Montreal Canadiens: Top 5 Defenceman Prospects

2. Jordan Harris

While the Habs added a couple of great defence prospects in the 2019 NHL Draft, adding Struble and Norlinder in consecutive rounds, they did even better in the 2018 NHL Draft. There will be more on the first defender they selected in a minute, but in the third round, they drafted Jordan Harris.

Still just 19 years old, Harris has already played two terrific seasons of NCAA hockey for the Northeastern Huskies. Yes, that is the same team Jayden Struble plays for and the pair could very well be put together frequently next season on the team’s top pairing. Though both are left shots, that wouldn’t be a problem at all, as Harris has great versatility.

Harris was picked to represent his country at the most recent World Juniors, but the team’s defence was heavy on left defenders. Harris slid to the right side to play top four minutes with ease. Though he didn’t put up a ton of points, he played a solid two-way game and was possibly their best defensive defenceman in the tournament.

Harris played a huge role for the Northeastern Huskies this season as well. After scoring one goal and 13 points in 39 games as a freshman, he upped that to three goals and 21 points in 33 games this season while being the team’s best shutdown presence.

The Massachusetts native will head back to Northeastern for a third season before turning pro. However, his stay with the Laval Rocket won’t be long before he hits the Canadiens blue line if he continues to grow at the same rate he has the past two seasons. He won’t be a huge point producer at the NHL level, but he looks to be a great shutdown player who can chip in some offence in the making.