The Montreal Canadiens prospect pool keeps getting deeper, and some names tend to be overlooked, and one of those names is Jared Davidson. The 6-foot, 202-pound center was passed over in two NHL drafts before being selected in the fifth round (130th overall) of the 2022 Draft by the Habs.
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The path to the NHL for Davidson will not be a direct track as some prospects have had. He will need to take extra steps to prove himself, which may be good for his overall development. The question being asked is, does he deserve a contract? The answer is, yes.
Canadiens Prospect’s Next Steps
The most likely option is that Davidson signs an American Hockey League (AHL) contract for one year, as Rafael Harvey-Pinard has done. With the Canadiens holding Davidson’s rights until the summer of 2024, this option benefits the Canadiens in two ways. First, it provides them time to evaluate and develop him as a professional before offering him an NHL contract. The second, it allows them to save one of the 50 NHL contracts for this season, giving general manager (GM) Kent Hughes some flexibility under the limit.
Canadiens fans may be familiar with prospects needing added steps as they watched Rafael Harvey-Pinard (RHP) work his way up from a seventh-round pick, to someone who eventually earned his NHL call-up. RHP had a strong year in the Covid-19 shortened 2020-21 season with 20 points in 36 games, earning his two-way NHL contract that he just completed by finishing the 2022-23 season in Montreal, scoring 14 goals in 34 games.
Davidson can take inspiration from this player. The Habs under Hughes have shown that they will focus on individual development. More importantly, they have shown that they reward that hard work with contracts and call-ups. If a player earns something, management will do all it can to ensure the player receives the rewards for their efforts.
Canadiens Prospect Skill Set
For Montreal to truly transition into a Stanley Cup contender, they’ll need to add players that can excel in the playoffs, Jared Davidson has shown capable of that in every league he has played in thus far.
“From what Rob (Ramage) has told me, he has character. At 20, he’s a little older and is completing his time in junior, and he’s a guy who can put in good work for us if he comes to Laval (AHL) next year. He has size, skates well, in his case, it’s nothing but positive” – Francis Bouillon
Davidson has a responsible 200-foot game. He plays a hard-nosed, in-your-face physical style. He also has some offensive skills, and a desire to attack the net when in the offensive zone. He has a versatility to his game that translates well to the professional game.
The 20-year-old center has just completed his Western Hockey League (WHL) career. In his final season, he led his team, the Seattle Thunderbirds in goals (38) and points (82) in 60 regular season games. He added 23 points in 19 playoff games on his way to winning the League Championship. In the Memorial Cup, where Seattle lost in the final to the Quebec Remparts, Davidson had five points in five games.
Davidson’s calling card has been to play a gritty, defensively responsible pro style that has been emulated by the entire roster. It was an approach that gave the Thunderbirds a WHL title and took them to the Memorial Cup Final. Being overlooked in his first two drafts has shown Davidson that he will not leap into professional hockey based on skill alone. As a player that went undrafted into the WHL and earned a roster spot as a 16-year-old walk-on with Seattle, he has learned early on that attention to detail, and his work ethic will be his way in.
Davidson took advantage of this, his final season in the WHL to demonstrate that he can play professionally next season. He has earned a contract offer from Montreal.
