On February 4th we saw Gatineau take on the Val-d’Or Foreurs. Here are the NHL prospects who stood out to our Neutral Zone scouts in attendance.
Remi Poirier (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Goalie
Game Grade: B, The 24th ranked goaltender in North America by NHL Central Scouting, Poirier came through for Gatineau here. He gave up 4 goals on 35 shots, but shut it down with 17 saves in the 3rd period and OT, as well as stopping all three shots he faced in the Shootout for the extra point. Poirier made saves on a few scoring chances, and managed to control his rebounds to a certain degree. His mobility and side-to-side athleticism looked fluid, though we feel he lateral quickness will improve as he continues to train. Poirier didn’t seem to get rattled or lose focus and made the big saves when needed. Neutral Zone has him rated as a ‘C’ for the draft in June.
Kiernan Craig (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
Game Grade: A-, Craig had a very productive outing for the Olympiques, finishing with 1 goal and 3 assists in the contest. He started the game’s scoring off with a good read in the first minute–picking off an errant pass, following up his shot and finishing it. He did not stop there, tallying two assists in the first. Craig’s work ethic stuck out, and he is an important member of the Gatineau club–seeing ice time in all situations. He kills penalties, is out there on the man-advantage, battles hard and generates opportunities at even strength. He blocked shots and finished checks on the forecheck. Craig skates well and leads the Olympiques in shots. He is in his second year of draft eligibility.
David Aebischer (4 Star Rating, NHL Grade — Free Agent) Defense
Game Grade: B+, Aebischer, a Swiss-born right-shot D-man, had an impact on the game for Gatineau. He was active offensively, shooting pucks on net and jumping up in the play offensively joining the rush. Sporting an “A” on his jersey–Aebischer plays in all situations for the Olympiques. He cleared pucks on the PK, and showed a good ability to shoot for sticks on the PP. His assist came on a point shot that was deflected in front on the Powerplay, and his goal–an important one to tie it at 4–came on a sniped shot, bar-down, after he jumped up on the rush. Though his celebration was tame and nonchalant, the goal was impressive. An older junior player, Aebischer could look to try and extend his career to the pro ranks.
Manix Landry (4 Star Amateur Rating, 2021 NHL Grade – C+) Forward
Game Grade: B, Landry is a talented center for Gatineau, centering their most prominent forward line. He showed good skating ability, as well as skill and high-level vision. He won 12 of his 21 draws, had a good stick on the forecheck, and showed an ability to use his body to protect the puck. He knew when to shoot the puck with traffic looking for rebounds, and made an outstanding pass in the neutral zone on the Powerplay to break his teammate for a goal. He was a positive player here, and as a late-2002 born skater is not eligible for the NHL Draft until June 2021.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
Game Evaluation: William White