Jared Davidson

September 2024 – Jared Davidson unexpectedly secured a semi full-time spot in the AHL with the Laval Rocket in his rookie season. He held his own offensively, and began to address his skating deficiencies and pace of play. A deeper Laval roster may force him into the ECHL at some points this season, but, no matter where he plays, he is a long term project for the Montreal Canadiens. If all goes well, he could be an entertaining character bottom-six player. Aaron Itovitch

September 2023 – Davidson has been a joy to watch during Canadiens training camp. He’s definitely slow, but his offensive dynamism is incredibly noticeable. While many believed he would start his professional career in the ECHL, especially due to the massive surplus of forwards in the organization, he is definitely pushing for time in the AHL. It will be interesting to see where the team starts him off, but the one sure thing is that he’ll contribute a lot of offense. Aaron Itovitch

August 2022 – Selected in the fifth round in 2022, Jared Davidson had a breakout D+2 season, scoring 42 goals and 89 points in 64 games to lead a strong Seattle Thunderbirds team in both categories and clearing the runner-up by 10 goals and 23 points in each respective category. Despite this, he is a bit of a curious bet for the Habs to make in the fifth round. His stride is very choppy and features little knee bend or ankle flexion, which makes him quite slow and not very adaptable. He also doesn’t keep his feet moving in the offensive zone, favoring gliding into position, which makes him predictable. The handling skill is also not a standout. His upside in transition is very limited, but in the offensive zone, his good awareness level, hard shot, and good passing ability from tight situations make him a productive WHLer. For this to translate to pro hockey, however, the Habs will need to work with him a ton on his skating and help him increase his involvement in play when off the puck in all three zones. Sebastian High