The match between the Rocket and the Bears will be presented at 7 p.m. this evening on RDS and RDS.ca.
Laval – The differential, in 2025, is anything but an advanced statistic. He doesn’t say everything, we agree on that.
However, in the case of Jared Davidson, it is the indicator of an undeniable reality: the Laval Rocket forward is having an excellent second professional campaign.
To the point where before the games scheduled in the American Hockey League on Tuesday, the Canadian’s distant fifth-round pick in 2022 occupied first place in the circuit among forwards with a differential of plus-16.
A few hours before tonight’s duel against the powerful Hershey Bears at Place Bell, Davidson is today only ahead of Austin Poganski, a 28-year-old veteran of the Tucson Roadrunners who has overtaken him (plus-18 ) Tuesday evening with an evening of one goal and one assist.
At the Rocket, none of Davidson’s teammates do better than him in this regard, Laurent Dauphin and Owen Beck being the attackers closest to the 22-year-old at plus-9.
“He’s a responsible guy on the ice, he plays his position well. He wants to create offense, but rarely will he put himself in a position where his offense will be created at the risk of it costing us dearly defensively,” appreciates Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent.
This is among other things why Vincent has not hesitated to move Davidson throughout his training since the start of the season. Recently, he was even transferred to center to help out, the natural position he occupied in the junior ranks.
“We hadn’t used it yet [à ce poste] this year, but I wanted to see how he would do. He did well. »
Not only does he stand out for his consistency and his physical involvement for a player of his stature (6 ft, 183 lbs), Davidson also finds a way to produce.
With a tally of 24 points, the skater from Edmonton is currently the fourth point scorer for the school club, just behind Joshua Roy (27), Alex Barré-Boulet (27) and Beck (25), in that order. His 14 goals put him as the Rocket’s top scorer, tied with Roy, who the team will be without for four to six weeks due to an upper-body injury.
“Player/coach trust has been gaining since the start of the year. We are in a position where we can play him in the center, or even on the wing. He’s still a young player, but he’s progressing quickly,” notes the coach.
-“He’s a guy who has a little bit of everything,” observes Barré-Boulet. He has very good offensive instincts, a very good shot, and he is also capable of giving good body checks and winning his one-on-one battles. These are good assets to have for the National League. »
Indeed. And this is also why Davidson could without embarrassment dream of a recall by the Canadian to play a similar role on the fourth line to replace Michael Pezzetta, before this privilege was temporarily offered to Beck.
“He was playing very well, so he deserved this recall,” Davidson put things into perspective on Tuesday, on the eve of his teammate’s demotion to Laval. “Maybe at some point it will be my turn, but right now I’m focusing on everyday life. »
Stronger, more efficient
That his name is fueling discussions about a possible recall can already be seen as a notable accomplishment. Ignored twice in the NHL draft before being the 130th selection of the 2022 auction, Davidson first made his professional debut last year with a one-year, one-way contract valid only for the AHL.
Limited to 38 games and 16 points (11 goals, 5 assists) in his rookie season, notably due to injuries, Davidson nevertheless convinced the management of the Habs to offer him a two-season entry contract rather than lose his rights. . A decision which, for the moment, appears to be judicious.
“I think I took a big step forward from last year. As a rookie, I didn’t really know what to expect last year,” concedes the man who quickly realized that gaining physical strength was going to be on the agenda during the off-season.
“I got pushed around and suffered two injuries. […] That’s why I had to come back stronger. Last year, I wasn’t able to do what I used to do well, which was be tough on the forecheck, win puck battles and contribute on the scoreboard. offensive. »
This is now without a doubt what sets him apart. Maybe not to the point of shaking up the established order at the top of the hierarchy of the organization’s top prospects, but does that really matter?
“You have to constantly prove yourself, whether you’re a top prospect or a player still without an NHL contract. You can never be comfortable. Even when you’re Nick Suzuki and you’re at the top, you have to continue to prove yourself and work every day to aspire to be the best version of yourself. »
“All I want to do is get better every day. To prove that some were wrong about me and that others were right. »
