Any sports team heading into their draft know what they’re doing for the most part in the first two rounds. Round three becomes a little more of a roll of the dice and then rounds four and on, it’s practically playing darts in the dark. It’s no different for the Montreal Canadiens, nor is it for the New York Yankees.
The Canadiens however have gotten their fair share of chance in the last two decades starting in round 3. At the time, the player chosen were mostly unknown by fans but then grew into NHL players. Andrei Markov as pictured above, was a 6th round pick in the 1998 draft.
Some on this list will be listed in the honorable mentions that haven’t yet reached their peak, but that’s because they have been drafted recently, but are still worth the mention due to their stature with the team.
I found 17 players worthy of mention that were drafted as of the third round of the draft since 2000. Here are the top 5.
5- Jake Evans (7th Round – 207th Overall – 2014)
Jake Evans has captured the respect of fans and the heart of one of our contributors in Joshua Rosa. The scrappy centerman is slowly establishing himself as a bonafide fourth line centerman, capable of taking over third line duties in a pinch.
Evans has always been a responsible player on the ice. He is capable of playing a fluid two-way game and can give you a dozen goals at every level he’s been through. Don’t get fooled by the lineup card, because Evans can still dangle you out of your laces.