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Montreal Canadiens Worst 5 Draft Busts During the 2000’s

By Kenric Mannette

Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Noah Juulsen on stage with team executives after being selected as the number twenty-six overall pick to the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Noah Juulsen on stage with team executives after being selected as the number twenty-six overall pick to the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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Montreal Canadiens
Nov 1, 2013; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Montreal Canadiens forward Louis Leblanc (71) against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild defeated the Canadiens 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /

Examining why Louis Leblanc is one of the Montreal Canadiens worst draft busts of the 2000’s.

The last NHL Draft of the decade, was held in Montreal to commemorate the Montreal Canadiens 100th year anniversary. The Canadiens held the 18th overall pick, and selected Louis Leblanc from the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League.

Leblanc was projected to be a second line center with some good scoring upside. Leblanc also has a good sized frame at six feet tall, and many felt that he would only be a couple of years away from joining the Habs.

After a year playing for Harvard, Leblanc signed a three year entry level contract with the Canadiens. Leblanc went on to play for the Montreal Juniors in the Quebec Major Junior League and he put up some good numbers for the Juniors. In 51 games during the 2010-11 season Leblanc scored 58 points with the Juniors.

Leblanc was selected to the Canadian National Junior Team that season, to compete at the World Junior Championship. During that tournament Leblanc scored seven points in seven games and played a huge role for the Canadian National team, as they won a silver medal. As a result, it seemed like Leblanc was developing into an elite player, and that he would soon be contributing with the Canadiens.

Leblanc’s Professional Career

However, things didn’t go according to plan for Leblanc, as he joined Montreal’s AHL affiliate the Hamilton Bulldogs. Leblanc was bounced between teams during the 2011-12 season.

He spent part of the year with the Hamilton Bulldogs, the Habs AHL affiliate, and the Canadiens, but couldn’t establish himself on either squad. It also didn’t help matters that the Habs were having an awful season, and they finished the season near the bottom of the league standings.

The Habs fired their Management group and Coaching Staff after the season. The previous regime was replaced by current General Manager Marc Bergevin, and Head Coach, Michel Therrien. The changes didn’t do much for Leblanc as he spent most of the next two seasons in the AHL.

In the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons Leblanc played 132 games for the Bulldogs, but only scored 46 points. Leblanc would only appear in eight games for the Habs in the 2013-14 season but he failed to find the score sheet. Leblanc was then traded to the Anahiem Ducks after the season, but he would never play another game in the NHL.

All in all, Leblanc only played 50 games for the Habs, and only scored 10 points.

Who Else Was Available?

The 2009 NHL draft class wasn’t one of the deepest talent pools, but it did produce a few elite players. For example, after the Canadiens picked Leblanc, the Colorado Avalanche went on to select Ryan O’Reilly, just 15 picks later. O’Reilly has become a member of the Canadian National Team and has been an NHL All Star.

In O’Reilly’s 521 games played he has scored 118 goals and totaled 323 points. The Habs should have selected O’Reilly, and the Habs could have solved their second line center woes.

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