Riley Kidney was a talented offensive player in junior, but the transition to the pro game hasn’t gone smoothly for the 21-year-old Laval Rocket forward.
And while it’s premature to suggest the Canadiens’ 2021 second-round (63rd overall) draft pick has been a bust, Kidney knows the time is quickly approaching where he must show signs of progress.
“The future is in the back of my head all the time, but I try not to dwell on it too much,” Kidney told The Gazette this week at Place Bell. “It has been a big adjustment from junior. Last year, it took me a bit to get used to the speed and physicality of this league and how fast it is. I’m more comfortable … but I’m still adjusting and need to work on things — my explosiveness, speed and first steps. I need to continue to get bigger and stronger. It’s tough to do well in this league as a smaller guy.”
Kidney, 5-foot-11 and 187 pounds, has only two goals and 12 points in 39 games this season. He has spent limited time on the Rocket’s top line, hoping that would lead to increased production — but it didn’t.
After playing in a Dec. 22 game, Kidney went nearly a month as a healthy scratch. The organization contemplated sending him to ECHL Trois-Rivières for increased playing time and a potential restoration of his confidence. He now finds himself on the Rocket’s fourth line, between Logan Nijhoff and either Jakov Novak or Alex Beaucage, recent additions to a team that has been ravaged by injuries yet remains among the AHL’s elite clubs.
Kidney is a good skater and passer, a player who’s not timid either. But when he scored at Toronto on Feb. 26, it marked his first goal since Oct. 30. As recently as 2021-22, he produced 100 points for the Acadie-Bathurst juniors. But that success hasn’t followed him to Laval, Kidney held to seven goals and 20 points in 65 games last season.
“Coming into the league I didn’t know what to expect,” said Kidney, a native of Enfield, N.S. “Junior is junior, and I was a good junior player. But I didn’t expect it to take this long. I trust the process and don’t focus too far ahead.”
It’s not for a lack of trying.
Kidney is so committed to his career, he remained here last summer, making his physical development a priority, and spent two months commuting daily to the Canadiens’ practice facility in Brossard, training with Rocket captain Lucas Condotta and Xavier Simoneau.
“I’m willing to do anything at this stage to improve my game,” Kidney said. “Hockey is my life and passion. This is what I want to do. I’m willing to do anything to improve and work on it.”
Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent is willing to remain patient, knowing it takes some prospects longer to develop. But he also realizes a player’s third pro season often determines his future — it’s why the majority sign three-year entry-level contracts. And Kidney’s expires after next season.
“For Riley, I’ve seen games where I understand why he’s here. Some other games, I don’t see him,” Vincent said. “We need to build that consistency.
“Everybody has a different path. Everybody adjusts differently,” Vincent added, choosing his words carefully. “I think he’s still learning who he is as a player. The stats in junior … will give you a chance, or not, to play, get drafted and get your first contract. After that, it’s how you adjust to the pro level.”
Vincent denied he ever lost confidence in Kidney, but when the Rocket roster was healthy earlier this season, and there was no movement between Laval and Montreal, there simply wasn’t room for him. “He was stuck,” Vincent explained.
The coach wants Kidney to become more consistent, quicker in his first five strides, saying the player requires that speed to separate himself or to break up a play.
“If we can achieve that, I think he’s going to be an interesting player,” Vincent said. “I like working with him. I hope it’s going to work.”
The Rocket defeated Utica 5-1 Wednesday night at Place Bell, paced by Laurent Dauphin’s goal and four points. Laval (35-15-3) is on a three-game winning streak and was the first AHL team to reach 35 victories. The Rocket is second in the North Division, one point behind Rochester and host the Americans Friday night (7 p.m., RDS) and Saturday afternoon (3 p.m., RDS).