The Victoire traded Kristin O'Neill and a 4th round pick (#28 overall) to New York in exchange for Abby Roque. Beyond that, I thought this was a low-key very good draft for Montréal who maybe didn't need a ton of new offensive talent, but nonetheless picked up some very good players that I expect to be long term players in the league.
Draft Picks
Round #1: Nicole Gosling (D), 2002, (#4 overall) – I find it difficult to make definitive statements leading into the draft, but in the end I think other than the trade, the first few picks shook out as expected. Montréal wasn't going to pass up getting a top tier defender with national team experience, particularly because there was a bit of a drop to the next tier of defensive players. It was a deep middle field, but it was definitely a middle field, so they had to take Gosling when she was available. The Victoire defense is veteran but Gosling adds necessary depth and skill at the top.
Round #2: Natálie Mlýnková (F), 2001, (#12 overall) – This feels like a really good get in the middle of the second round. She had an ok season points-wise at Minnesota in her fifth year but didn't really get to play to her potential. She was outstanding for Czechia at Worlds despite being overshadowed by Kaltounková's debut. She's slick with the puck - difficult to pin down, deft with the puck and her skating and plays bigger than her smaller size. She's not easily separated from the puck or she'll just full on outskate whoever is trying to hit her. I think her ceiling is quite a bit higher than we've seen and she'll break out when surrounded regularly by a higher level of talent.
Round #3: Skylar Irving (F), 2002, (#20 overall) – She was overshadowed in her earlier seasons by some bigger names, but really took advantage of the opportunity to take on a bigger role in her last two seasons. Irving is good in the slot and from the middle part of the zone. She sees the net well and seems to have a good instinct for finding the lane and picking her spots. I particularly like her in transition - she's a good skater, takes a great line and when she unleashes a quick shot, it's because she sees a good opportunity, not because she's rushing the puck and looking to peel off.
Round #5: Maya Labad (F), 2002, (#36 overall) – Another player who likely will elevate their game even more when regularly surrounded by the level of players on this roster. She was a standout at U18s and like Irving, is someone who really stepped up and took advantage of the opportunity to take more minutes and lead the team. She'll need to work on side-to-side movement and hopefully become a little more creative with the puck, but her hard shot should make her someone they want to get on the ice.
Round #6: Tamara Giaquinto (D), 2002 (#44 overall) – Maybe a bit of a stretch, but one with low risk and the chance of high reward. She was the Hockey East Defender of the Year as well as captain for Boston University for the best season they've had in a long while. She was particularly prolific on the power play, scoring six of her eight goals with the extra attacker.
Takeaways
I think Montréal is probably the original six team that survived the expansion process the best/most intact. They have their top forward line, their goalie and their best defender. I said this about tempered excitement for New York's draft, but I think it's relevant here to also take a cautiously optimistic approach with the Victoire. On paper, at least, things seem really good for this squad and I think it's fair to opine that they might be better now then they were when the regular season ended. But I definitely want to see who makes the final roster and how they fare in their first few games before I start making any sort of evaluation.
A lot of players didn't seem to have everything click in New York, so it will be really interesting to see what Abby Roque can do in Montréal. I don't think she's done being a huge offensive driver for a team.
On paper, they're in a great spot with top tier talent in so many roles. While a lot of teams needed the draft to fill holes and close out their roster, I think for the most part the Victoire are in a position to hope that these players work out and make an impact, but their season doesn't rely on it. They chose players with experience to start and role players with some room to grow at the end and I think they're probably pretty happy with the group they ended up with. There's a lot of upside, a lot of possibility and they're joining a group with a bunch of veterans that can help them continue to grow and develop.
Quotable
"This is what this game is all about. This beautiful game. We’re blessed by having a professional league. Blessed by the Walter family. This is everything we dreamt for. These past few weeks were difficult to follow where all the players were going, but they all stayed in this league and that’s something to be proud of." - Montréal GM Danièle Sauvageau
"Talking to close to 40 players for the last three weeks I can tell you one thing is they remind me every day why I'm still in the game and it's just unbelievable." - Sauvageau
"Sometimes we don't get everything perfect we don't want. We don't get everything that we wish for, but we can still be part of something that is bigger than us. For me it was very important to be around the game, and that is the reason why I'm still here today." - Sauvageau
"Every trade has been hard for for me personally, because I get attached to the players. It is hard, because in order to get something you have to give something." - Sauvageau
"I'm definitely a calm, composed type of defenseman. I believe in my abilities to understand both sides of the puck." - Nicole Gosling
"I'm just super excited to be a part of it and watch it grow. It's still continuing to grow and just create that passion for young little girls to believe in that they can do this one day." - Gosling
"This is a huge honor. When you talk about Montreal you can say it's some of the best players in the world. Having the opportunity to share the locker room with them, I'm eating it up. It's such a privilege. I just can't wait to get started." - Natálie Mlýnková
I'm a smaller size player for sure, but I like to play the game very bigger than myself. I use my speed. I'm pretty fast and pretty crafty, too, so I like to use the skill in the game as well, and hopefully I'm going to be able to elevate the game on the scoring side. I'm an 200-foot forward and I'll be trying to play to the best of my ability in whatever role I get." - Mlýnková
"I mean starting off with Kalty (Kaltounková) going 1st overall as a girl from a small country like Czech is just a huge honor. I was so proud and all I could think about was the girls back home in the small country, how they are watching that right now and how someone made it possible. Not only she's the 1st Czech one, but she's also the 1st European player. For our country and for us it's like a dream coming true. Having the opportunity to represent our country here and represent all the girls and everyone that put so much work and support behind us. It's surreal." - Mlýnková
Current Roster
(listed with the amount of years remaining on their current contract)
Forwards:
Shiann Darkangelo - 2
Hayley Scamurra - 2
Lina Ljungblom - 2
Marie Philip-Poulin - 1
Laura Stacey - 1
Abby Roque - 1
Maureen Murphy - 1
Catherine Dubois - 1
Jade Downie-Landry - 1
*Dara Greig is a currently unsigned restricted free agent
Defenders:
Kati Tabin - 2
Jessica DiGirolamo - 2
Erin Ambrose - 1
Amanda Boulier - 1
Maggie Flaherty - 1
Goalies:
Ann-Renée Desbiens - 1
Sandra Abstreiter - 1
(Photo: PWHL)
