Canadiens Forward Prospects: Roy, Farrell, And Kapanen’s Future

Now that the Laval Rocket have punched their ticket to the Eastern Conference Final, it’s time to take a look at the performances of various prospects who may one day make an impact in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens.

Prior to the North Division Final versus the Rochester Americans, there was some concern regarding the play of prospects such as Sean Farrell, Oliver Kapanen, and Joshua Roy.

They weren’t playing poorly per se, but it’s always important to monitor how well a young player performs in the playoffs, as the pressure mounts and available ice diminishes.

Montreal Canadiens Forwards In Laval

Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent decided to mix things up heading into the fifth and final game of the series versus Rochester. Farrell was demoted to the second line, away from his usual linemates, Alex Barre-Boulet and Laurent Dauphin.

It wasn’t just a matter of focusing on Farrell’s underwhelming production of just one assist in four games against the Americans, though that was certainly part of the problem. More than anything, Laval had been blown out of the water in Game 4, a 5-1 loss that put Montreal’s farm team on the brink of elimination.

With the exception of the fourth line, which features Florian Xhekaj, Owen Beck, and Jared Davidson, Vincent decided on wholesale changes, which saw Brandon Gignac take Farrell’s spot on the top line, while Roy and Kapanen served on the second line with the Harvard alumnus.

The experiment immediately paid dividends, as Farrell finished the first period with two points, including his third goal of the playoffs. Roy also found the back of the net, his third goal in as many games. And finally, Kapanen got in on the fun, scoring a very nice goal midway through the third period, a play that was set up by Roy and Adam Engstrom.

In one fell swoop, Vincent improved his offensive output while breathing life into three of the youngest players in the lineup.

Looking To The Future

The 5-0 win in the deciding game of the series was chock-full of positive elements. Not only did Cayden Primeau stopped all 27 shots sent his way to secure a shutout in the biggest game of his AHL career, the three forward prospects in question all improved upon weak points.

On top of scoring goals in three consecutive playoff games, Roy drove to high-traffic areas to do so, mitigating some of the concerns about his wavering levels of intensity throughout a game. The upcoming training camp will be very important when it comes to Roy’s future with the Canadiens, and there’s no better way to get used to an intense situation than performing well in the playoffs.

Oliver Kapanen scores his second goal of the playoffs, now 5-0 Laval.

Great work by Adam Engstrom at the point. Joshua Roy’s third point of the game. #LavalRocket pic.twitter.com/dIcdB9Y1Sb

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) May 25, 2025

Kapanen looked very comfortable, perhaps for the first time since he arrived in North America. That’s par for the course given that he’s playing for his third professional team this season, however, if he’s to eventually make his way to the NHL (and stay there), his decision-making will have to improve.

Some fans are quick to suggest Kapanen deserves a spot in the NHL, but we’re yet to really see much evidence to support the theory. With that in mind, if he continues to produce in the AHL, an NHL assignement becomes much more realistic.

Oliver Kapanen scores his second goal of the playoffs, now 5-0 Laval.

Great work by Adam Engstrom at the point. Joshua Roy’s third point of the game. #LavalRocket pic.twitter.com/dIcdB9Y1Sb

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) May 25, 2025

And finally, even though Farrell had occasionally registered his name on the scoresheet before the series against Rochester, he was lagging behind veterans Dauphin and Barre-Boulet, to the point that they almost doubled his output while playing on the same line.

Unlike Roy and Kapanen, Farrell must go through waivers next season should the Canadiens assign him to the AHL. As it stands, I’d argue he’s not quite at the point where we can realistically place him in the starting lineup, but if he continues to produce multipoint efforts in high-pressure games, the conversation will certainly shift.

In that vein, not only is Farrell playing to help the Laval Rocket secure a Calder Cup appearance, he’s also playing for the opportunity to prove his worth with the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL next season.

The Laval Rocket will face the Charlotte Checkers in the Eastern Conference Final. Game 1 is set for Wednesday.