing vs men.

 

Some fair points but the fact he was passed over in his draft year is totally irrelevant. It's what he is doing now and he has been electric. Not sure that Paupanekis or Mooney should rank ahead of him just because they are a year younger but just my opinion. 

[GHT120]

2 hours ago, Habs Fan in Edmonton said:

Some fair points but the fact he was passed over in his draft year is totally irrelevant. It's what he is doing now and he has been electric. Not sure that Paupanekis or Mooney should rank ahead of him just because they are a year younger but just my opinion. 

Respectfully, it is not irrelevant I-M-O ... It is not that he passed over in his draft year, but how he has performed/progressed ... Pickford was very ordinary his first two full WHL seasons (respectively 17.5 and 18.5 to start each year, the second of which was his draft year) and sky-rocketed as a 19.5 yr-old to start last season (15 times his previous goal scoring pace) and a 20.5 yr-old this season (doubling his pace of last season) ... his April birthday places him just outside the CHL rule (the oldest a player can be when they finish their CHL career is typically 20, though they may turn 21 after January 1st of their final season) ... at that age, a couple of years makes a huge difference ... I hope he is truly a late bloomer and not just a "man among boys" but I hold no expectations.

 

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

43 minutes ago, GHT120 said:

Respectfully, it is not irrelevant I-M-O ... It is not that he passed over in his draft year, but how he has performed/progressed ... Pickford was very ordinary his first two full WHL seasons (respectively 17.5 and 18.5 to start each year, the second of which was his draft year) and sky-rocketed as a 19.5 yr-old to start last season (15 times his previous goal scoring pace) and a 20.5 yr-old this season (doubling his pace of last season) ... his April birthday places him just outside the CHL rule (the oldest a player can be when they finish their CHL career is typically 20, though they may turn 21 after January 1st of their final season) ... at that age, a couple of years makes a huge difference ... I hope he is truly a late bloomer and not just a "man among boys" but I hold no expectations.

 

 

I think you just agreed with me, it is all about how he has progressed, no question. He was a 19.5 year old to start this season, not last season. 

[GHT120]

23 minutes ago, Habs Fan in Edmonton said:

 

I think you just agreed with me, it is all about how he has progressed, no question. He was a 19.5 year old to start this season, not last season. 

No, my point was that his progress is may best explained by physical maturity over younger players and not superior "talent" ... how/when you put up numbers is as important as the numbers themselves ... but as I said, I hope he is truly a late bloomer

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

1 hour ago, GHT120 said:

No, my point was that his progress is may best explained by physical maturity over younger players and not superior "talent" ... how/when you put up numbers is as important as the numbers themselves ... but as I said, I hope he is truly a late bloomer

 

Just saying he has been dominant this year, on pace for 40+ goals which few defensemen in junior of any age ever put up. Great skater, tremendous shot, plays with an edge, has leadership abilities (team captain). I think he is a heck of a prospect. He certainly looks like a late bloomer.  Of course never any guarantee that he makes it. 

[DON]

Protz's Bulldogs team is the #1 ranked CHL team.

 

No question Pickford is having a great year which is exciting. I just cant get too excited till see how fares next season vs pros.

[GHT120]

With the "goalies are voodoo" caveat a given:
 

 

[DON]

My goodness!

Pickford 2g (21, 22) 2a 6 shots, assist on tying goal with 21 seconds left in 3rd and then he scored the OT GWG

He is on a 'pretty' good roll and 4th game in a row as 1st star of game

Moose Jaw Warriors at Medicine Hat Tigers - Friday, December 12, 2025

 

 

[dlbalr]

Yeah, 16 points in six games is quite something.  It's junior hockey, sure, but this is impressive.

 

A small article on him I found yesterday from earlier this week: https://medicinehatnews.com/sports/local-sports/2025/12/10/tigers-look-to-keep-foot-on-pedal-pickford-motivated-by-world-juniors-snub/