What is the succession of the Montreal Canadiens between the two posts? According to popular opinion, it boils down to Jakub Dobes, who shines with Ohio State University.
More savvy experts will put forward the name of Swede Frederik Dichöw despite his setbacks with Frölunda this season. Some will still believe in the potential of Cayden Primeau.
But as a general rule, almost no one will mention Emmett Croteau. However, the CH sees it in its soup. Croteau is the first and only goaltender drafted so far in the Gorton-Hughes era. The Habs claimed this Albertan, holder of Métis status thanks to his mother’s roots, in the sixth round (162e in total) last summer. Goalkeeper experts within the organization hold the hopeful in “very high regard,” according to co-director of amateur scouting Nick Bobrov.
And, without fanfare, Croteau went on to dominate the USHL this season with the Waterloo Black Hawks. He has similar stats to Dobes at the same age, in his senior year on the U.S. Junior Tour.
“I’m a big guy [de 6 pi et 3 po, nous confirme le principal intéressé] having the specialty of moving well for his size, said Croteau when asked to describe himself by TVASports.ca. It’s the foundation of my game; I can follow the puck effectively. For me, each goalkeeper is unique. Goalkeeping is an art and you have to paint your own masterpiece.”
Croteau is second in the USHL in save percentage (.915) and fourth in goals- once morest average (2.50). These figures are all the more impressive because the USHL is a league that puts goaltenders to the test, due to the disheveled and fast nature of junior hockey.
It was certainly a factor that prompted Croteau to play another season there before heading to the NCAA: the volume of work, both in terms of games played and shots received, would contribute to his growth. On the day of the draft, Bobrov had however indicated that Croteau would report this year to Clarkson University.
“I thought that an additional year in the junior would be beneficial for my development, explained the imposing goalkeeper on the telephone. I wanted to make sure I was 100% ready before going to college. It was a personal decision and the Canadian accepted it.
Now that he’s been on his way and recovered from an injury that sidelined him for more than a month, from December 28 to February 10 – an injury he has preferred to keep confidential, as he has every right to do – Croteau feels ready for the next step.
“If I continue this momentum, I should be correct,” he launched as an understatement.
Vincent Riendeau’s project
For the vast majority of Habs prospects, the bulk of communication with the organization goes through director of development Rob Ramage.
However, guardians are a different species that require a different approach. If he also discusses from time to time with Ramage, it is especially with Vincent Riendeau that Croteau has to do.
Rather unknown to the public, Riendeau occupies an extremely important position in the shadows with the Canadiens, that of director of goaltending development. The collaboration between Riendeau and Croteau began at the team’s development camp last August.
“With Vinny, we try to work around my strengths [mon gabarit, notamment], noted the young Cerberus. Last summer, one aspect we were working on was my weight transfer when I make a save. Vinny wants me to swing my body towards the puck to absorb it, instead of just moving my arms.”
Croteau is also the type to challenge the shooter rather than stay deep in his semi-circle. He draws a lot of inspiration from Carey Price and Andrei Vasilevskiy, since they have a similar build to his.
Price, you guessed it, was his favorite player growing up.
It was the eventual and seemingly inevitable retirement of Price that confronted both fans and the Canadiens with the importance of betting on a solid succession in the goaltending position. A position that has long been taken for granted, of course, in Montreal.
But before advancing that this succession is only due to one man, Jakub Dobes, it is still necessary to analyze all the contenders. And Emmett Croteau, as a project, is one.
