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Montreal Canadiens Top Prospect Countdown: No. 19 Scott Walford

By Austin Owens

BROSSARD, QC - JULY 04: Montreal Canadiens Rookie defenseman Scott Walford (56) skating with the puck during the Montreal Canadiens Development Camp on July 4, 2017, at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
BROSSARD, QC - JULY 04: Montreal Canadiens Rookie defenseman Scott Walford (56) skating with the puck during the Montreal Canadiens Development Camp on July 4, 2017, at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The 2017 third round pick will be looking to build off a solid year with the Victoria Royals in 2016-17.

While the Montreal Canadiens have some solid prospects to build towards in the future, they sit near the back of the league in prospect pool rankings.

With that in mind, let’s look at who will be the top players in the Habs pipeline this season.

On Saturday, we profiled Zachary Fucale, today we cover our 19th ranked prospect, defenceman Scott Walford.

Scott Walford / Left Defence / 6’2″ / 190 lbs / Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada

In a defence heavy 2017 draft class for the Habs, Walford looks like a promising player of the future.

The B.C. product was taken 18th overall by Victoria in the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft.

In his second season with the Royals, Walford saw a jump in his offensive production. He finished with 30 points in 60 games, an improvement from his 11 in 2015-16.

Additionally, he was able to keep his penalty minutes down, taking only 36 all season.

Here’s a scouting report from HockeyNow on the defender.

"An underrated two-way defender who has shown an offensive side in the latter half of this season. Never tries to do more than he is capable of and takes care of his own end effectively.Always makes the safe play and gets the puck out of trouble. Stands his ground and keeps his net clear. Separates the puck away from opponents and has developed a physical game and is not afraid to throw the big hit.Patient in his own end and makes sure he has a clear path before he makes a pass. Has good size and battles in the corners. Will shoot the puck on the power play and does a good job of opening up space for himself to shoot.A reliable defender both defensively and in the offensive zone. Good vision and sees all areas of the ice well and skating has improved from start of the season."

Walford will only be 18 going into the season, so he has tons of time to progress before he’ll need to be a solid contributor in the Habs’ system.

Barring a tremendous showing in camp, Walford should see another season in the WHL before coming up to play in the pros.

He has all the tools to be good at the next level, and is someone fans should keep an eye on over the next year.

Next: Montreal Canadiens Top Prospect Countdown: No. 20 Zachary Fucale

What do you think of Walford? Do you think he was rated too high or too low? And how do you think his season will go? Let us know in the comments below

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