Montreal Canadiens: Dominique Ducharme will be huge for the NHL Draft
By Omar L
The Montreal Canadiens shook up the coaching staff by bringing in Dominique Ducharme, but he will also be a great asset as far as the NHL Draft goes.
Friday was another point of change for the Montreal Canadiens organization. Jean-Jacques Daigneault and Dan Lacroix are out while Dominique Ducharme is in. That marks alteration number two in Marc Bergevin’s offseason operations, and a third may be coming soon depending on who is named the new Laval Rocket head coach (Joel Bouchard?).
We can talk about all the good things that Ducharme will do for the Habs as far as their on-ice play and execution. That, however, is second fiddle to another strength the Montreal Canadiens have: an extra pair of eyes.
The upcoming draft in Dallas is believed to be a defining moment for the Habs. Many are calling it a deep pool of prospects to choose from which works in Montreal’s favour considering the number of picks they have which could increase baring any pre-draft trades.
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It starts in the first-round which will hopefully be a top-five pick and trickles down to the hot zone of the second-round. Ducharme has been coaching the QMJHL for the past seven years and probably knows what to look for as far as scouting talent.
The first-round is projected to have Filip Zadina (Halifax Mooseheads, Ducharme’s former team) Noah Dobson (Acadie-Bathurst Titans), and Joe Veleno who Ducharme is currently coaching now with Drummondville Voltigeurs to name a few. If the Montreal Canadiens needed an extra pair of notes on either of these players then Ducharme would be their guy.
However, extensive scouting isn’t too important in the first-round. Some of these players have been watched and coveted for years.
The magic, again, has to come for the players taken from 32-62. Ducharme’s experience in Hockey Canada the last two years could help there as far as those who spent time in OHL and WHL if any wind up there or beyond. The odds aren’t great, but hitting on picks in the third and fourth-rounds of any draft separate the good organizations from the great ones.
Next: Giving Joel Bouchard Incentive to Join
We all knew that this offseason was going to be an interesting one for the Montreal Canadiens, and this move has already got the fan base talking. After Saturday’s Draft Lottery, it’ll be on to the actual draft.