Big forward McCarron, Finnish flash Lehkonen look to impress at Habs rookie camp

He spent the off-season shedding what he called “baby fat” and adding muscle mass.

“I weighed 226 (pounds) this morning and I feel good at that weight,” said the six-foot-six forward, who hopes to raise his game another notch this season. “I’ve had the experience and I know what it is to play in the NHL now.

“It’s consistency and conditioning. My first 10 (NHL) games I felt I was there and then it slowly dropped off. That was a learning experience.”

Cracking the NHL lineup won’t be easy. The Canadiens already have 25 players on their roster so, unless moves are made, a youngster will need a strong camp to bump aside a more experienced player.

That’s what Lehkonen hopes to do.

The 21-year-old left winger, drafted 55th overall in 2013, is coming off a breakout year with Frolunda in Sweden, where he had 16 goals and 33 points in 49 games. He then posted 19 points in 16 playoff contests en route to a league championship and added 12 points in 13 games as Frolunda also took the Champions Hockey League.

“Everything clicked in the playoffs,” the six-foot, 174-pound winger said. “I found the spots.

“I had a good roll going in the playoffs and at the end of the season. I don’t know what I did differently. The year before that I had mono and it took some time away from me, but maybe it was that I grew up a bit as a player. I got bigger and stronger toward the end of the season.”

Lehkonen, who’ll return to Frolunda if he does not make the Canadiens, is mainly a goal-scorer. But he says he has improved his all-around game since he left Finland to play in the Swedish league two years ago. It may work to his advantage that Alex Galchenyuk’s successful move from left-wing to centre late last season has left an opening in the top six forward group.

“I want to show I can play on this size of (smaller) rink,” he said. “You get less time out there.

“Guys are a lot closer to you and you’re going to get in a lot more battles than in Europe.”

Sergachev, 18, was a standout at the team’s summer development camp and some feel the six-foot-three defenceman may be ready to jump directly to the NHL, although he’s more likely to return to the Windsor Spitfires, who’ll host the Memorial Cup tournament in May.

The smooth-skating native of Nizhnekamsk in central Russia said he’s in better shape now than he was at development camp.

“First I want to play in the rookie tournament and compare myself to the other guys and show myself to the coaches and management,” said Sergachev, who is looking forward to the main camp next week where he’ll see what he can do against NHL players.

Scherbak’s first AHL campaign was marred by ankle injuries, which limited the six-foot-two centre to 48 games. He had seven goals and 16 assists, but hopes to take another step forward this season.

“When I got healthy I felt good and I could compete the last 20 or 25 games,” he said.

Others who’ll be closely watched include goalies Charlie Lindgren, who played one NHL game after joining the Canadiens from St. Cloud State University last season, and 2013 second-round pick Zach Fucale, coming off his rookie season in St. John’s.

Bill Beacon, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Big forward McCarron, Finnish flash Lehkonen look to impress at Habs rookie camp

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