A Winning Habit
Fansided

Montreal Canadiens: Positional breakdown of the prospect pool to date

By Omar L

DALLAS, TX - JUNE 22: Jesperi Kotkaniemi puts on a Montreal Canadiens jersey onstage after being selected third overall by the Montreal Canadiens during the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 22, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - JUNE 22: Jesperi Kotkaniemi puts on a Montreal Canadiens jersey onstage after being selected third overall by the Montreal Canadiens during the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 22, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 8
Next
Montreal Canadiens
DALLAS, TX – JUNE 22: Montreal Canadiens  (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

The Montreal Canadiens significantly added to their prospect pool after the 2018 NHL Draft, especially at the centre position.

Of all the critiques the Montreal Canadiens received in the last two years, their drafting and developing has received the most of it. However, the performances from Victor Mete, Noah Juulsen, and Nikita Scherbak last season helped clear the air there. So did the 2018 NHL Draft where the Habs walked away with 11 new players for their organizational depth.

There were some deletions from the prospect pool via loss of player rights in Daniel Carr, Jeremy Gregoire, Markus Eisenschmid, and Zachary Fucale. But the newfound and growing skill of the Habs prospects has struck a lot of interest in what these players can become. And fortunately, the majority of them are centres which are an essential position to have stocked.

Left Wingers (5)

  • Daniel Audette (2014 fifth-round pick)
  • Jeremiah Addison (2015 seventh-round pick)
  • Michael Pezzetta (2016 sixth-round pick)
  • Kerby Rychel (trade acquisition from the Toronto Maple Leafs)
  • Jack Gorniak (2018 fourth-round pick)

Audette has a big season ahead of him as he’s entering the final year of his entry-level contract. He’s already played two professional seasons in the AHL, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get a late-season call-up so the Montreal Canadiens can see first hand what they have in the player.

Addison is set to play his first full year in the AHL while Pezzetta is one of the many expected to make a debut with the Laval Rocket. Rychel is still in need of a contract with the Habs for the 2018-19 season. The AHL has been his stomping grounds for a number of years, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him return there.

Gorniak was one of the more interesting prospects selected from the draft. His speed and tenacity is reminiscent of Brendan Gallagher and will be looking to make an impact at the University of Wisconsin.

Home/Prospects