No matter what Ryan Poehling did this year, he was going to be under a microscope in the Montreal hockey world. A hat trick and shootout winner in his NHL debut after a standout World Juniors showing set expectations very high for the American centre. His preseason looked extremely promising too — setting up a goal for Alex Belzile with some incredible hands, and generally looking like he locked down an NHL spot before an upper-body injury put his debut on hold.
The rapid ascent of Nick Suzuki, and the early injury layoff, resulted in Poehling beginning his year in Laval under the watchful eye of Joël Bouchard.