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Ranking Montreal Canadiens Top 10 Prospects

By Ken MacMillan

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 21: Cole Caufield, 15th overall pick of the Montreal Canadiens, poses for a portrait during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 21: Cole Caufield, 15th overall pick of the Montreal Canadiens, poses for a portrait during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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LAVAL, QC, CANADA – MARCH 13: Cale Fleury #38 (Photo by Stephane Dube /Getty Images)
LAVAL, QC, CANADA – MARCH 13: Cale Fleury #38 (Photo by Stephane Dube /Getty Images) /

Number 10

Player: Cale Fleury

Position: Right Defenceman

Acquired: 2017 NHL Draft, 3rd round, 87th overall

Projected 2019-20 team: Laval Rocket, AHL

NHL ETA: 2021-22

Potential Role: Second pairing defenceman

Why he is ranked #10:

Cale Fleury is an interesting prospect. He was the best defenseman on one of the worst Junior hockey teams in Canada when he was drafted. When the Canadiens selected him in the third round of the 2017 NHL Draft, they ignored that he had a plus-minus of a combined -109. Now, this is not the best stat in the world, but when a player is -100 or more it’s not a good sign.

However, in this case, Fleury was basically the only defenseman capable of playing against WHL competition on his Kootenay Ice team. When you play tons of minutes on an awful hockey team, you are going to have a lousy plus-minus.

Luckily, the Canadiens took a deeper look at Fleury because the 20 year old right shooting defenceman is proving to be a worthy gamble as a third round draft choice. Fleury turned pro last season and played with the Laval Rocket, eventually earning a role as one of the top shutdown defenders on the team.

The Calgary, Alberta native scored 23 points in 60 games with the Rocket and earned a prominent role as a rookie. As a 20 year old, his ability to handle tough situations in the AHL and contribute at both ends of the ice show he has tremendous potential and could become a top four defenceman for the Canadiens in the future.

At the very least, Fleury should be a solid, dependable third pairing defenceman in the future. That could happen as early as next season in spot duty when injuries occur, but I would suspect another season or two where Fleury plays top minutes in the AHL before he has a real opportunity to win a job with the Canadiens when Jeff Petry’s contract is up in 2021.

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