Position: D
Shoots: Left
Height: 5’8″
Weight: 190
Birth Date: 10/17/1975
Birth Country: USA (New York)
Year Drafted: 1999
Round Drafted: 0
Overall Choice: 0
Salary 2003/04: $500,000.00
HW 2004 Mid-Season Scouting Report
One of the guys everyone loves to hate, he’s made the team because of what he does and not that he does it a few inches shorter than everyone else. While many might say he’s deficient defensively, the reality is that he’s an effective defenseman who’s positional play is sound and physical play is second-to-none on this club. The problem he encounters arises when playing against significantly larger players who have the ability to push him off without much effort.
Cube, or Bubbles as I like to call him (but not to his face, he’s whomp my butt) is on this team because he’s confident, and plays the game he’s told to play. A particular strength of his lies in his work with the puck as he’s a very good skater. He has the ability to transport the puck himself during transition and though sometimes he over-handles it and that can lead to problems, he’s got the speed, and more importantly the tenacity, to work recovering from his errors.
I’ve always called him the best number seven defenseman in hockey, and I stick to that. On a contending team, and by this I mean Cup contending, he’s the depth guy you love to have. If he’s in your regular six, it means you’re deficient at the back in all likelihood (or your top four are studs). His place on this team is basically assured, particularly on a fairly shallow left side, until a rookie supplants him with better play. My guess is that he’s safe at the very least for this season, and may very well have his spot next year as well. Certainly, he plays the system and doesn’t rock the boat – he’s here for a reason.
Francis Bouillon signed as a free agent with the Montréal Canadiens on August 18, 1998. One year later, he made his NHL debut with the Canadiens and recorded 68 hits, 52 blocked shots and 16 points in 74 games. In 2000-01, he knocked 42 hits in 29 NHL games.