While the Habs spent a good chunk of the month of February in an offensive
funk, the same can’t be said for many of their prospects. Whether it was
players stepping up with the Bulldogs or junior prospects continuing to lead the
way for their respective teams, there was no shortage of quality candidates for
the next instalment of our monthly prospect three stars.
Hamilton Bulldogs
1st Star: Daniel Carr – The forward that no one gave any real
thought to when he signed has officially hit the radar. Carr was by far
Hamilton’s most dangerous forward throughout the month. He has found a
home on their top line alongside a couple of others who also make an appearance
on this list to give the Bulldogs a quality top line. His impressive play
has been recognized around the league as well as Carr was named AHL Rookie of
the Month for February.
Stats: 11 GP, 10 goals, 2 assists, 12 points, +12 rating, 31 shots, 0
PIMS
2nd Star: Gabriel Dumont – He missed the beginning of the month
while he was up with the Canadiens but the captain certainly made up for lost
time. Dumont scored a couple of very timely goals while his all-around
play was strong. It has taken a long time but it finally seems that he has
found a way to consistently elevate his offensive game.
Stats: 8 GP, 3 goals, 6 assists, 9 points, even rating, 23 shots, 15
PIMS
3rd Star: Charles Hudon – His goal scoring has dried right up
but it’s not for a lack of chances. Hudon isn’t catching anyone by
surprise anymore; as one of the leading point getters in the league, he’s the
player that other teams are planning around. Fortunately, he continues to
find ways to produce as a member of the new front line showing that he can get
the job done even with the tighter checking.
Stats: 11 GP, 1 goal, 10 assists, 11 points, +9 rating, 25 shots, 20
PIMS
Honourable Mention Sven Andrighetto – After a rough stretch
upon being sent down by the Habs a while back, Andrighetto showed signs that he
is coming out of his slump. While he has shown his goal scoring prowess in
the past, his playmaking skills were featured in February as he set up Carr for
quite a few tallies.
Stats: 11 GP, 3 goals, 8 assists, 11 points, +3 rating, 23 shots, 14
PIMS
Other Prospects
1st Star: Tim Bozon (Kootenay, WHL) – His overage season has
been full of ups and downs but the month of February was one of the ups.
He always has been a proficient goal scorer but he took that element of his game
to another level last month, averaging almost a goal per game. Now, he
needs to sustain his strong play and not fall into a lull as has happened this
season after a good stretch of games.
Stats: 12 GP, 11 goals, 4 assists, 15 points, -4 rating, 9 PIMS
2nd Star: Michael McCarron (Oshawa, OHL) – McCarron has had to
adjust to a completely different style of play since joining the Generals which
has resulted in some slumps and a drop in production. He’s showing signs
that he’s turning it around though while getting more comfortable in the new
system. McCarron is more of a complementary piece with Oshawa compared to
London earlier this year but he’ll still be a big factor in their success.
Stats: 9 GP, 1 goal, 11 assists, 12 points, +10 rating, 16 PIMS
3rd Star: Nikita Scherbak (Everett, WHL) – While the ‘warts’ in
his game have started to generate more attention lately, Scherbak just keeps on
producing. He’s the go-to guy on the Silvertips and while we’d all like to
see more consistency in terms of his effort level, he’s doing his job for the
most part as long as he keeps leading the way for them. It’s way too early
to be getting worried about Scherbak.
Stats: 13 GP, 5 goals, 9 assists, 14 points, +6 rating, 14 PIMS
Honourable Mention: Daniel Audette (Sherbrooke, QMJHL) – Both
Quebec League skater prospects (the other being Jeremy Gregoire) could have had
this spot but I’ll go with Audette this month as he hasn’t been featured lately.
Audette is one of their top offensive players most nights but hasn’t brought
much else to the table which has prevented him from being on this list too
often. The production is nice, especially on a team that’s still fighting
for a spot in the standings but the Phoenix need him to be more than a
one-dimensional player come the postseason.
Stats: 11 GP, 6 goals, 8 assists, 14 points, -10 rating, 14 PIMS, 37
shots