Les Vikings de Saint-Eustache

It's hard to think of a team that has been more enjoyable to watch game after game than the Vikings, but sadly for them, they just seemed to peek at the wrong time. But still, as a team with some talented 15 year-olds and two 14 year-olds, the developments of the season were very interesting to say the least.

To start things, it only seems appropriate to discuss Charles Hudon. A small-framed center, Hudon has what some described as 'the best hands in the league', and it is a claim with some definite merit. Plus, to back it up, he has excellent vision on the ice, regularly playing the point on the first power play unit which allowed him to make the most of his abilities. He is a speedy forward, but seldom uses it to create offense. Instead, he slows the game down to better see his options and then pounce on the opposition. It is nothing to worry about, as the best goal I saw all year came with him using his speed and his hands. As a matter of a fact, I would argue that his slowing the game down is a major point in his favor, because I fell that he can now add the ability to create offense with his speed thus making him even more of a threat. A player with good vision and smooth hands whom can slow the game down with the man advantage and create havoc with his speed five on five is one dangerous offensive weapon. However, there are some draw backs, in that he can sometimes be soft. His passes can get very soft on the power play and there are some nights where he will shy away from physical play, and that is a major red flag. Junior hockey is nowhere as forgiving as Midget AAA hockey in this regard, and some teams will prefer players who compete harder when confronted with physical play. Still, once passed the early picks, a team looking for some offense will grab him, knowing they will surely have to push him a little, maybe even give him some size on his wing, because he can set them up and finish like few can.

If Charles Hudon finished the season as the top ranked prospect, it certainly didn't start off like that. During training camp, it was Marc-Olivier Roy who was wowing the crowds. Sure he was another small forward, but he possessed an explosive skating stride. He quickly demonstrated he was a quality player in all three zones and a skilled stickhandler, but that was during training camp and the season didn't go as well as any hoped it would. It started well and he was quickly emerging as a first round player, as he was progressing very well during the first few weeks of the season. I can remember a September game against Collège Esther-Blondin where Roy was the best player on the ice for either team. His explosive skating was getting better (if you can believe it) and he was pulling some great dekes with the puck. But, shortly after, he seemed to hit a wall. His skating lost all of its explosion and made it hard for him to produce anything offensively, as everything he created came from using those wheels of his. The whole situation seemed an awful lot like Alexander Semin's a few years back when he played through a lower-body injury in the first half of the season. To Roy's defense, he seemed to start getting his step back right before the holidays, but never back to a level where it was as dominant versus his opposition as it was before. This severel limited his offensive effectiveness because:

A) as previously mentionned, he creates offense with his explosiveness
B) for all the stickhandling skills he has, he is not a goal scorer. Lack of finish is real hole in his game, his points mostly being assists
C) He lost his spot on the power play for a while and even dropped to the bottom of the line-up, cutting into his icetime on a number of nights

In the end, he projects as Jan Bulis-type player, and I really mean that in a very flattering way, because he will do everything you can ask of a player and do it quite well, except score. Were I drafting, I would seriously investigate into him having suffered and played through an injury (because it sure smells like it... players just don't lose explosive skating). If so, the masses would project him as a later pick for 15 year-olds and some team will be getting a steal.

Somewhat lost in the shuffle was Mathieu Lemay, who did draw some attention early on but really came out late in the year. A jack of all trade but master of none, he had a strong playoff series against Châteauguay. Not flashy by any means, but if you follow him around, you can appreciate his reliable contribution. But what makes him quite appealing is his potential. There is a whole other level of hockey inside that frame of his that needs to come out, and while Christophe Lalonde had the better season between the two, down the line, Lemay should be better player. I say this based on the facts that Lemay has more tools but simply lacks polishing, while Lalonde has fewer tools, but the ones he has are further ahead in their development. For instance, Lemay competes and goes into traffic, but Lalonde just foes into corners with little regard for his well being. But, the end result is that Lalonde accomplishes only a little more than Lemay, because Lemay makes a better read. I would classify Lemay as a project type player who needs some seasoning but that can become a valuable asset by age 17.

Speaking of Lalonde, I do respect the fact he had a strong season this year, but I am not sold. I would hope some other team picks him up as I question just how much better of a player can he become. He progressed this year, but not by much in the second half of the season and that worries me. Here's hoping he proves me wrong.

But, one player who did progress quite well was defenseman Sébastien Latendresse. Starting off the year as defensive defenseman, his mobility continously progressed as the season went along and he started chipping into the offense more and more because of it. By season's end, he was a very useful player and should definitely go once the draft gets to the 16 year-olds. He might even make it as a bottom defenseman at 17, but will most likely need some seasoning.

And another '93 birthday who will get his name called is forward Christophe Déry. While not a goal scorer, he is a responsible two-way forward (whom killed his fair share of penalties) and can move the puck very well. Think of a poor man's Niklas Sundstrom.

Some random observations:

- G Francis Desrosiers was the best goalie in the league this year on every level except on shots to his glove hand. He has trouble catching pucks and a lot (if not most) goals scored on him were glove side (including overtime winners). The rest of his game is top notch however.

- From the moment he showed up for his first game this season, it was obvious D Vincent Richer lived in the gym last summer. He showed up a lot bigger than last year and the results paid off. When he used his size, he was just crushing opponents like an adult would a child. But, it was understandable that he got sent down from PEI as he would only compete for one or two shifts a game. He eventually got called up and when sent down again, he came back a different defenseman. Second time around, he was competing hard every shift. The stint in PEI did him some good and I would fully expect that he step in a QMJHL line-up next season. For the fans of the team he does this for, expect an Al Iafrate-type guy, for whom when the engine starts pumping, is a real threat from the back end.

- Here's giving some recognition for Matthew Boudreau's tremondous progress this season. I must admit, I never would have expected him to compete for the scoring championship, even if he was a returning veteran, but he did. For Halifax fans, Boudreau is a center that may not 'wow' you with flash & dash, but he slows the game down on the power play and just picks you apart.

- Two 14 year-olds an a team is quite an accomplishment, and to the Vikings credit, both Philippe Venne and Justin Vanier-Guenette looked like they belong. Expect them to cause a lot of dammage next season and make Florian-Guindon arena a scouting hot spot.