Montreal Canadiens: Three Prospects That Make Habs Logan Mailloux Pick Look Even Worse

Aatu Raty

Aatu Raty is one of the more interesting prospects to come along in the past few seasons. Not that he is one of the very best in that time, he just had his value change dramatically in his draft year.

Heading into the 2020-21 season, Raty was ranked extremely high in the 2021 NHL Draft. Like, top five for sure and possibly a first overall pick candidate. He appeared to be the total package or size, skill, finesse, playmaking, defence and scoring. But then he had an awful season.

Raty looked like a surefire top line centre that can play both ends of the ice extremely well. He was often playing above his age group in his home country of Finland and made the World Junior Under-20 team as a 17 year old in 2020. He had three points in seven games at that tournament and a total of 21 points in 30 games in Finland’s top Junior league that was filled with players two years older than him.

Then last season, he scored just six points in 35 Liiga games. He did have seven points in the eight Junior league games he played and perhaps would have been best served staying in the younger league. But he played most of the season in the top pro league in Finland and couldn’t score much.

Of course, this isn’t a brand new concept for European forwards. Lucas Raymond had just ten points in 33 games in Sweden’s best league in his draft year but just two years later he is nearly a point per game player in the NHL.

Nevertheless, Raty’s stock plummeted and he fell all the way out of the first round. He was available when the Habs selected at 31, but he wouldn’t be picked until the 52nd overall pick where the New York Islanders grabbed him.

Now, Raty has seen his stock roller coaster its way back up again. He played great for the Islanders in training camp and looked good in preseason games. He was sent back to Finland and is on fire after switching teams.

Raty always played for Karpat but this season is playing with Jokerit in Liiga. That’s the same pro league where he scored just six points in 35 games last season. This season, he has already scored 13 points in just 11 games with his new squad.

He suddenly looks like a future two-way top six centre in the NHL in the near future once again. Would have been a terrific pickup at 31st overall, especially considering most prognosticators had him ranked in the middle of the first round.

Sasha Pastujov

Sasha Pastujov was the biggest surprise slider in the draft last season and he is showing everyone that it was a mistake to pass up on his offensive abilities.

The Florida native was the highest scoring player on the United States National Development Team last season. Now, he didn’t quite put up Jack Hughes numbers or Cole Caufield’s goal totals, but he did score 30 goals and 65 points in 41 games. He also starred at the World Under-18s where he had five goals and eight points in five games.

Pastujov is an extremely skilled winger who can buy time in the offensive zone with great stick handling, he can make great passes and also has a wicked shot. Somehow, no one chose him in the first two rounds of the 2021 NHL Draft, but the Anaheim Ducks grabbed him with the second pick in the third round.

Now, Pastujov left an offer from Notre Dame on the table to jump to the OHL. He has 20 goals and 35 points in 26 games this season for the Guelph Storm. The 18 year old is tied for third in the OHL in goals scored this season.

The Canadiens could desperately use goals. Every year it seems like goal scoring is a major issue and even in the years they make the playoffs, they can’t seem to score with consistency.

Pastujov was not drafted until 68th overall but no one would have batted an eye if he went 31st. He was ranked late in the first round by some (29th by ISS, 31st by Sportsnet) and early in the second round by many (36th by Bob McKenzie).

Now, he is one of the best goal scorers in the OHL while the Canadiens wait to see if Mailloux will be allowed to play any hockey this year.

Francesco Pinelli

Like Mailloux, Francesco Pinelli had his OHL season cancelled last year and had to travel a great distance to find somewhere to play.

Pinelli ended up in Slovenia where he played 13 games in a pro league there and scored 11 points. He also returned to Canada to play in the World Under-18 tournament and was terrific. In just seven games, Pinelli scored four goals and 11 points to help Canada win a gold medal.

Though it was an odd development year, Pinelli made the most of it by playing well in a European pro league and excelling at the World Under-18 event. His terrific poise, hockey sense, and playmaking ability were all on display at that tournament.

Pinelli had already played a full season in the OHL in 2019-20 and he scored 18 goals and 41 points in 59 games as a 16 year old. His draft value was already quite high from that season and his performance representing his country solidified that view.

Almost everyone had Pinelli ranked in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft. He was quite consistently ranked in the mid-20’s by McKenzie, ISS, McKeen’s Hockey, and Sportsnet.

So, it was a surprise when he was still available at 31 and an even bigger surprise when the Canadiens chose to not take him.

This season, Pinelli is playing great for the Kitchener Rangers. He has nine goals and 27 points in just 23 games and is wearing the captain’s C for the Rangers organization.

Pinelli would have been a great late first round pick as he appears to be a budding two-way centre with a terrific playmaking ability.