Development Camp: A Positive Outcome Despite Gleb Pugachyov’s Absence

The Ontario native and Montrealer by adoption can now win battles against mature, physically strong players like Owen Protz even more easily than before.

As things stand, he'd be my top choice for the second-line center spot in Montreal. And perhaps that's still the case for some members of the organization…

At 20, Hage is much more ready for the NHL than Slafkovsky was at 18!

Of course, the decision to play another season at Michigan is up to him: his brother will be there, a possible championship, good money, a big role, “little things” to work on, and so on.

But I admit I still have a really hard time understanding this decision… The “little things” he needs to refine could easily be worked on under Martin St-Louis, right? And nothing compares to playing in Montreal, in the NHL, when you have the opportunity and the talent to do so, doesn't it?

He hasn't completely ruled out the idea just yet, though.

So, let's wait just a little longer…

2. L.J. Mooney
Dynamic. Aggressive. Great vision. Creative. Cuts well toward the center when entering the zone. Strong on the puck despite his small stature (5'7, 169 lbs). Mooney is fearless. Generally quick on his feet, plays with great pace
. Great anticipation in the defensive zone. Nice pass on Rasmus Bergqvist's goal.

After a strong first season at Minnesota (30 points in 34 games), our expectations are relatively high for “Little Jean” heading into next year in the NCAA. It will be interesting to see if he chooses to stay for a third year in that league, like Michael Hage.

We wouldn't be surprised to see him at Laval as early as spring 2027, where he would automatically become one of the team's top players…

3. Alexander Zharovsky
Showed solid puck protection and control on several occasions. He was good—even very good—during several stretches, but didn't dominate outrageously during the two 4-on-4 periods.

Zharovsky has 99th-percentile hands. But at 6'2, 181 lbs, he still needs to build lower-body muscle to become more dynamic and powerful on his skates. He clearly lacks explosiveness right now.

The Russian will therefore need to work extra hard in the gym in Brossard and in Russia this summer to be fully prepared for his final season in the KHL… and a return to North America as early as next spring.

My expectations for him would be modest at this point, but we're currently only seeing the tip of the iceberg.

So, judgment is reserved. He's very, very far from being a finished product.

4. Parker Trottier
Strong performance in the first game. Not bad with his hands. Lots of guts. Confidence (poise) with the puck. A good little workhorse. Not a bad build at 6'1, 184 lbs. Determined. Good hockey sense, which we saw in several plays, including the one that led to his beautiful goal.

Full of confidence, he also scored another beautiful goal in the shootout.

In short, Trottier—a product of the USNDT—stands out every time he's on the ice. Brian's grandson (a native of Val Marie, Saskatchewan) clearly knows how to play hockey very well. He even led the team on a few occasions.

Parker, a native of Minnesota, will play for the Regina Pats (Saskatchewan) next season. A little nod to his grandfather's roots?

A player to watch. Definitely my favorite from the development camp. He's the kind of competitor who could rival Logan Sawyer as a future bottom-of-the-lineup player. But, to be honest, at the same age, Trottier has a slight edge.

To be continued…

5. Tim Runtso
Long strides. Great mobility. Good offensive instincts (executed a beautiful give-and-go
in the offensive zone) and solid confidence with the puck overall. Executes plays well and quickly, without hesitation. Great anticipation leading to an interception that set up Hage's first goal late in Game #1.

Overall, very strong notes in his playbook for this 6'2”, 192 lbs. right-handed defenseman. He stood out from the crowd, even though we couldn't really evaluate him defensively in this 4-on-4 format. The pairing he formed with Klimpke almost always had the puck…

One wonders what the hockey program at Miami University in Ohio is like, but after playing for Victoria in the WHL, that's where this California native will be playing next season.

All in all, this 57th overall pick from last week is a pretty promising prospect, even though he'll already be 19 on Monday. Behind Reinbacher and Pickford, Runtso adds the depth the organization was looking for on the right side of its prospect pool.

6. Brayden Klimpke
Nice pass to Hage out of the zone on the play that led to Sawyer's first goal. Head up. Good mobility. Very, very smooth on his skates, this 6'0”, 174 lbs. young man. Solid defensively.

First and foremost a passer and puck mover. Doesn't seem interested in shooting the puck. Had the puck on his blade probably more often than any other skater, especially during Game 2. Still, a very good performance overall.

Klimpke will return to Saskatoon for the 2026–2027 season before heading to North Dakota in 2027–2028.

A very long-term project. Could be excellent one day in Laval, but don't get your hopes up too high about him in Montreal…

7. Logan Sawyer
Two beautiful goals and plenty of second-chance efforts alongside Michael Hage. Good sense of the game. Contributed to both of the Whites' goals in the first game. Nice shot on his second goal of the day on a 2-on-1 break.

However, he doesn't stand out as a great playmaker or a great skater. Perhaps a future “third-line” player in the bottom six at best…

Sawyer will look to continue his development at Providence College in a leading role after recording 28 points in 35 games last season.

8. Cooper Cleaves
Pretty good agility and fluidity on his skates for a 6'4”, 220-lb guy. Cleaves has even shown off his fancy footwork on several occasions. An impressive display of talent for this right-handed defenseman, including on his penalty shot goal and another time with a pass between his legs.

It's no exaggeration to say he's improved over the past year. The puck really doesn't feel like a grenade on his stick.

Cleaves is certainly one of the standouts, but let's not forget that he's already 20 years old… That's a huge difference, and it's something to keep in mind.

For the same reasons, he could be a relatively dominant defenseman in the American college system at Dartmouth next season.

Because of his progress, he's an intriguing long-term prospect—the kind of player who might blossom later in his career.

Cleaves has the potential to become a third-pair defenseman. He seems to have the work ethic for it.

9. Owen Protz
Not a great skater… Not very agile. At a disadvantage in 4-on-4 play, we weren't able to see his physicality, which is often extreme in 5-on-5 situations,

but we did see a fairly reliable defensive defenseman with a clear identity.

One to watch in Laval in 2026–2027. With a lot of hard work, he could, at best, become a sixth or seventh defenseman in the NHL one day.

10. Ben Merrill
A solid game for the big #59 (6'4”, 199 lbs). He's shown good progress since last year. Merrill, 20, did quite well in his first season at Boston University—the same team as Cole Hutson and Cole Eiserman—with 14 points in 32 games.

A big right-handed center with a decent sense of the game… He's a prospect to watch within the organization.

Not a bad “pick” at No. 166 in 2024…

11. Hayden Paupanekis
Big and tall at 6'5”, 208 lbs. An above-average skill set for this 69th overall pick in 2025.

He wasn't bad, but he hasn't really improved since last year.

We saw some panic with the puck in the defensive zone, and he doesn't always play with enough purpose or composure in the offensive zone… Not a bad shot on his goal in Game 2, but the goalie was a bit weak…

After a tough season in Kelowna (mononucleosis, only 37 points in 57 games), we're eager to see what he can do at St. Cloud State in the NCAA.

He needs to get physically stronger and play with more intensity.

12. Rasmus Bergqvist
A fairly well-rounded defenseman. Nice goal off a pass from Mooney—he sensed the opportunity. Pretty good hockey sense.

But a very average skater. He looked terrible on Hage's second goal, which whizzed right past him…

Still, we shouldn't expect too much from a seventh-round pick—224th overall—in 2024…

13. Carlos Handel
Scored a goal on a wrist shot in the opening minutes of the first game. Has decent mobility, but doesn't really stand out. Not much stronger physically than last year. Sometimes misses easy passes when clearing the zone…

Future European league defenseman.

Conclusion

As you might expect, there were no major surprises or big conclusions to draw from a summer camp like this

But those who had the most to gain by making a good impression rose to the challenge, particularly the young players drafted last week: Trottier, Runtso, Klimpke, and Cleaves.

That said, we'll continue to follow news about Hage, Zharovsky, and Mooney with great interest over the next year…