The Habs Top 10 Prospects: #8 LJ Mooney

The best way to describe Mooney’s style of play is saying he’s got similar hands to Caufield but is more of a playmaker rather than a shooter while playing with the same edge as Gallagher on every shift. With that being said, the Canadiens may have drafted their next heart and soul, Brendan Gallagher. Similar to Gallagher in his prime, Mooney makes a huge impact on almost every shift he plays, but it doesn’t always show on the scoresheet. This past season, Mooney registered 51 points in 51 games for the USA NTDP, which ranked 5th on his team. The numbers don’t stand out, but when you watch him play, you see the stats don’t tell the full story with him. The fact that he’s able to be a physical forward also plays a factor in his game. He’s not afraid of the dirty areas, and like Gallagher, he loves getting under his opponents’ skin.

Both Xavier Simoneau and Raphael Harvey-Pinard were seen as guys who could be Gallagher’s replacement. The difference between them and Mooney is that neither had half the skill that Mooney has. Neither Simoneau nor Harvey-Pinard were ever this high on the Canadiens’ prospect pool list either. Therefore, comparing Mooney to Gallagher seems like the closest thing they have ever had to Gallagher’s future replacement.

Mooney could also be a better version of Gallagher as he has a more pure skill compared to the Habs’ long-time veteran had as a prospect. The next 2-3 years will be interesting for Mooney as he hopes to make a big presence at the University of Minnesota. 

Another factor that has helped Mooney get to where he is today is that he has an elite hockey player cousin, like Logan Cooley, to look up to and learn how to play the game from. Cooley has quickly become one of the best young stars in the NHL with the Utah Mammoth. Now, it’s time to see if what Mooney learned from his cousin can allow him to eventually work his way up to the NHL.

Being a small player will always follow LJ “Little John” Mooney (yes it stands for Little John”), but when you play like you are 6’2 and 200 LBS, the sky is the limit for Mooney who could legitimately be a force in the NHL someday. To make it, I believe getting some advice from Gallagher will also do him wonders. Even with his physical play, for Mooney to make the NHL, he’ll likely need to be at least a top 9 player who is a power play specialist. 

Keep a close eye on Mooney’s progress this season by following his play during his freshman year with the Minnesota Gophers.