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Montreal Canadiens: 6 Players the Canadiens Should Consider in the Later Rounds of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft

By Sebastian High

CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 24: (L-R) Mark Bergevin Montreal Canadiens (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 24: (L-R) Mark Bergevin Montreal Canadiens (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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KELOWNA, BC – NOVEMBER 21: Ryker Evans #41 of the Regina Pats skates against the Kelowna Rockets at Prospera Place on November 21, 2018 in Kelowna, Canada. (Photo by Marissa Baecker/Getty Images)
KELOWNA, BC – NOVEMBER 21: Ryker Evans #41 of the Regina Pats skates against the Kelowna Rockets at Prospera Place on November 21, 2018 in Kelowna, Canada. (Photo by Marissa Baecker/Getty Images) /

Round 5 (142): Ryker Evans, LD, 5’11”, 181 lbs, Regina Pats, WHL.

Ryker Evans is a player I loved last season (he cracked my honourable mentions list) but went undrafted, I decided to be more vocal in my appreciation of his play this season. He gave me serious Cale Fleury vibes last year, not because of his playstyle, but because he played a rock-solid game but was bound to fall in the draft due to playing on a weak WHL team. Considering the recent selection of Fleury by Seattle, this pick seems apt.

Evans added to his offensive toolkit this season but, at least from what I’ve seen of him, he projects as a defence-first player who excels in transition. And when I say excel, I mean it, of all the North American draft-eligible defencemen Mitch Brown of Elite Prospects tracked this season, Evans’ transition results were the very best. It is also something you notice immediately when you watch him play, he just knows how to move the puck on the breakout, he makes all the right choices and helps shift the tide.

On the defensive side of things, Evans plays intelligently. His neutral zone and rush defence are both real strengths and he funnels play away from the slot and to the perimeter through smart body positioning and an active stick. His defensive play isn’t particularly flashy, but it’s effective. I believe Evans will make the NHL someday and I certainly hope it’s with the Habs.

Round 6 (191): Jiri Tichacek, LD, 5’9″, 170 lbs, Kladno, Czech2.

Alright, this is just a fun homerun swing. While Tichacek was covered in a really good scouting report by Will Scouch of Scouching back in April, he actually caught my eye before then, despite not making any real draft rankings apart from Scouching’s (42) and Dylan Griffing’s (48). I randomly stumbled upon him because he plays on Tomas Plekanec’s and Jaromir Jagr’s team, who gained promotion to the top tier of Czech hockey this season.

He just stood out to me when I tuned in to watch the elderly but dynamic Czech duo in December. His skating is simply eye-catching, he moves around with great speed and ease. He’s small, but he uses his speed to close down passing lanes in the defensive zone. He reminds me of a more offensively-inclined version of Victor Mete. He certainly lacks some of the defensive acumen but his playmaking is really fun to watch, he really zips the puck around, especially in the offensive zone and I could envision him running a power play.

Tichacek will need at least a handful of years to develop, unlike his Canadian counterpart, but there is potential for a really fun and dynamic playmaking defenceman here. He would need to shore up his defensive play to stand a chance of making the NHL, but in the sixth round, he’s the type of swing I’d love to take.

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