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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Knightfall" data-source="post: 2614243" data-attributes="member: 2012">Still the GuyUnder the new CBA, if the 18-year-old Latendresse makes the Canadiens this season he will be eligible for free-agency at the age of 25.(CP) -- Junior-age phenom Guillaume Latendresse has survived another round of cuts by the Montreal Canadiens.The Canadiens assigned former junior scoring star Corey Locke, first-round pick Andrei Kostitsyn and rugged winger Jonathan Ferland as well as defencemen Andrew Archer and Jean-Philippe Cote to the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs on Wednesday.The cuts left 27 players in camp.Coach Claude Julien wants a closer look at the 18-year-old Latendresse, who had an overtime goal and an assist in a 4-3 NHL pre-season win over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.The second-round pick in this year's draft was fourth in team scoring with three goals and two assists in three games heading into a game in Moncton, N.B., against the Bruins on Wednesday night.If he doesn't make the team, Latendresse will return to the junior Drummondville Voltigeurs. He also has a shot at playing for Canada at the world junior championships in December.Latendresse is also expected to see action as the Canadiens close their pre-season schedule with back-to-back games against Ottawa on the weekend."I saw him play a lot last year in Drummondville and already from then to now, he's a much better skater," Julien said. "So he's already improved a lot."The question is going to be where will he be improving this year. The way he's playing now, he's making us really think seriously about his situation. We'll have to get a good look at what he does in the next few games and then we'll have to make some tough decisions."In other NHL moves on Wednesday:-- The Calgary Flames cut down to 29 players by sending forwards Tomi Maki, David Moss and Brandon Prust to AHL Omaha.-- The Toronto Maple Leafs assigned goalie J.F. Racine to the AHL Marlies, leaving Mikael Tellqvist and J.S. Aubin in camp fighting for the backup position behind Ed Belfour.-- The New York Rangers included goaltender Al Montoya, the sixth overall draft pick in 2004, among five cuts that reduced camp to 27 players. Also assigned to AHL Hartford were forwards Garth Murphy and Craig Weller and defencemen Martin Grenier and Bryce Lampman.Latendresse has become a fan favourite in Montreal, both for scoring goals and tenacious physical play."I wanted to prove to everybody what I could do on the ice," he said. "Everybody was saying my skating was a problem and I want to show that when you work hard you can get better and get strong enough to play here."Maybe I surprised some people because some scouts said my skating was bad. That's my goal. I want to surprise people."The Canadiens will have a tough choice. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, promoting Latendresse now would make him eligible for free agency at 25. And he could displace a player on a one-way NHL contract.Two or three forward jobs are open to young players, with Latendresse, Chris Higgins, Tomas Plekanec, Marcel Hossa and Alexander Perezhogin still in the running.Size is an advantage for the six-foot-two, 225-pound Latendresse."It's his size and he loves to finish his checks," said Julien. "That's important to us."But players all have stronger and weaker points. A guy like Perezhogin is an extremely good skater, maybe not as physical, but his speed is an asset."The cuts leave former first-round pick Ron Hainsey and Swiss national team captain Mark Streit battling for a spot on defence.</blockquote>

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