Xavier Simoneau – Pro Hockey Rumors https://www.prohockeyrumors.com Wed, 01 Mar 2023 16:15:04 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/files/2017/03/phr-logo-64-40x40.png Xavier Simoneau – Pro Hockey Rumors https://www.prohockeyrumors.com 32 32 Montreal Signs Xavier Simoneau To ELC https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2023/03/montreal-signs-xavier-simoneau-to-elc.html https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2023/03/montreal-signs-xavier-simoneau-to-elc.html#respond Wed, 01 Mar 2023 16:15:04 +0000 https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/?p=180707

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.

]]> 0 Xavier Simoneau Signs AHL Contract https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2022/07/xavier-simoneau-signs-ahl-contract.html https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2022/07/xavier-simoneau-signs-ahl-contract.html#comments Mon, 04 Jul 2022 17:38:49 +0000 https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/?p=166306 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.

]]> 2