AHL: Price is Right for Montreal Prospects

Although the Montreal Canadiens failed to make the playoffs, the Hamilton Bulldogs (their AHL affiliate) finished the regular season with 95 points to place third in the AHL's North Division, for a berth in the Calder Cup playoffs. The Bulldogs also received an added boost in goal as Canada's world junior hero – Carey Price, made his pro debut for the Bulldogs after his WHL season ended. McKeen's reviews several Bulldogs who had healthy and productive seasons.

Carey Price (Mtl), G, Hamilton

Signed a three-year deal following a four-year career at Tri-City in the WHL that ended after a first-round loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds .. played very well in his first AHL game, which was the last home game of the regular season for the Bulldogs .. showed he could handle the pressure allowing only one goal on 25-plus shots before a capacity crowd of 10,000 .. a great skater who moves swiftly across the crease and while his positioning is solid, he also has quick reflexes and a natural athleticism that makes him very hard to beat .. looks bigger and appears to have filled out a bit since the beginning of the year .. is active when playing the puck but also very cautious not to overplay it .. did a good job stopping the dump and chase halting any sort of an attack for the opposing team .. good rebound control and rarely surrendered one .. always set when sliding across as his technique is flawless .. very cool and composed in his professional debut and should get plenty of time for the Bulldogs during the playoffs, as Jaroslav Halak has left to play in the World Championships for Slovakia .. the tandem of Halak and Huet gives the Canadiens extraordinary depth in the goaltending position however, Price should become a No. 1 goalie for the Canadiens soon enough.

Ryan O'Byrne (Mtl), D, Hamilton

The tallest defender on the team failed to score a goal in his rookie season but he did post admirable numbers considering his lack of PP time .. made solid developments throughout the season including a five-game point streak in February .. is slow to move the puck up-ice at times, and his passing accuracy is still off when he tries to find options .. does a good job protecting the puck at the line with his big frame, as opponents cannot get around him .. average skater, as his reverse and lateral movement is okay .. he often plays against the oppositions best players and is quite aggressive in front of his goal when removing bodies .. his development is not unlike Mike Komisarek as a big, physical specimen who likes to hit .. has a good slapshot however, it is unlikely he will put up offensive totals in the NHL but should get his chance in two years.

Andre Benoit (Mtl), D, Hamilton

Free agent signing equalled a club high with goals scored by a defenseman with 10 .. his game is still raw but there is no denying that he can be a valuable contributor on the PP, as his puckhandling skills and shot are weapons .. he is very smart and does not wire a shot if a simple wristshot will do, as he has both power and accuracy behind them and is smart as far as his selection .. great vision and is able to thread passes that launch an attack the other way .. still makes mistakes with the puck, throwing it up the middle and making poor pinches .. average feet and limited speed in the straight away, so he must establish position fast because he will not win any foot races .. slowly coming along and is a serviceable defender at this level that should be able to lead all defensemen in team scoring next season.

Kyle Chipchura (Mtl), C, Hamilton

Has managed to blossom and improve his game this year .. using his speed and more importantly his size more effectively to drive the net and create chances .. defenders had a very hard time with him this season when he got his feet moving and made his way to the net .. finding his spots better, as his hockey sense has always been there and it was just a matter of getting familiar with the league, which he managed to do this season .. decent skater, he moves his feet all the time to off set his limited first step but can make up open-ice once he gets going .. his puckhandling skills (especially in the neutral zone) coupled with modest speed makes him very difficult to play against, as he is shifty and strong coming into the zone .. has soft hands and makes plays in tight quarters .. while it is unlikely that he will be a scorer at the NHL level, look for him to pick up his offensive stats next year, as 25 goals is not out of the question in the AHL .. should see a sniff as early as next season as an injury call-up but probably will not see regular NHL duty for another two seasons.

Maxim Lapierre (Mtl), C, Hamilton

Worked very hard this season and it finally paid off, as he was recalled on two separate occasions and played more than half the year in the NHL with the parent club .. leads by example with his strong commitment to two-way play .. seemed slightly out of sync, as his experience in the NHL may have thrown off his game at the AHL level .. played with Zach Stortini and he did not help matters by abandoning his position regularly, forcing Lapierre to cover his assignments .. fluid skater and very shifty .. not much left to prove at this level, as he is more than capable of playing at the NHL level however, leading his team deep into the playoffs would bode well for his confidence in all areas of his game.

Jonathan Ferland (Mtl), RW, Hamilton

In what must have been considered a make-or-break year for Ferland, he decided to make the best of his opportunity and lend his name to the score sheet with more regularity this season .. a hard-nosed winger that works for his ice and would rather go through players than around them .. commands respect on the ice with his physical style of play .. competes on every shift and goes hard to the net .. not the best hands but his determination results in points scored .. strength along the boards enables him to make healthy centring feeds and create chances .. should be a healthy contributor in the playoffs as his grinding game is better served for the postseason.

Matt D'Agostini (Mtl), RW, Hamilton

Has been an offensive dynamo, as his presence on the PP gives the Bulldogs many options, as he is lethal on the half boards .. very agile and shifty and can burn you a number of different ways with open ice .. his play five feet from the net is slick, as he disguises his actions and can either make a great saucer pass in traffic or wire a wristshot, which has considerable zip to it .. his play along the boards is non-existent and he is reluctant and at times appears afraid to assert himself physically in any capacity .. made great strides but many facets of his overall game should improve with added experience at this level.