Turnaround: Kent Hughes and the CH could release three youngsters this summer, including two goalies

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Julien Trekker
March 19, 2023 (8:27 PM)

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Earlier this week, the Montreal Canadiens announced that they have signed Jayden Struble to a two-year NHL entry-level contract, effective from next season. The defenseman can join the Laval Rocket immediately, as he has also signed an AHL contract for the remainder of the campaign.

Despite this signing, Kent Hughes still has big decisions to make regarding his prospects. He must sign three young players soon if he doesn't want to lose their rights. These players are goaltenders Frederic Dichow and Joe Vrbetic, and forward Jack Gorniak.

The key name here is obviously Dichow.

As mentioned by the excellent Andrew Zadarnowski, it's expected that both goaltenders will be signed, but perhaps not Gorniak. An AHL contract would be a good option to evaluate him against men for a season.

According to Zadarnowski, another Canadiens prospect who could soon sign with the Laval Rocket is defenseman Miguel Tourigny. He recently finished his season in Slovakia, having left for Europe last fall to play with Dukla Trencin in the Extraliga.

In his first season with the Slovak team, Tourigny scored 6 goals and recorded 20 assists for a total of 26 points in 43 games. He ranks fifth among his team's scorers with this tally.

Finally, as we reported this Friday morning, the Canadiens could soon announce that Emil Heineman will finish the season with the Rocket.

It will be interesting to see how Jean-François Houle juggles these additions if all these players end up with the Laval Rocket. The Laval team is currently in the playoff hunt, three points behind the Rochester Americans for the final playoff spot.

The coach will face the difficult dilemma of fielding the best possible lineup to qualify or inserting young players for development. He will undoubtedly find the right way to combine both possibilities!

A story to follow!