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Already in his third organization at age 23, Kerby Rychel, a former first-round draft pick, has no choice but to take a philosophical approach to the hand he has been dealt.
“I think everyone has a different path,” the left-winger said Tuesday after practice at Place Bell in Laval. “Things happen. Some guys play on 10 teams, some on one. That’s just the way it is.”
It marked his first workout with the Laval Rocket since he and defenceman Rinat Valiev were acquired from the Maple Leafs for Tomas Plekanec and Kyle Baun.
“I hope I can be here for a bit, move up to the Canadiens and play there for a long time,” added the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Rychel, who had 10 goals and 30 points in 55 games for the Toronto Marlies, the Leafs’ American Hockey League affiliate and one of the strongest teams in the league.
“It’s tough. Obviously you want to move up. But (Toronto’s) a really deep team, one of the (NHL’s) best. It’s definitely one of the hardest teams to make,” added Rychel, who was born in Torrance, Calif., but raised in Tecumseh, Ont.
His father Warren won a Stanley Cup with Colorado in 1996. One of Warren’s teammates was Rocket head coach Sylvain Lefebvre, who’s providing the younger Rychel with a glorious opportunity to succeed. When Laval entertains Bridgeport Friday night, Rychel will play on the first line with Chris Terry and Adam Cracknell.
“He can bring some grit to this team,” Lefebvre said. “He can also bring some playmaking abilities around the net. He’s got a knack ... tipping in pucks and creating some screens, finding rebounds. He’s good on the power play. I think he can get under your skin. He’s a competitor, he wants to be on the ice, compete and make a difference.”
While playing for the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires in 2012, Rychel was labelled a “sure bet” to reach the NHL. A year later, he was selected 19th overall by Columbus, but languished in the minors initially. He gained notoriety during the 2015-16 season when reports surfaced he had requested a trade, which stemmed from his lack of playing time with the Blue Jackets. But his request was denied at that time.
When he was traded in June 2016, he had played 37 NHL games over two seasons and was held to two goals and 10 assists. While he produced a team-leading 52 points in 73 games for the Marlies last season, Rychel was never promoted.
He has been criticized for skating deficiencies and inconsistent play, but has been a dagger to the Rocket this season, producing two goals and nine points in seven games against Laval.
“I’m sure he has been told often he needs to improve his skating, but there are players in the NHL that still need to improve their skating — and they’ve been there 10 years,” Lefebvre said. “I think his hockey sense and his anticipation gets him to where he wants to be and needs to go. He can fill that lack with his hockey sense, anticipation and playmaking, moving the puck smartly in good areas.
“But, of course, he’s always going to need to improve his skating.”
Joining an organization in which neither the Canadiens nor the Rocket will qualify for the playoffs, Rychel believes his path to regular NHL employment has never been greater.
“There’s definitely a greater opportunity for me to grab and run with it,” he said. “I’ve grown a lot in all aspects of the game. I’ll just keep working hard and wait for my chance. A lot has to do with opportunity and timing.”
Instead, it would appear the 22-year-old Russian-born Valiev might be closer to a regular stint with the Canadiens. The 6-foot-1, 196-pounder is said to have the skating and defensive awareness to fit a bottom pairing. Selected in the third round in 2014, Valiev had a 10-game stint with Toronto two seasons ago.
He’ll be teamed with Brett Lernout on Friday.
“He’s a big body that can move, skate and make a good first pass,” Lefebvre said. “He can be physical and needs to stay physical to be effective. If he wants to play in the NHL and stay there a long time, he’s going to have to bring that intangible with him.”