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Xavier Simoneau

Atlantic Notes: Korpisalo, Pradel, AHL Contracts

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After the season, Bruins goaltender Joonas Korpisalo indicated that he wasn’t comfortable with his playing time which was limited to just 27 games.  However, his agent Markus Lehto confirmed to RG’s Jimmy Murphy that no trade request has been submitted.  The 31-year-old posted a 2.90 GAA and a .893 SV% in 27 games last season and with Boston re-signing Michael DiPietro to a two-year, one-way deal earlier this week, it’s possible that the Bruins will want to give him a look at playing behind Jeremy Swayman next season.  Korpisalo has three years left on a contract that pays him $4MM per season with the Bruins only responsible for paying $3MM per year of that total with Ottawa responsible for the rest.  With a free agent goalie market that’s not particularly strong, it wouldn’t be shocking if teams were kicking the tires to see if the Bruins might move Korpisalo but as of now, the veteran netminder wants to stay.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Red Wings prospect Michal Pradel is undecided about where he’ll play next season, notes Dennik Sport’s Matej Derak (Twitter link). The goaltender was the 75th pick in last month’s draft and can choose between returning to USHL Tri-City or moving on to WHL Regina.  Pradel had a 2.41 GAA and a .899 SV% in 14 games with Tri-City after joining them in January and at this point, college hockey is not an option as he still has a year of high school remaining.
  • Montreal’s farm team in Laval announced the signings of winger Xavier Simoneau, defensemen Joshua Jacobs and Darick Louis-Jean, and goaltender Hunter Jones to AHL contracts. Simoneau was a sixth-round pick by the Canadiens in 2021 but was non-tendered last month after notching 21 points in 58 games with the Rocket.  Jacobs had five points in 25 games with Laval in 2024-25 while Louis-Jean and Jones played exclusively in the ECHL last season.
  • After non-tendering him last month, the Senators are keeping forward Philippe Daoust in the organization as their farm team in Belleville announced that they’ve signed the forward to a one-year contract. The 23-year-old was a sixth-round pick by Ottawa in 2020 and spent four seasons in Belleville but never earned a chance at the NHL level.  In 52 games with Belleville last season, Daoust had six goals and 12 assists.

Montreal Signs Xavier Simoneau To ELC

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The Montreal Canadiens announced that they have signed forward Xavier Simoneau to a two-year, entry-level contract. The deal covers the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons and carries a cap hit of $855K. Simoneau gets an $80K signing bonus for each season and would be paid $775K at the NHL level, or $80K in the AHL.

The former sixth-round pick has spent this season with the Laval Rocket of the AHL where he has 28 points in 44 games. At 5’7” and 175 pounds, Simoneau is certainly undersized, this might explain him falling to Montreal that late in the draft. Although he is on the smaller side, Simoneau is regarded as a high energy forechecker and a bit of an agitator. Scouts also consider him an excellent shot blocker and penalty killer. He does have some playmaking to his game as he averaged over a point per game in his final three seasons in the QMJHL. He’s also shown himself to be a leader, having spent several seasons as captain of the Drummondville Voltigeurs, as well as winning the CHL Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2019-20.

While Montreal has a lot of veteran forwards signed for next season, they have just five signed to NHL deals for 2024-25. Should Simoneau continue to develop his game in Laval, he may be able to join some of the Canadiens other young forwards and carve out a role in Montreal’s bottom 6.

This contract indicates that the Canadiens are encouraged by the development of their former sixth round pick. While Simoneau doesn’t project to be an answer in their top-6, he could fill a role in their bottom-6 sooner than later.

Xavier Simoneau Signs AHL Contract

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Overage draft pick Xavier Simoneau will start his professional career with the Laval Rocket in 2022-23 after signing a one-year AHL contract today. The 21-year-old forward recently finished his fifth season in the QMJHL.

Selected 191st overall in 2021 by the Montreal Canadiens, Simoneau is a dynamic offensive player that racked up 86 points in 48 regular season games for the Charlottetown Islanders this season. Overall for his CHL career he had more than 300 points, while also winning the Humanitarian of the Year award in 2020.

The biggest obstacle at the next level will be his size, as Simoneau stands just 5’7″ but plays a relatively physical game. It can be difficult for those types of players to find the same success at the professional level, which is likely the reason that he’ll start on a minor league deal instead of an NHL entry-level contract.

Montreal has until June 1, 2023, to decide whether he’s worth that ELC, at which point he would become an unrestricted free agent.

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