Montreal Canadiens: Positional breakdown of the prospect pool to date

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.

Centres (14)

• Michael McCarron (2013 first-round pick)
• Jake Evans (2014 seventh-round pick)
• Lukas Vejdemo (2015 third-round pick)
• Ryan Poehling (2017 first-round pick)
• Joni Ikonen (2017 second-round pick)
• Jesperi Kotkaniemi (2018 first-round pick)
• Jacob Olofsson (2018 second-round pick)
• Cam Hillis (2018 third-round pick)
• Allan McShane (2018 fourth-round pick)
• Cole Fonstad (2018 fifth-round pick)
• Samuel Houde (2018 fifth-round pick)
• Brett Stapley (2018 seventh-round pick)
• Alexandre Alain (free agent signing)
• Hayden Verbeek (free agent signing)

Here’s the bulk of the Montreal Canadiens prospect pool which deserves a massive thumbs up. It’s no secret that the Habs have been lacking in that position and most importantly, centres with high-end potential. Kotkaniemi is a solid answer to that issue and has continued to show his on-ice skill playing for Finland and Ässät during the preseason. He’s already received an entry-level contract, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get a few games at the beginning of the year with the Canadiens.

Poehling is the second name among centre prospects. His two-way play has always been a strength, but he managed to increase his offensive production in his second year at St. Cloud State.

Evans, Vejdemo, Alain, and Verbeek will be in the AHL this season, and their capabilities will be put to the test. The former has the most excitement around him after a dominating season at the University of Notre Dame. To have that come from a seventh-round pick makes it even better.

Ikonen should be another prospect to pay attention to. Improvement is a go-to goal, but that will be key for him after the tough year he had playing with KalPa. The 58th overall pick made the decision to play with men in Liiga instead of returning to Frölunda HC without a guarantee of getting called up to the main club. It took time for Ikonen to adjust to the higher pace and although he was generating scoring chances for his team, he couldn’t put up as many points as he’d like.

Frustration and disappointment are the words usually associated with McCarron. He hasn’t progressed as well as the Habs would’ve liked and after being in the organization for five years, is still nowhere close to being a lock on the NHL club.

Right Wing (4)

• Max Friberg (acquired from the Anaheim Ducks)
• Antoine Waked (free agent signing)
• William Bitten (2016 third-round pick)
• Jesse Ylonen (2018 second-round pick)

Bitten and Ylonen are the clear standouts among this group. The former Hamilton Bulldog is also expected to make his professional debut in the AHL with Laval after a trio of offensively productive seasons in junior. Unfortunately, Bitten’s impact on the team wasn’t felt as strongly in the playoffs as he was reduced to a third-line role. But he was still able to put up 11 points in those 21 games leading up to the championship victory.

The Habs first second-round pick from Dallas has been another eyebrow-raiser for the right reasons. There’s a lot to like about Ylonen’s game in how he combines skating speed with shiftiness that involves a good deal of head fakes to keep opposing players guessing. He’s dealing with some kind of injury right now which could delay his debut with the Pelicans in Liiga. However, the 18-year-old should be another Finnish prospect fans should keep their eye on.

Waked is in an interesting position when it comes to the organization’s depth. The Montreal Canadiens signed him out of the QMJHL in 2017 after scoring 39 goals and 41 assists with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. It was a tough debut for him managing only to put up 11 points in 63 games. And although he was mainly used in a middling lineup role, Waked wasn’t able to take his level of play to a higher level once injuries and call-ups left holes in the roster.

That can change with an improved season, but there are many new faces around to outcompete.

Left Defence (7)

• Scott Walford (2017 third-round pick)
• Jarret Tyszka (2017 fifth-round pick)
• Rinat Valiev (trade acquisition from the Toronto Maple Leafs)
• David Sklenicka (European free agent)
• Michal Moravcik (European free agent)
• Alexander Romanov (2018 second-round pick)
• Jordan Harris (2018 third-round pick)

It’s not talked about as much, but the Montreal Canadiens have added a lot of defencemen in the last two years. Tyszka improved his offensive production from his draft year whereas Walford improved overall. His decision-making has a steady level of calmness to it that allows him to command the blueline in any situations. Additionally, Walford made a lot more use of the first pass from the defensive zone leading the ongoing rush.

Valiev is still a bit of an unknown in the grander scheme of things. He’s been a staple in the minors for many years and got a short window to play in the NHL with the Habs before getting injured. The Habs signed him to a one-year deal that screams, “Prove It,” but it’s going to be difficult with the number of defenders in front of him. Ideally, Valiev gets another look at some point in the season, but he’ll add more structure to the blueline in Laval.

The remaining four are really unknown (relatively speaking). Both Sklenicka and Moravcik were signed after playing with the Pilsen Indians. They brought attention to themselves at the World Hockey Championships as members of Team Czech Republic and are described as being offensive-minded defencemen who can skate.

Sklenicka and Moravcik also have European-Assignment clauses in their contracts and could choose to return overseas if they haven’t been called up. Luckily, the Habs got them to two-year deals so even if that happens, they can return to North America for the 2019-20 season and show how they’ve improved. Ideally, they stay and further improve Laval’s blueline.

Romanov and Harris were the only defencemen selected by Montreal at the 2018 draft with more emphasis on the former. He’s currently fighting for a spot on CSKA Moscow’s roster which would be an incredible feat as an 18-year-old. Romanov combines his skating with heavy and sturdy play allowing him to be effective despite not being the tallest defenceman.

Harris lets his footwork do the talking on the ice and has a tendency to hold on to the puck always on the lookout to make a play. Whether that can transition to the NCAA is too soon to tell, but he’ll get the opportunity to do so with Cayden Primeau at Northeastern University.

Right Defence (5)

• Brett Lernout (2014 third-round pick)
• Nikolas Koberstein (2014 fifth-round pick)
• Arvid Henrikson (2016 seventh-round pick)
• Josh Brook (2017 second-round pick)
• Cale Fleury (2017 third-round pick)

Some of these defencemen are going to need some big years to ensure they’re in the good graces of the Habs prospect pool. Lernout, to begin with, has straddled the NHL line after having an impressive preseason followed by a not so impressive first call-up. His stint with Montreal at the end of the season was more improved as he seemed to shake the nerves he had in the first. There are still things Lernout has to work on, but in an ideal situation, he would fit in perfectly on the bottom pair right out of camp.

However, and this is going to continue to be a recurring point, there are a lot of bodies around that can play there as well. Lernout being exempt from waivers makes him an easy option to send down to the AHL which could be bittersweet. The NHL is a clear goal for him at this point in his career, but if he goes to Laval and dominates, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be one of the first to get a call-up in the event of an injury.

Brook and Fleury each had solid seasons with the Moose Jaw Warriors and Kootenay Ice/Regina Pats respectively. If not for an injury, Brook would’ve been at the Summer Showcase for Canada leading up to at least a shot at the main tournament in December. He’s displayed a good degree of comfort in skating with the puck making the use of quick turns and stop-and-starts to get to where he needs to be.

Offensively, Brook is a weapon on the point as he’s able to thread passes through lanes and look for sticks in the slot for deflections. What he needs to work on his is consistency which appears in his play away from the puck as well.

Right Defence

Fleury was a standout on a very bad Ice team and was able to spread his wings a bit more when making the transition to Regina. He managed to hit 51 points this season where 41 of them were with the Pats. He’s also displayed a knack of knowing where his teammates are around him in the offensive zone making both long and short passes to keep the pressure going. The 19-year-old isn’t afraid to be more of a physical presence either throwing out some big hits that consequentially can take him out of position.

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Nevertheless, Fleury is in some respects an underrated defenceman in the system that could turn some heads once he moves on to the pros, whenever that is. He’s eligible to play right now but can’t without an entry-level contract. Both he and Brook have until June to get one before the Montreal Canadiens lose their rights, which shouldn’t be a problem.

The same can’t be said for Koberstein and Henrikson who are in one of the poorest positions to be in as a prospect: no man’s land. Koberstein managed to double his point total this season scoring one goal and 11 assists. But he’s better known for playing a quiet-conservative style focusing more on disrupting plays than setting them up.

This comes with his decent timing and disrupting passes with his stick or staying close to an attacking player and finishing them off with the body. Time is running out for him though as he’s entering his senior year at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks.

Henrikson may be in an even worse position. He remained in the J20 SuperElit league in Sweden this time playing for Örebro HK. The 20-year-old had 7 points (all assists) but managed to get one game with the big club in the SHL. His future is still up in the air seeing as he doesn’t have a contract for next season.

Perhaps he gets an AHL contract allowing him to further his development in North America, but for now, it’s really cloudy for Henrikson.

Better for the Future

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In today’s NHL where the salary cap can really put a dent in your progression, developing well and always ensuring the cupboards are stocked with talent is essential. The Montreal Canadiens have appropriately addressed areas of need in these last two drafts. And although for the most part, they are hopefuls, there are some plays selected who have a lot of potential to be something special down the line.

Regardless of where the NHL club finishes, the prospects need to be developed well and placed in situations to succeed. If it’s in the NCAA, keep them there, if they’re good enough to play in the AHL bring them up. If they’ve proven they can handle the grind of the NHL, ensure they’re not exposed and lined up with the right individuals to make the transition go as smoothly as possible.

There is a lot to look forward to in the oncoming years, and some of these youngsters could find themselves playing a game or two for the Has this season. As I mentioned earlier, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kotkaniemi get a look in the team’s first nine games, but Bergevin has brought up the potential of Poehling joining the team after his season at St. Cloud State is over.

Not everyone is going to pan out. Even the most successful teams in the NHL have prospects that they leave unqualified. But as long as the Montreal Canadiens identify those who are worth working on, and hang on to them, they’ll be in a lot more ideal situations moving forward as an organization.