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Intra-squad match: Hutson, Mailloux and Tuch stand out

 Manuel Sperandio-Lemay
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Intra-squad match: Hutson, Mailloux and Tuch stand out
The CH development camp ended today with an intrasquad game.

The Reds took on the Whites in a two-period (25-minute) game played four-on-four. There was plenty of space on the ice for players to make their mark…

And of the lot, I especially noticed Lane Hutson’s domination.

It’s quite simple. The American defenseman was everywhere, everywhere on the ice, from the beginning to the end of the game. As soon as he jumped on the ice, it wasn’t long before he was in control of the puck… And once he had it, it was virtually impossible to take it away from him.

He has an above-average sense of the game. He finds his teammates on the ice after creating space for himself with a few feints, and he doesn’t hesitate to shoot on net when he gets the chance.

I particularly liked the following sequence. He found David Reinbacher, who was completely alone in the enclave… But Reinbacher was unable to capitalize on the sequence.

Let’s talk about David Reinbacher.

Without making too much noise, the team’s first pick in the last draft played well. He kept it simple, even if at times I found him a little stressed coming out of the zone.

One of the things I liked about his game today is that he’s not afraid to go on the attack. You can see this in the video above…

But Reinbacher made himself forgotten in the enclave on a couple of occasions. He’s sneaky, if you’ll pardon the expression. His game isn’t perfect yet, and that’s perfectly normal.

I have the impression that he still has a lot of crusts to eat before making the jump to the NHL… But I’m not necessarily disappointed with his performance today.

He didn’t seem to be behind the group, at least.

What else caught my attention besides Lane Hutson’s and David Reinbacher’s performances?

1. Logan Mailloux is solid. Like, really solid.

He’s widely touted as one of the Habs’ bright prospects on the blue line, and it showed today. In my opinion, he was the second-best player on the ice after Lane Hutson….

Because Mailloux can do everything on the ice. He hits, he throws, he’s involved in all three zones and, above all, he has a pretty fluid skating stroke.

Add to that the fact that his big frame doesn’t seem to prevent him from being fast. The only thing that bothered me is that he’s often too deep in the offensive zone, which can be detrimental from a defensive point of view.

But Mailloux was sensational today. And that’s why I can’t wait to see him at the team’s (real) training camp.

Could he cause a surprise in the fall?

2. I liked what I saw from Joshua Roy and Owen Beck. The two forwards, who have a bit of a similar style in that they excel defensively, performed well.

The Quebecer reminded everyone that he has a good vision of the game. We saw him take the puck out of his opponent’s hands on a number of occasions in defensive retreats, an element that is always attractive to NHL club executives.

He was involved… But not enough in my eyes. I find that sometimes the young man lets his skates drag on the ice, and that needs to be corrected.

Beck, for his part, played as he usually does. He’s confident with the puck, he skates with his head held high… And he was able to create a few chances with his explosive skating.

He really gave me the impression of a guy who wants to play in the show, starting next year. In fact, that’s what he wants.

3. Luke Tuch was among the best players on the ice today.

His skating is elegant and he’s just as powerful.

The 6’2, 205-lb. big forward, by necessity, creates space on the ice for his teammates…

And Alex’s little brother even scored a goal with a precise wrist shot from where Grandma hides the cookies. He was one of the youngsters who particularly impressed me.

4. Filip Mesar was good, but not dominant. Like Tuch, he used his wrist shot to score a fine “top corner” goal…

But what I noticed most was that he tries to do too much at times on the ice. Everyone knows he’s got good hands, and it looks like he’s exploiting them a little too much.

I’d particularly like to see him keep things simpler.

That’s something he’ll have to work on if he wants to have a nice, long NHL career.

5. Adam Engström and William Trudeau stood out for their defensive mobility. We’re talking about two left-handed defensemen with an excellent skating stroke who aren’t afraid to use it to “shifter” their opponents.

They weren’t necessarily exciting to watch, but they did their job in the best possible way.

6. Ty Smilanic, who was acquired in the Ben Chiarot trade, stood out for his fighting spirit. He skated like a train every time he took to the ice, and was in every fight.

I can say the same for Isaac Dufort, who was invited to the development camp.

7. Finally, the goalies did well. Jakob Dobes and Jacob Fowler in particular caught my eye…

Because these two young goalies are huge. They cover lots and lots of space in their nets, and I especially liked what I saw from Dobes. He moves well, with speed and power.

If Cayden Primeau is traded by the start of next season, Dobes will get plenty of playing time in Laval this year. And he’ll be interesting to watch, to say the least.

I’m going to end this text by throwing flowers to the team’s fans. A lot of them turned out this morning to cheer on the Montreal Canadiens’ new generation, and quite frankly, it was a sight to behold.

David Reinbacher also received a warm welcome from those in attendance. I’m sure the young man was pleased to see the fans behind him, after receiving threats on social networks following his selection in the 5th round of the last NHL draft.


In gusts

– Hehe.

– He knows what he has to do.

– Too bad…

– This is not good.

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