What does the Montreal Canadiens draft placement in 2018 mean for the team?
It is official; the Montreal Canadiens will be selecting third overall in the 2018 NHL entry draft. All probability pointed towards Montreal falling lower than the place they held entering the lottery. The hockey gods came through and allowed the Canadiens to jump to third. With Rasmus Dahlin going first, and Andrei Svechnikov most likely going second to Carolina, it seems as though Montreal will land Filip Zadina at third overall.
There still remains a slight hope that Montreal may land Svechnikov though. This comes via a unique situation potentially occurring. Carolina management has not spoken on this possibility at all; it is something that is being spread by Habs fans.
Fans such as Reddit user “hab27” suggest that Carolina may wish to reunite Zadina and Martin Necas. They have played together in the past and management may want to use that chemistry. This would leave Svechnikov available for Montreal to pick at third, but do not bank on this. Remember the rule: draft for skill, trade for position.
If Carolina wants Zadina, they may still draft Svechnikov and then trade for Zadina after. A draft is essentially free money. Why take the $25, when you can take the $30 and trade down for a $25 and a $5?
What kind of player is Zadina, and what will he bring to the Canadiens for the 2018/19 season?
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No matter what Montreal will be getting a stud that will be NHL ready right away. A left-handed goal scorer that should be able to step in and fill the role of Max Pacioretty if he gets moved. With 44 goals and 38 assists in 57 games for the Halifax Mooseheads in 2017/18, Zadina knows how to put up points.
This is once again proven by his above point per game rate in the World Juniors garnering 7 goals and 4 assists in 10 games; all while playing on a team that was outclassed on multiple occasions. Bob McKenzie even referred to Zadina as “the best natural goal scorer available in this draft.”
Zadina also owns some of that trademarked character that Marc Bergevin loves so much, or is it attitude now? With such a high drive to win, many were cheering for the Czech to win the bronze medal in the Juniors. It was put on full display with his quote after losing to Canada.
"I was glad to play well, but I’m so sad because we lost. My goals mean nothing. We will do anything tomorrow, we will die on the ice to bring a medal back to Czech Republic."
This level of competitive nature made many fall in love with him instantly, and lots of lottery teams certainly had visions of Zadina in their minds. Only 18 years old, Zadina already stands at 6’ 1” and 192 lbs. This means he could bring some much-needed size and strength to the roster.
The Montreal Canadiens have fallen into an almost perfect fit for what the club needs right now. To choose anyone else would be to sign your pink slip. The Canadiens needs centres, but they also need goal scoring and work ethic.
Zadina will be a key part of the clubs success for many years into the future. Maybe he will even receive some mentorship from fellow Czech player Tomas Plekanec who has stated he desires to return. As a former captain of the Czech national team that must interest Zadina at least a little bit.