The future of Strauss Mann

The future of Strauss Mann

Written by Fred Arshoff

Edited by Marlene Wall

First of all I would like to thank Marlene Wall very much for editing my articles as Judy Pitcher takes some time off for personal reasons.

I decided to write this article as Strauss Mann decided to write this article as Strauss Mann has been bouncing back and forth between the Laval Rockets and the Trois-Rivières Lions and I would like to give my thoughts on what I feel this means .

I’ll start at the beginning so everyone will be up to speed on Strauss Mann as I’m sure very little is known about him

Mann was born August 18,1998 in Greenwich , Connecticut USA. He is 6ft tall (183cm) and weighs 174lbs (79kg) , he is a goaler who catches left . He is an undrafted player and had signed an ELC (entry level contract) at the age of 24 with the San Jose Sharks on April 19th, 2022 , that contract was for one year. He hasn’t played any NHL games .

Between the 2018-19 and the 2020-21 seasons , he played for the Univerity of Michigan in the NCAA. In the 2021-22 he played for the Skellefteò AIK of the SHL. That season he also played 4 games in the WJ for Team USA as well as other championship games.

In the 2022-23, he played 20 games for the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL and 13 games with the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL.

For the signed Mann and he played 15 games for the Laval Rocket and 11 games for the Trois-Rivières Lions of the ECHL. Both times in the AHL level, his numbers weren’t good. When playing earlier at the Univerity of Michigan in the NCAA, his numbers were much better If Mann had good numbers at one AHL team and not the other , I would say the player development didn’t work for him, but if in both some of it is on him.

When the Laval Rockets signed Kasimir Kaskisuo to a PTO (professional tryout contract) on Monday December 18th, 2023 , several weeks later Mann was assigned to the Trois-Rivières Lions of the ECHL and since then has been bouncing back and forth between the two teams. When called back up to the Laval Rocket, he never got to play another game. For more information on the Kasimir Kaskisuo to a PTO, please see my article at https://montrealsportsblog.wordpress.com/2023/11/26/laval-rocket-sign-kasimir-kaskisuo-to-a-pto

Personally I don’t see the Laval Rockets extending Mann for the next season.

Jakub Dobes is playing well and is under contract for the 2024-25 season, this is a 2-way contract so the HABS can call up if need be . They also signed Kasimir Kaskisuo to a one-year Laval Rocket contract. I don’t see the Rocket wishing to carry 3 goalers and Kent Hughes saw first hand what happened this 2023-24 season when the HABS kept 3 goalers .

Lastly Mann’s numbers don’t help his cause to play in the AHL. There is no salary disclosed for Kasimir Kaskisuo and Strauss Mann as they are minor league contracts and with those contracts, salary is never disclosed just the players stats on Cap Friendly. Also in the AHL there is no salary cap thus the teams never disclose how much each player gets, thus the pay is between the player and the team.

Justin Barron an emergency call-up to the HABS on April 6, 2024

Justin Barron an emergency call-up to the HABS on April 6, 2024

Written by Fred Arshoff

Edited by Judy Pitcher

Before going into this article, I would like to thank two ladies for their help. First is my editor Judy Pitcher for her outstanding work on my articles. Adding facts and updating information between the time I’ve written the article and it’s being published. I would also like to thank Martine McGuire for messaging me as soon as it was announced that Justin Barron would be an emergency call-up. A tip of my hat to both Judy and Martine.

I decided to write this article, as I disagree with the Barron call-up. I feel strongly that Logan Mailloux should have been the player called up. In my eyes, Mailloux is a much better player than Barron, although Barron does have much more professional experience. I didn’t say David Reinbacher, as he has only played 7 games with the Laval Rocket and is still adjusting to the North American game.

As both are defensemen, I’ll go strictly by their stats while playing with the Laval Rocket this season. Barron has 30GP and is a -5, while Mailloux has 57GP and is also -5. Mailloux’s play improved dramatically when he was paired with Arber Xhekaj, while Xhekaj was assigned to Laval for 17 games.

The only reason I believe Barron was called up now, is that when Kent Hughes traded Artturi Lehkonen, he insisted that Barron be part of the trade. Hughes wanted a player that he traded to get, to be part of the HABS line-up immediately

If the call-up would have been simply to have a 7th defenseman, who would be sitting in the pressbox, I would have called up Mattias Norlinder. Norlinder has been a healthy scratch for Laval. I would want to keep one of their best defenseman playing in Laval to help them clinch a playoff spot.

In closing Judy, Martine and I would like to wish both Kaiden Guhle and Arber Xhekaj speedy recoveries from thei injuries.

JUDY’S THOUGHTS

Although many of us are looking forward to seeing Logan Mailloux eventually join the HABS line-up, I do feel his development is best served remaining in Laval. This is only his 1st year playing professional hockey.

Mailloux is just 20 years of age, he was a 1st round pick at 31st overall in the 2021 NHL draft selected by former HABS GM Marc Bergevin. Last season he was still playing junior for the London Knights. Remember he also missed an entire year of development when he was suspended by the CHL for his transgressions while playing in Sweden during the Pandemic. He has had to attend councilling and do community service over that time. And has finally been cleared by the NHL to play.

Barron is 22 years of age and is in his 2nd season playing professional hockey.He was a 1st round pick at 25th overall in the 2020 NHL draft by the Colorado Avalanche.Sidney Crosby, who is very familiar with him from their summers in Nova Scotia had high praise for Justin Barron, saying, ” if he was in charge of Colorado, he would never have made the deal to trade him away. He has the potential to be a top pairing defenseman.” High praise indeed.

STATS

JUSTIN BARRON 22 yrs old Right Defenseman

2022-23 MTL 39GP 4G 11A 15Pts 20PIM

AHL 25GP 7G 9A 16Pts 6PIM

WC 10GP 0G 3A 3Pts 2PIM

2023-24 MTL 42GP 6G 6A 12PTS 16PIM

AHL 30GP 2G 9A 11Pts 10PIM

Last 10 games -7

LOGAN MAILLOUX 20 years old Right Defenseman

2022-23 OHL 59GP 25G 28A 53Pts 77PIM

2023-24 AHL 68GP 14G 30A 44Pts 89PIM

Last 10 games -5

Source

https://www.eliteprospects.com as I usually use.

Why is Jakub Dobes playing so many games?

Why is Jakub Dobes playing so many games?

Written by Fred Arshoff

Edited by Judy Pitcher

First of all many thanks to my editor Judy Pitcher for always editing my articles, adding stats and facts I may have overlooked. Updating the article between the time I wrote it and it’s being published.

I decided to write this article as several people on X(formerly Twitter) were discussing this topic. I’d like to give my thoughts. I will do so in an article as I usually do.

Right off the top Dobes has played more games this season than he had previously, already having appeared in 45 games for the Laval Rocket. With the exception of the 2020-21 season when he played for the USHL Omaha Lancers where he played 47 games. In the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons he played in the NCAA for Ohio State University and played 35 games and 40 games, respectively.

To start the 2023-24 season Dobes was playing in every other game, sharing the net with Strauss Mann, who has since been re-assigned to the ECHL Trois Rivieres Lions. Laval signed Finnish goaltender Kasimir Kaskisou on Monday December 18, 2023. They shared the netminding duties until Kaskisou was injured. Although Kaskisou has returned, Dobes has still played all but one of those games, during which he was pulled.

For more information about Kasimir Kaskisou, please see my article at: https://montrealsportsblog.wordpress.com/2023/12/26/laval-rocket-sign-kasimir-kaskasou-to-a-pto//

What I don’t know is if this increase in play for the last 6 weeks or so was part of the plan since the start of the season by Laval Head Coach Jean-Francois Houle and Goalie Coach Marco Marciano.

This increase in playing time could be to help increase his stamina, which would be required to play professional Hockey on a regular basis. I can see the point of this with Jake Allen having been traded. Dobes would be the HABS call-up should either Samuel Montembeault or Cayden Primeau get injured. He would need to be prepared to play at the higher level.

One thing for sure, is it is not a punishment, as earlier this seasonDobes was extended until July 1, 2025 to a 2-way contract. GM Kent Hughes signed him to the contract which would see him earn $950,000 in the NHL and $80,000 in the AHL. There are no bonus clauses in this contract.

As this season has progressed Jakub Dobes’ numbers and performance has improved, as of March 24, 2024 his SV% 0.903 and GAA 3.01. He has had one shutout on March 22, 2024, which coincidentally was David Reinbacher’s AHL debut. I don’t think this increased playing has anything to do with Jacob Fowler coming to Montreal, as he still has 1 year remaining in the NCAA for Boston College and they are still in the playoffs.

SOURCE

Jakub Dobes games played stats and contract

https://www.capfriendly.com/playersjakub-dobes#:~:text=SUMMARY%E2%96%B4,and%20%24832%2C500%20in%20base%20salary.

JUDY’S THOUGHTS

I don’t know how anyone could think playing Dobes so often would be punishment, if he was playing poorly he’d be sitting on the bench. I think, with Laval making a push for the AHL Playoffs, the Rocket are choosing to play the hot hand with their goaltender. That is currently Jakub Dobes!

Videos below