A Winning Habit
Fansided

Five Players The Montreal Canadiens Should Consider Drafting Fifteenth Overall

By Sebastian High

BOISBRIAND, QC - OCTOBER 20: Raphael Lavoie #50 of the Halifax Mooseheads skates against the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada during the QMJHL game at Centre d'Excellence Sports Rousseau on October 20, 2017 in Boisbriand, Quebec, Canada. The Halifax Mooseheads defeated the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada 4-2. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
BOISBRIAND, QC - OCTOBER 20: Raphael Lavoie #50 of the Halifax Mooseheads skates against the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada during the QMJHL game at Centre d'Excellence Sports Rousseau on October 20, 2017 in Boisbriand, Quebec, Canada. The Halifax Mooseheads defeated the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada 4-2. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 5
Next
Montreal Canadiens
BOISBRIAND, QC – OCTOBER 20: Montreal Canadiens (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

Raphael Lavoie

Rounding out my five ideal candidates for Montreal’s first-round selection in 2019 is Montreal-native, Raphael Lavoie. I am not quite as high on him as many others are, as he could just be the next Joel Armia, but his playoff performance has convinced me that he would not be a bad selection for the Tricolore to make.

Lavoie is a big body, measuring 6’4″ and weighing 200 pounds. He will most likely play on the right wing in the NHL. As with the other players on this list, Lavoie has an excellent first step and the speed to outpace defencemen. He is a natural sniper with a booming shot. His soft hands are a dangerous asset when paired with his speed. He also takes full advantage of his size, often positioning himself in front of goaltenders as a screen, and his excellent hand-eye coordination gifts him many deflection goals. Lavoie is also adept at finding his teammates in space and creating dangerous chances.

While Lavoie’s defensive game was poor in past years, he worked very hard to improve it, and his efforts paid off. His big frame is effective for blocking shots, and he uses his strength to battle for the puck along the boards.

Again, I was unable to find a great comparison, but Lavoie’s style is similar to that of Anders Lee, who has been productive for the Islanders and is set to hit the free agent market this off-season.

Next. How to Fix the Powerplay. dark

f

The Montreal Canadiens could use a big scoring forward, but while I would not be disappointed with Montreal picking the hometown kid, I would prefer the previous four players. I don’t think the Habs can really go wrong with any of the players projected to go around fifteenth, and needless to say, I am very excited for June 21, which is under six weeks away; time start counting down the days!

Home/Draft