It's easy to get lost in it, as there are many names, but let's focus here mainly on the missing names.
Aside from the injured players, there are two notable players who are absent.
These are two players who could be important for the Habs in the coming years, but for now, they need to focus on their development in junior leagues.
They are two recent draft picks of the organization, including Thorpe, who had a stellar rookie camp, especially against the Toronto Maple Leafs prospects, but both are players who need to refine their game in the junior leagues for now.
Tyler Thorpe, 19 years old, is a 6-foot-4, 209-pound forward. He was a fifth-round pick by the Canadiens in 2024 and scored 44 points in 51 games in the WHL last season.
Owen Protz, 18 years old, is a 6-foot-1, 213-pound forward. He was a fourth-round pick by the Canadiens in 2024 and recorded 12 points in 30 games last season in the OHL. He is a very physical player.
It will be interesting to keep an eye on them this season, and I truly believe it was a wise decision not to bring them to the main camp right away.
This is just a postponement, and especially in Thorpe's case, I absolutely expect the scenario to be different next season.
The Canadiens unveil the list of players invited to rookie camp.
Montreal has thus announced that Thorpe and Protz will already report to their junior teams. These are technically the first two players confirmed not to play with the Habs this year. (no surprise)
POLL | ||
19 SEPTEMBRE | 638 ANSWERS Two prospects will be missing the Canadiens' camp and will return to their juniors teams Which one has the best chance of making the Montreal Canadiens' 2024 opening lineup, in your opinion? | ||
Florian Xhekaj | 212 | 33.2 % |
Michael Pezzetta | 278 | 43.6 % |
Emil Heineman | 130 | 20.4 % |
Sean Farrell | 18 | 2.8 % |
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