After four seasons with the Everett Silvertips and half a year with the Laval Rocket, Noah Juulsen joined the Montreal Canadiens. His repeated strong performances put him on track for a full-time spot with the team, maybe even one in its top four. But another two years passed, and the defenceman’s injuries slowed down his development, playing only 37 games in that time. The organizational landscape shifted.
While Juulsen accumulated misfortunes, newly drafted Habs prospects leapfrogged him. Cale Fleury made the NHL out of camp this year, Josh Brook established himself with the Rocket, and other young defencemen in Europe and in the NCAA emerged.