Around the AHL: Joël Bouchard juggling, Laval Rocket not struggling

With 34 players at Laval Rocket (Montréal Canadiens) head coach Joël Bouchard’s disposal, he can afford to be picky.

Even with a 2-0-0-0 mark. Even after efficiently dispatching the visiting Belleville Senators (Ottawa Senators) in back-to-back 5-1 decisions this past weekend at Bell Centre.

Bouchard has 34 players – three goaltenders, 11 defencemen, and 20 forwards. He also received NHL veteran forward Michael Frolik, who has played 850 NHL regular-season games, on a conditioning assignment from the Canadiens on Monday. Bouchard inserted Frolik into the Laval line-up as one key move.

“I'm challenging some guys to ramp up their game so that it is AHL-calibre,” he said Monday.

Going into a rematch with Belleville on Tuesday, Bouchard had Habs 2017 first-round pick Ryan Poehling back among his f