Montreal Canadiens Prospects Leading They Way For Many CHL Top Ten Teams

The Montreal Canadiens have several key prospects playing in the Canadian Hockey League, which consists of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and Western Hockey League and is the top circuit for teenaged hockey players in Canada.

The CHL released a Top Ten list every week, ranking the best teams from across the country as they continue their quest to be crowned Canada’s best Junior team at the Memorial Cup in May.

The Canadiens have prospects playing all across the country and they just two happen to be leading the way for many of the best teams in the country.

The Winnipeg Ice were once again ranked #1 due to their incredible 22-3-1 record. There are no Canadiens prospects on that team, but Matthew Savoie will be a target of the Habs at the 2022 NHL Draft if they pick somewhere inside the top five.

The Ice’s biggest competition in the ranking is from the Edmonton Oil Kings. The team from Alberta’s capital just beefed up its roster in an effort to reel in the Ice and they did it by acquiring Canadiens first round pick Kaiden Guhle.

Guhle is a big, physical defender who is also showing off quite the offensive game this season. Before being dealt, he was playing for the Prince Albert Raiders and he scored 15 points in 17 games. He has already suited up for three games for the Oil Kings and has a goal and three points, including the game winning goal on Wednesday night against the top ranked Ice.

Acquiring Guhle cost the Oil Kings two future first round picks, a third round pick, a sixth round pick, Carson Latimer who was drafted in the 4th round of the 2021 NHL Draft by the Ottawa Senators and Eric Johnston, a 17 year old defenceman.

That is quite a haul for half a season of Guhle’s services, but it shows how valuable the Canadiens prospect is in the WHL and he has the tools to help the Oil Kings climb over the Ice and into top spot in the WHL standings.

Guhle isn’t the only Canadiens prospects helping lead a top ten team in the country.

The Charlottetown Islanders are the top team from the QMJHL and are ranked 5th in Canada. They can thank Xavier Simoneau, a 6th round pick of the Canadiens, who has 42 points in 22 games for their early season success. They also have Canadiens 4th round pick William Trudeau in the lineup. The defender has 17 points in 26 games and is a big part of the team’s blue line this season.

The next highest team in the rankings from the QMJHL is the Sherbrooke Phoenix. Joshua Roy is their top offensive threat and he was the Canadiens 5th round pick in last year’s NHL Draft. Roy has 16 goals and 45 points in 25 games, leading all scorers in the QMJHL.

Between the Islanders and Phoenix in the rankings are a pair of OHL teams with Canadiens prospects on their team, although they have been used in very different roles so far.

The North Bay Battalion check in at #6 in the weekly rankings. Their starting goaltender, Joe Vrbetic, is a Canadiens 7th round pick and the team is 13-2-2 when he plays. He has a 2.64 GAA and a .905 SV%. His GAA is 5th best in the league among goalies who have played ten games or more and his SV% ranks 9th.

The London Knights sit 7th in the rankings but the Habs prospect on the Knights roster is 1st round pick Logan Mailloux who is suspended indefinitely by the OHL.

Still, that puts a Canadiens prospect on the top defence pairing of the second ranked team in the country, the leading scorer and a top four defender on the 5th ranked team, the starting goalie of the 6th ranked team and the top scorer on the 8th ranked team.

A lot of Canadiens prospects are going to go on deep playoff runs this spring in the CHL. The great thing is, none of them are spare parts going along for the ride, they are all the driving force of their team’s playoff hopes.