The Montreal Canadiens have options ahead of the 2018 NHL Draft and projected third-overall pick Filip Zadina shared what he thinks the organization wants.
It’s been a constant back-and-forth between fans as to who the Montreal Canadiens should draft in Dallas. Most of it lies with what the Carolina Hurricanes do with their second-overall pick as selecting Rasmus Dahlin is a no-brainer for Buffalo. If the Hurricanes follow the board and pick Andrei Svechnikov, the Habs have the choice to follow suit with Filip Zadina or carve their own path.
The other frequently brought up candidates are Brady Tkachuk and Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
The rule of thumb for any draft is to take the best player available at the given position. Again, that depends on Carolina. However, the Montreal Canadiens have an organization need for centres that could be addressed if they go off the board. Tkachuk, on the other hand, has the makings of being a successful power forward in the NHL one day.
Both Kotaniemi and Tkachuk would take time though. The former needs time to grow and will most likely return to play for Ässät in Finland.
Related Story: A Way to Acquire Zadina and Kotkaniemi
The latter has already confirmed that he’ll be returning to Boston University regardless of the team who drafts him.
The skillset that Zadina has is what makes him stand out from the other two. He may not be a centre, but the Czech native can be a game-changer from the wing. Not too many players in the NHL can drive a line from there. Patrick Kane, Mitch Marner, and Jonathan Drouin in his time with Tampa have had the pleasure of holding that mantle.
Another thing is that Zadina provides immediate help to the team who selects him. Many believe that he can play in the NHL as early as next season which would look good on a Montreal Canadiens team looking to add more speed and skill.
However, Zadina shared some thoughts on what he thinks the Habs may do at the podium. Michael Traikos did a story from the NHL Draft Combine that included a comment from the 18-year-old.
Interesting comment from Filip Zadina pertaining to #Habs in @Michael_Traikos story: "Montreal, I know very well. I've been to the city many times and they're fans are awesome. But I think they're looking for a centre or a D."
— Murray Pam (@Pammerhockey) June 5, 2018
This is only his opinion, but you have to think what would bring that to his conclusion. It could just be from seeing the roster and connecting the dots. That said, it’s interesting nonetheless.
Going for the centre would make sense and only take half of the fan base by surprise. Trevor Timmins stressed that the organization is committed to building the team the right way avoiding all shortcuts. If that’s the case, the Habs could be willing to take the time to develop Kotkaniemi.
Drafting a defenceman is a little out of left field. Evan Bouchard, Quinton Hughes, and Noah Dobson are three blueliners projected to go in the top ten. It would be tough to hate the decision to select either one of them considering what they can bring to the table. However, it would be weird to give up on the chance to take Zadina third.
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We’ll have to wait and see how the cards play out in a few weeks. Timmins has a plan and isn’t downplaying the importance of this draft. If the Habs choose to take a direction that doesn’t point to Zadina, then there’ll be some kind of explanation for it.