Louis-Marc Aubry

[titanium2 867]

http://www.redwingscentral.com/prospects/aubry.php

Position: Center

Shoots: Left

Vitals: 6'3'' / 186 lbs.

Birthdate: November 11, 1991

Hometown: Arthabaska, Quebec

Acquired: Detroit's third choice (81st overall) in the 2010 draft

SCOUT COMMENTS

"We project him as a third-line center. He's a good player, a good solid two-way player, good skater, very smart, smart on the puck, and he can dish the puck pretty well ... He plays pretty aggressive. I'm not going to say he's going to bowl you over but he's a guy who competes really hard for loose pucks in front and plays in the hard areas." — Red Wings scout Mark Leach (June 2010).

STRENGTHS

Two-way center ... Hockey sense is excellent at both ends of the ice ... Excels at the finer points of the game that are missed by other prospects his age: faceoffs, blocking shots and playing without the puck ... Hard-working competitor who doesn't shy away from traffic or puck battles ... Solid set-up man with good vision ... Good bloodlines: His father, Pierre, was a former NHLer with the Red Wings.

WEAKNESSES

Extremely lean after growing a whopping eight inches in a four-year stretch ... Needs to fill out in a serious way and get significantly stronger to make a bigger impact ... More lower-body strength will help his skating and make him more effective in high-traffic areas ... Capable offensively, but probably isn't skilled enough to progress beyond a third-line role.

[titanium2 867]

http://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/2010/07/red_wings_prospect_camp_assess_1.html

48 Louis-Marc Aubry

Pluses: The Red Wings seemingly drafted a gentle giant who’s learning to drop his politeness in the massive 6’4,” 184-lb Louis-Marc Aubry, who literally and figuratively looks like he’s still got a ways to grow. Aubry posted decent numbers for the QMJHL’s Montreal Juniors in his sophomore season in the “Q,” and the son of a former Red Wing in Pierre Aubry (who was only 5’10,” go figure) came into the Red Wings’ locker room, admittedly wearing the jersey of the team he cheered for as a youngster…

And he looked terrified, absolutely terrified. He looks like he’s 15 to begin with, speaks a hair above a whisper, albeit in superb self and roommate-taught English, and for the first two days of camp, I watched a 6’4” doe attempt to not trip over himself on the ice while adjusting to the pace of play and the intensity of the drills the Wings’ coaches put them through.

He looked especially out-of-balance during skating drills because the growth spurts which have, per RedWingsCentral, added eight inches to his height over the past four years—and I’d suggest that there’s an inch or two left before he has to learn how to shave—he skates with a hunched-over posture, wasting energy as his shoulders are way out over the toes of his skates instead of no further forward than his knees, forcing him to work extra hard to get up to a remarkable level of speed for a big man and robbing him of energy during stops and starts or changes in direction.

Therein lay the rub, however. Aubry told me that he took notes during Thomas Storm’s stickhandling drills and Andy Weidenbach’s skill drills, and did the same in terms of trying to learn the specifics of Curt Fraser and the coaching staff’s situational drills, as well as the tips that Piet Van Zant and the Wings’ training staff gave the incredibly stringy young man about improving his core strength and building his body up from the inside out and building his body the right way, slowly but surely. Aubry struck me as studious and thoughtful to a fault at times, but he stated that he knew he was at the camp to learn as much as possible, and I’m not sure if anyone took it more seriously than Marc-Louis did.

So, not surprisingly, his game is remarkably mature for his age. Aubry skates superbly well for a big man, has a solid shot and deft passing abilities, he stickhandles very very well, and can generate a fair amount of offense when used in that role, but he was used as a defensive forward in Montreal, and in terms of his defensive awareness and understanding of when to hang back as the “high man” in the slot or when he needed to get those big legs churning to help his defenders, if not bail them out and precede them to the puck, to get that big body in front of shots and his long stick in shooting and passing lanes, to grind the puck out down low in his own end, help his defenders clear the puck, lead the rush himself or just simply make the safe and easy play at a camp where players very often either retreated into the safety of trap hockey or overextended themselves trying to do too much on his own…

Aubry displayed the mature defensive awareness and polish of Brent Raedeke or Landon Ferraro, if not a professional hockey player. He definitely possesses the raw offensive skills to display more flourish to his game, but if he never puts the puck in the net again, his defensive game is worthy of a Mike Babcock-delivered, “Fan-tastic.”

Minuses: Aubry won’t have to shave until he’s 20 at the earliest (and he turns 19 in November), and I would very conservatively estimate that he’s got another inch to grow. The biggest concern involves Louis-Marc growing into that big body and working on his strength and conditioning so that he fills out and can eventually use that size to a huge advantage, no pun intended, as he works up the ranks. His personality’s also reflected in his lack of on-ice assertiveness at times, and if he wants to establish himself as a forward who can do more than play defense, his offensive skills must manifest themselves in a demonstrative manner.

Mostly, he’s a prospect who illustrates the frustrating fact that the post-lockout CBA forces teams to make incredibly difficult decisions as to the worthiness of their Major Junior Hockey-playing prospects of a spot on their 50-man roster in short order, because the Wings have to decide whether to sign Aubry by June of 2012, and at this rate, he could just be getting accustomed to a fully-grown and filled-out physique. He’s on an NHL-mandated clock.

Potential “upside”: If he keeps growing into his body and building it up while establishing himself as a two-way forward in the QMJHL, and if he lays people out more regularly—in the limited-hitting environment of the prospect camp, he didn’t issue many bodychecks, but obviously can do so as he led Montreal in hits—and finds a way to fold scoring into his portfolio, the Wings will sign him two years from now, he’ll continue to grow into that big body and learn the game with that big brain, and he’ll emerge as a superb two-way forward and third-line center. He very literally has a huge upside, and the bottom line must not be minimized: he took notes. You can’t bet against somebody who’s a compulsive note taker.

[newfy 695]

Leads his team in hits after some big growth spurts. I bet once this guy fills out to 215 pounds which he probably will that he'll start hitting with authority. One can hope anyways

[egroen 384]

This guy is my pick for being a huge steal in the years to come. Long, lanky kids like this who physically mature late... and yet are still good for their age bracket... Look out!

[titanium2 867]

From their first prospects tournament game 9/11 in which the Wings won 6 to 1.

http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/a2y/comments/red_wings_prospect_tournament_win_lopsided_in_more_ways_than_one/

Louis-Marc Aubry, whose parents flew in to surprise him after the game, may still look and talk like he’s all of fifteen going on close to 6’4,” and he can still get banged around pretty heavily as the recipient of a massive growth spurt over the past two years remains leaner than beef jerky, but his poise and positioning in playing a sound defensive game, balancing his ability to forecheck with deft positioning and somewhat surprising mobility for a player who hasn’t yet grown into his skates. His goal, assist, and +4 were earned despite the fact that most of the fans in the very packed bleachers probably didn’t notice him when he didn’t dent the scoresheet. Smart, smart, smart, and whisper quiet, on and off the ice.

[titanium2 867]

53 Louis-Marc Aubry: Aubry is definitely 6’3” going on 6’4"--remarkable given that his parents are both under 5’10"--but he might weigh 180 lbs. at best, and he’s still baby-faced at 18. He’s certainly got a big body to grow into, but his ability to play as a defensively-inclined center is almost as mature as Andersson’s, if not more so. Aubry just knows where to be to bail his teammates out, and because he took Tomas Storm’s lessons from this past summer to heart, he’s very speedy. His hands need work but he’s deft as he is whiskerless at times.

http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/a2y/comments/red_wings_prospects_conclude_tournament_with_a_loss_prepare_for_main_camp/

[Konnan511 1,736]

Three points in three games so far.

Edited October 5, 2010 by Konnan511

[Konnan511 1,736]

Wings sign Aubry to 3 year ELC.

My link

[titanium2 867]

Nice! Way to go kid!

[Aussie_Wing 354]

Wow, that came out of nowhere.

[Guest Heaten]

Why did they sign him so soon? Don't they own his rights for up to 2 or 3 years after being drafted?

[Konnan511 1,736]

Why did they sign him so soon? Don't they own his rights for up to 2 or 3 years after being drafted?

NCAA: Their eligibility runs out

CHL: No more junior rights (2-4 years, usually 3 years)

Europe: Indefinitely

[newfy 695]

11 goals and 9 assists in 22 games, Aubry is quietly putting together a pretty good season here. I also noticed on hockeydb he is listed at 202 pounds now so he must be filling out a bit.

I can't comment on his actual play but he is putting up numbers. I'm sure he is playing defensively first as well and hopefully still hitting consistently

[Aussie_Wing 354]

You know what, I'm starting to get really pumped about this kid. He's had a frustrating season with a few injury setbacks but when he's played he's been terrific. His size is just fantastic, he's responsible defensively, and the fact that the Wings signed him well ahead of time speaks volumes as to how highly they rate him. Gaining strength will obviously be the key, and whether he can become more of a consistent offensive threat will determine whether he ever makes it beyond a 3rd/4th line role, but he's got some nice tools to work with.

Turning into one of my favourite prospects.

[titanium2 867]

He already has a contract. Does that mean they want him in GR next season or can he play another year in the CHL and not have it count towards his contract?

And hey Aussie, or Filppula (HF, ), I updated the Stephen Johnston thread and I was sure you would have something to say about that. Nope?

[Aussie_Wing 354]

Goal for Aubry last night.

[Majsheppard 203]

Aubry is looking like a standout in the prospects camp. He really looks like something special in development.

I would stand to say that a future where there is a Helm Mursak Aubry line could be a bright one.

Here is what Malik has to say on the subject- and I agree.

Louis-Marc Aubry: I just love the way he’s starting to put himself together, literally and physically. The ever-studious and ever-hard-working Aubry had a rough day and actually fell down during the skating drills, but he worked his tail off like Jurco, and unlike Jurco’s status as a sniping winger in waiting, Aubry is what I can best describe as at least a superb defensive forward, if not a “power center.” At 6’5” and maybe 190 pounds he’s as fast as big man as I’ve seen in a long, long time, he’s a superb playmaker, he’s got an accurate shot and despite the fact that his arms and legs are going in four directions sometimes, he can really overpower his opponents while grinding it out down low, if not simply win because he’s already got an advanced technical grasp of the game.

[Aussie_Wing 354]

With Mursak about to graduate, he's probably become my favourite prospect along with Nyquist. I just get the feeling this kid is something special, I see him as a Jordan Staal/Martin Hanzal type, but not quite at their levels. Everything I’ve read suggests that he is such a smart hockey player; he knows the game so well and has an advanced hockey IQ, especially for someone so young. He’s huge, he skates well, he is defensively sound and he has that offensive potential that might eventually come around. At just 19 he’s got plenty of time to develop and should he keep on making the progress he has been, I see him becoming a shut down 4th line centre at minimum, with hopefully the potential to centre the 3rd.

[Aussie_Wing 354]

Griffins

On the Bubble: Griffins Face Tough Roster Choices

■ Louis-Marc Aubry – Detroit thinks very highly of the 6-foot-3, 183 pound forward. That being said, if Aubry isn’t earning ice time in Grand Rapids, the Red Wings can still send him back to junior this season.

I'm on the fence. I'd like to see him in GR in the sense that I'd be able to watch him play with the game feeds, but I think for his development he'd be better served spending one more year in juniors. He's still very thin, and I think putting him in the AHL now would seem rushed. If he did stay in GR, I could easily see him consistently benched/get minimal minutes and then being sent down to the ECHL. At least in juniors he'd get big minutes where he could dominate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcs9EvAZ6VY

Not a great vid, but gives you a brief idea. Like the way he skates up ice at 0:21. I've got no idea why I like this guy as much as I do, but I so hope he makes it.

Edited October 5, 2011 by Aussie_Wing

[Konnan511 1,736]

He just needs to start using his size.

[Aussie_Wing 354]

Well Aubry's starting to get comfortable in the AHL. He scored his first pro goal on Wednesday, and on Friday (on his 20th birthday) he scored again. He's an even +/- in 11 games, not bad considering half the team is a minus. He's starting to shoot the puck a lot more (8 SOG past 3 games), so nice to to see him already adapting to the AHL. Love his size, skill and skating.

[Aussie_Wing 354]

What a game by Aubry tonight!!!

Goal, 2 assists, 6 SOG, 1st star.

Edited December 3, 2011 by Aussie_Wing

[redwingfan19 293]

getting more and more excited about aubry. kid is massive an if his offensive game rounds out he could be dominate, looks like a poor mans joe thornton minus the ******.