AHL: Bulldogs No Locke to Repeat

The Montreal Canadiens have relied heavily on the wealth of prospects that the AHL Champion Hamilton Bulldogs have produced with several of their players already making an NHL impact this season. However, for the Bulldogs, it has not come without a cost, as they have suffered through inconsistent play fighting to hit the .500 mark.

Pavel Valentenko (Mtl), D, Hamilton Bulldogs

Tough and gritty European thriving in his first year of North American hockey .. strong skater with quick all-access mobility and rapid foot speed .. moves the puck hard and to the correct man coming out of his own end, although he could show more touch and poise at times, as he tends to just slap it away every now and then .. looks okay on the point where his missile of a shot is a real weapon .. has a good feel for the game, as he is usually in position and knows when to display some urgency or poise to his approach .. highly competitive and aggressive defender that is raw in terms of technique and positioning but is effective thanks to his strength, mobility, and willingness to take the body .. utilizes an active stick while defending and is a willing shot blocker .. defends well off the rush, as he maintains a tight gap and angles his man to the wall well .. aggressively plays the body, as he protects his crease well and can neutralize his man with a stiff jolt along the wall .. well on track to make an NHL impact within a couple of years.

Jaroslav Halak (Mtl), G, Hamilton Bulldogs

The puck must look like a beach ball out there for this seasoned-AHL veteran, as he makes it look too easy while clearly displaying his NHL talent .. blessed with quick limbs, as his athletic glove hand and rapid kick saves are most impressive .. his great technique allows him to play big in the net without having to over aggressively challenge the shooter .. displays a compact butterfly that gives the shooter few holes to look at and he keeps his shoulders upright to cover the upper portion of the net .. anticipates the play around him incisively and he utilizes his effortless lateral movement to get himself square to all oncoming attacks .. poised and controlled in his movements, he is a patient goaltender that makes the shooter make the first move .. does a fine job limiting secondary chances with his refined rebound control .. displays the ability to recover quickly and never resorting to flopping around, instead he just calmly shuffles side-to-side from the butterfly to get set and cover the lower portion of the net while facing a secondary attempt .. still a prized prospect that will attract interest from other NHL teams if Montreal puts him on the trading block.

Mathieu Carle (Mtl), D, Hamilton Bulldogs

Rookie defenseman with good offensive instincts and skill, although his poor mobility is concerning .. bit of a sluggish skater that needs to improve his first step and the fluidity to his pivots, as he can be exposed on the defensive side of the puck by the quicker opposition .. stride overall is too short and lacks a burst behind it .. sees the ice well and makes a quick headman pass while disguising his intentions well by looking off the opposition before moving it .. possesses the offensive instincts you look for, as he is at his best when he decides to jump into the rush and owns highly skilled hands with a great wristshot that can pick corners when streaking down the slot .. stocky and while he is not a real physical presence, he will take the body and take a hit to make a play .. not trusted with much icetime in defensive situations yet, as he still has a long ways to go.

Corey Locke (Mtl), C, Hamilton Bulldogs

Diminutive but skilled playmaking center that received his first cup of tea in the NHL just recently but failed to get into game action, as his equipment was delayed in transport .. skating is no longer an issue, as he moves his feet with and without the puck, and he displays a healthy stride with quick foot speed and a nice length to it .. size however, is still an issue, as he is mostly a perimeter player that only excels in the open ice and is easily neutralized once body contact is established .. creative playmaker that is almost unselfish to a fault that quarterbacks the powerplay from the point where he displays his great vision and a real presence with the puck ....his hands are skilled and he owns a quick shot from both sides of his stick, although he needs to be more selfish at times and utilize these gifts to finish the offense himself .. currently playing on the penalty kill for his ability to transition a turnover into an instant offensive opportunity .. skilled and smart but he needs to be in an offensive role to succeed and he will not be able to achieve that in the NHL.

Matt D'Agostini (Mtl), RW, Hamilton Bulldogs

Explosive and skilled winger that can break the game open with his offensive exploits, as he is dangerous through the neutral zone at full speed .. fast skater with a strong stride and powerful acceleration, although he tends glide around after taking just a few strides .. his hands are soft and he owns dynamic quick-strike ability, as he has a great release with the ability to pick corners while attacking the net at full speed .. cerebral in his approach, as he shows poise with the puck and adequate vision .. does a sufficient job in his own end and will take deep-lying defensive zone positions to aide in the defensive coverage .. his lack of toughness is the concern, as despite being strong and willing to give a hit, he is hesitant to take one and will even purposely lose a foot race so he does not have to pay the price .. added urgency shift-to-shift and an upgraded motor would benefit him also .. has NHL skill but lacks NHL fortitude at this point.

Ryan Russell (Mtl), C, Hamilton Bulldogs

Quick and astute two-way center with a detailed game .. a hunched-over skater that moves quickly in all directions, as he displays the speed to separate from the opposition and the speed to effectively pressure the opposition's puckcarrier .. not a top-end offensive guy, although he does display the ability to distribute the puck effectively and he will go to the net looking for loose change .. utilized on the penalty kill, as he will go down low to help get the puck out and he often positions himself properly on the defensive side of the puck .. anticipates the play soundly and while he is not a buzz-saw-type-of-player, he will venture in traffic areas without hesitation, despite his smallish stature .. nothing sexy but he was a good investment to acquire from the New York Rangers.

Greg Stewart (Mtl), LW, Hamilton Bulldogs

Big and powerful physical winger that can be a force when driving up and down the ice .. north/south-type winger with great strength and toughness making him a prized physical presence on the ice .. not explosive in tight spaces or blessed great agility, however, he is sturdy on his feet with a long and strong stride that propels his impressive top gear .. offensively lacks finesse and he does not see the ice well, although there is not any quit in him, as he drives hard through checks and is strong on the puck when coming down the wing .. physical player that takes the body hard and he's so strong on the boards that guys just bounce off him .. could be an effective checking-line player if he continues to progress.

Jonathan Ferland (Mtl), RW, Hamilton Bulldogs

Big and competitive winger that provides a solid two-way physical presence .. an upright skater that moves adequately in all directions and displays adequate speed once he gains some momentum, although he lacks quickness out of the gates .. big man with a good motor and great work rate that opens up the ice for his linemates with his stiff body checks and strong play along the wall .. there is not much to him offensively, although he competes in the corners and in front of the oppositions net .. well groomed defensively, as he plays on the penalty kill and does a fine job blocking shots .. not much upside here, although he plays well along the wall and has the look of a grinder.

Mathieu Aubin (Mtl), C, Hamilton Bulldogs

Continues to struggle keeping up with the pace of the pro game, as his sluggish acceleration and slow processing skills often keep him chasing after the play .. despite his poor acceleration and first step, he does own a strong stride and moves well in open ice .. possesses a healthy-sized frame and is very sturdy on his feet in traffic .. his struggles are not for lack of effort, as he does stay involved and competes at both ends of the puck .. displays glimpses of offensive skill and the ability to finish, although he needs a major breakthrough soon to be thought of as a legitimate NHL prospect.

Andrew Archer (Mtl), D, Hamilton Bulldogs

Colossal defenseman that moves around the ice well enough but his lack of urgency and smarts will likely seal his fate of never making the NHL .. lacks a top gear, as his stride needs to be lengthened however, he moves smoothly in all directions for a player of his size and uses his lateral movement well on the point to open up shooting lanes for his decent shot .. does not see the ice well, as he struggles to make the first pass .. seems to be very coachable, as his defensive play is robotic and will do what he is told, such as taking away the passing lanes around his net on the penalty kill .. however, he lacks the ability to sense the play developing around him .. you also wish he were instinctive and nastier while defending, as he could use his size more to become a physical presence out there .. not NHL material.

Jean-Philippe Cote (Mtl), D, Hamilton Bulldogs

The Hamilton Bulldogs alternate captain leads by example with his heart-and-soul performances .. clunky but strong skater with good bursts of speed in both his straight-line and lateral movements .. not a naturally skilled player, Cote knows and plays within his limitations by making safe decisions and accepting the role of a stay-at home defenseman .. displays sound gap control and he readily takes the body .. makes safe and simple decisions with the puck, as it is either off the glass or hard off the wall when coming out of his own end .. what you see is what you get, there is no hidden upside here but he is the type of player teams like to have in their system to provide depth if injuries strike.