When Matt Taormina was signed in the 2017 off-season, it was done with a singular purpose in mind: to help bolster the Rocket’s offensive production on the blue line, and to give the young prospects a veteran presence to learn from.
Over the course of the season, it was extremely apparent at just how much Taormina’s presence in the lineup affected the Laval team. The former Eddie Shore winner (for AHL defenceman of the year) would have likely been a strong contender for a second consecutive award had he not missed a chunk of time due to injury and the poor overall results his team produced.