Michael McCarron and Zachary Fucale were both selected by the Habs in the 2013 entry draft (25th and 36th overall, respectively) and have both already signed their entry-level contracts. Both are expected to turn pro this Fall with the Hamil... err... St. John's Ice Caps, but before they put a cap on their junior careers, they have one last goal in sight: the MasterCard Memorial Cup.
For McCarron, it was an interesting bounce back season after a difficult OHL debut in 2013-14. Starting the year strong for the London Knights, McCarron was unable to erase lingering doubts in the minds of Team USA scouts, particularly when it came to discipline, resulting in his being left off the World Junior Championship roster.
Despite being among the leaders of their conference, the Knights then made a bold move for their future, dealing McCarron (and his 41 points in the first 25 games) to the Oshawa Generals, a move that would prove fortuitous for the 6'6" youngster (speaking of which, can we start a movement to have I'm an Albatraoz as McCarron's personal goal song?).
When McCarron's production dipped after the move (following , many were quick to point to his London linemate Max Domi has having inflated his early season numbers. While that may have been true to an extent, the Generals were focused on developing McCarron's defensive game, assigning him shutdown responsibilities and playing him primarily at center. The points game eventually, in no small part due to the American's willingness to drive the net on the powerplay, and he ended the season with 28 goals and 68 points in 56 games.
The best was arguably yet to come for McCarron, as his Generals went on to capture the OHL championship to secure a Memorial Cup berth. In the post-season, he finished tied for third on his team in goals with 9 in 21 games, and tied for fourth on the team in points with 18. A huge turnaround for a player many were writing off a year ago, and now some are going as far as to pencil in to the starting lineup in Montreal.
McCarron wasn't the only Habs' prospect to be dealt to a better club in the CHL this year. Following his gold-medal performance at the World Junior Championship (though let's be honest - he was far from pivotal to Team Canada's conquest), Zach Fucale was dealt from the Halifax Mooseheads to the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL, looking to improve on a shaky start to the season behind a weak club. To the surprise of many, Fucale's numbers were actually worse in Quebec than they had been in Halifax, posting a dismal .877 save percentage (vs. .890) and a 3.22 GAA (vs. 3.20).
How difficult a go was it for the young Rosemere native? So much so that the Remparts stapled their prized trade acquisition to the bench to begin the post-season, opting to start Callum Booth instead.
But Booth's net proved as inviting as one of his namesakes nestled in a warmly lit corner of a trendy restaurant in the first few games, and his team quickly found themselves in a hole. Turning to Fucale was a calculated risk for head coach Philippe Boucher, but one that would pay off, as the netminder helped take them all the way to game 7 of the QMJHL finals, where they ultimately dropped a heartbreaker 2-1 in overtime last night. Fucale's playoff save percentage of .913 in 20 games was better than he had posted during any regular season of his junior career, and just shy of his best playoffs - a .918 in 2013 on an utterly dominant Halifax squad that would go on to win the Memorial Cup.
Unlike McCarron, Fucale's Memorial Cup status wasn't up for grabs in the post-season as the Remparts will host this year's tournament, but it's still encouraging to see both Canadiens prospects upping their games when the chips were down. Fucale's bid for a second conquest opens Friday against Kelowna, while McCarron and the Generals face-off against Quebec league champions Rimouski on Saturday.
At this stage, neither prospects is a sure bet to be an impact NHLer, and both have seen their names floated in internet trade rumours over the course of the past year. When you look at moves made by Marc Bergevin to bring in guys like Dale Weise, Torrey Mitchell, and Brian Flynn, it's doubtful the GM would be actively shopping someone of McCarron's ilk, as at the very least, he should be able to play a New York Rangers era Brian Boyle-like role on a fourth line.
Fucale, however, is likely to draw interest from other clubs, and may not be as safe a bet to remain Montreal property. While it never hurts to have a future tender in the pipeline, seeing how he develops at the pro level is a gamble, particularly if another team (like, say, the Edmonton Oilers) is willing to part with an attractive asset to take on that risk. Bergevin managed to pluck a seemingly future NHL calibre goalie in Mike Condon from the college ranks, but keep in mind Condon is a full 5 years older than Fucale, so there is hardly a risk to having both on the farm. The only complication might be that an ideal situation would be a true veteran to mentor Fucale in his first year in the AHL, and while Condon appears to be a great teammate and locker room guy, he has only 56 American League regular season games to his name at this point.
Then there's the question of Dustin Tokarski in Montreal, who was unable to repeat his heroics of the 2014 post-season in sparse duty this season. Tokarski is a reasonable back-up by most accounts, but wouldn't be terribly difficult to dislodge if one of the other keepers earns that chance.
My bet would be on both McCarron and Fucale showing up to camp in Brossard in September, but in order for the Canadiens to get over the hump as a mid-tier playoff team, they will at some point have to sacrifice some young futures for immediate reinforcements. The question marks (upside for McCarron, consistency for Fucale) on both of these prospects might limit their value to the point of the return not being worth the risk. But the puzzle for Marc Bergevin and his staff will remain who to give up, who to target, and just as critically, when.