The Moncton Times & Transcript has an interesting article today on Oilers prospect Stephane Goulet. A few excerpts:
He was the second leading scorer for the Stockton Thunder in the East Coast Hockey League playoffs with nine points, including five goals, in six games.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound forward has one season remaining on a three-year contract and he knows what he needs to work on. He's a natural goal scorer, but the knock on him has long been his skating."I want to get faster and stronger," said Goulet. "That's what I have to do. I improved my skating last summer and I'm going to keep working on it. I'll go back home to Quebec and train with some NHL guys this summer. It's going to be a tough summer, but I'm looking forward to it. I like working out so it's going to be fun. I gained confidence down the stretch and in the playoffs. I'm hoping to turn the page on the ECHL and play in the AHL all of next season."
Goulet has improved in every one of his seasons since his draft year and is probably a good bet to spend all of next season with the Springfield Falcons. It's tempting to write off a guy like this, and maybe next season will be his last in the Oilers organization, but every so often someone like Liam Reddox comes out of the ECHL and establishes himself as a legitimate prospect.
Goulet's coming off an excellent playoff run, and with his goal-scoring instincts and size there are some things to like. He's entering the final season of his contract, so he needs to start showing more at the minor league level immediately.