All Montreal Canadiens 2013 NHL Mock Draft
The 2013 NHL Draft day has finally arrived and the Montreal Canadiens will be one of the busiest teams during the one day marathon, currently holding nine picks in the seven round event.
Here is my seven round, all Montreal Canadiens 2013 mock draft.
With the 25th pick the Montreal Canadiens select, from the Baie Comeau Drakkar of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Right Wing, Valentin Zykov.
Zykov took the QMJHL by storm in his rookie season of 2012-13, scoring 75 points in 67 games, including 40 goals. Zykov would chip in another 19 points in 19 postseason games, helping the Drakkar all the way to the QMJHL final where they succumbed to the powerhouse Halifax Mooseheads in five games.
Zykov is from St. Petersburg, Russia, but if you are concerned about the “Russian Factor” here consider this: Zykov left Russia at the age of 17 to play in a tiny Quebec community that Nathan MacKinnon refused to leave Nova Scotia for.
Zykov plays a very North American style, as he is about 6 feet tall, over 200 pounds and not afraid to use his size to make room for himself in front of the net.
Montreal would be very lucky to add such a dynamic player to their crop of prospects.
With the 34th pick, the Montreal Canadiens select, from the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League, Defenseman Dillon Heatherington.
Heatherington is a towering defender for the Broncos, standing at 6’3 and weighing in at 200 pounds. He is known especially for his defensive play and physicality, as his impressive frame would suggest.
Heatherington would join an ever growing group of defensive prospects with the Habs, but his size and strength would be a welcome addition to a roster seeking just that type of player.
With the 36th pick, the Montreal Canadiens select, from the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League, Right Wing Justin Bailey.
Bailey is a big winger with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL, who has plenty of untapped potential. He scored 37 points in 56 games as a rookie and has plenty of size, standing at 6’3. He is a good skater with size, who plays a hard style of game and if he is able to put all the tools he has together, will be a great pick for the Canadiens.
With the 55thpick, the Montreal Canadiens select, from the Belleville Bulls of the Ontario Hockey League, Defenseman Jordan Subban.
Jun 15, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports
How could the Canadiens pass up on the little brother of their Norris Trophy winner? Jordan is an undersized defender, but has actually outscored big brother’s pace through two seasons with Belleville. He plays a similar offensive style, with flashy rushes and great skating, but being only 5’9, would have a harder time than P.K. playing in his own end. It may be a tad of a stretch to go with Jordan, but there is no better place to learn the pro game than being in the same organization as his older brother who plays the same position, and has dealt with all the doubters.
With the 71st pick, the Montreal Canadiens select, from the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League, Center Ryan Kujawinski.
Kujawinski is a big forward with plenty of skill, but did not live up to his potential this season. After being dealt to Kingston in 2011-12, he was a point per game player for 30 games. This past season he had 48 points in 66 games with a struggling and very young Frontenacs squad. Kujawinski would be a bit of a project, but with size and skill, if he can get his game back together he could be a force down the road.
With the 86th pick, the Montreal Canadiens select, from the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League, Goaltender Spencer Martin.
Canadiens General Manger Marc Bergevin spoke yesterday about the lack of depth in net in the Canadiens system. He said it was likely that the Habs will use one of their picks today to address that need. Martin was much better in the first half of the OHL season, but faded down the stretch and was only given one start in the playoffs, an 8-1 loss to the Belleville Bulls. He is still ranked as the fifth goaltender in North America, but his slow second half will result in him falling to the Canadiens in the third round.
With the 116th pick, the Montreal Canadiens select, from the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League, Center Cole Cassels.
The son of former Canadiens first round pick, Andrew Cassels, becomes the newest member of the Habs in the fourth round of the draft. Cassels had a decent season with the generals, notching 43 points in 67 games. Cassels will be given a chance to shine brighter next season as the Generals will graduate several forwards who were ahead of him on the depth chart.
With the 176th pick, the Montreal Canadiens select, from Salavat Yulaev of the KHL, Right Wing Anton Slepyshev.
Montreal goes out on a limb in the sixth round and grabs a talented winger from Russia who was passed over in last year’s draft. He was not given much ice time in the KHL, was excellent at Under 18 Tournament and quiet at World Juniors.
With the 206th pick, the Montreal Canadiens select, from the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Defenseman Mac Weegar.
Weegar was a solid, yet unspectacular defender for the Mooseheads, the best team in the Canadian Hockey League, all season. Weegar plays an offensive style, which saw him net 44 points in 62 games during his first QMJHL campaign.