One of two players acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Tomas Plekanec trade, Kerby Rychel debuts in the top 20 in his first off-season in Montreal.
For Rychel, the move is his best chance at carving out an NHL spot before he’s too far into his prime as a player. While he was putting together a solid, albeit unspectacular season for the Toronto Marlies in the AHL, his offensive game exploded upon joining the Laval Rocket.
On a team that struggled to do much of anything positive in the AHL last year, Rychel helped form a dynamic line with Chris Terry and Adam Cracknell that was capable of piling up goals in quick succession.