If only Guillaume Latendresse could improve his foot speed and skating in the upcoming off season, then he would be able to reach another level in his development and give the Canadiens something they’ve been searching years for……..a power forward who can score.
His defensive play and positioning without the puck are other areas he will have to improve but these deficiencies can be learned and will get better over time. Latendresse did show improvement from last season’s dreadful -20 and had a more respectable -2 plus/minus rating.
To improve his skating, it will take a lot of hard work and dedication to add a half or full step to his foot speed.
A few months ago, The Team 990 had a renowned skating instructor (she was so renowned I can’t recall her name!!!) on the show who analyzed every Canadiens players skating stride. There were a handful of players who were below par skaters and one of them was Latendresse.
She mentioned how he was skating too upright and needed to bend his knees more to generate more power in his stride. She mentioned how it was very possible for Latendresse to improve his skating stride and add some much needed quickness/power to his skating stride.
With all that being said, it will be crucial for Guillaume work harder this off season and show further improvement as a hockey player especially his skating. Granted, he will only turn 21 on May 24th and has time on his side to become a better player but the Canadiens have shown unusual (at times too much) patience with him (see Are The Canadiens Hindering Latendresse’s Development?)……..it’s time for Guillaume to take the next step in his development otherwise the Canadiens’ patience will run out.
If he needs to be sent down to the minors next season, there is no shame in playing 30-40 games in Hamilton to get some much needed ice time (he only averaged 10:42 of TOI this season), it would be more beneficial for him to get a regular shift on the powerplay as well.
Rocket’s Take:
Latendresse has been given too much, too soon, without having put in the effort to earn it. Making a major improvement in his skating is a bare minimum requirement. I hope that he has already started his off-season skating programme.In addition, Latendresse needs to completely overhaul his game.
As suggested a half season in Hamilton would be a good start. His defensive coverage needs improvement. He needs to increase his physical presence, not for the spectacular blindside hit but to win battles for the puck. He also must learn better positional play.
He has the potential to be an imposing player in the crease but so far shies away from that type of play.Let’s hope that Latendresse is open to putting in the effort needed to advance his development and doesn’t follow the path of Mike Ribeiro.