Montreal Canadiens: Three Players To Watch At Hlinka Gretzky Tournament

OSHAWA, ONTARIO - NOVEMBER 07: Quentin Musty. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/Getty Images)
OSHAWA, ONTARIO - NOVEMBER 07: Quentin Musty. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/Getty Images)
2 of 4
OSHAWA, ONTARIO – NOVEMBER 07: Quentin Musty. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/Getty Images)
OSHAWA, ONTARIO – NOVEMBER 07: Quentin Musty. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/Getty Images)

Quentin Musty

The Canadiens drafted Juraj Slafkovsky over Shane Wright in part because it is not easy to find a player that combines size with speed and skill. Well, they may have an opportunity to draft yet another big, highly skilled winger early in next year’s NHL Draft.

Quentin Musty has an incredible name, but he also possesses a similar portfolio as Slafkovsky. Of course, he hasn’t played at a World Championships, or the Olympics, but he has played well on the Junior stage.

Musty is from New York, but chose to play in the OHL after being selected first overall in the 2021 OHL Draft. He just played his rookie season with the Sudbury Wolves and showed plenty of promise. While the Sudbury Wolves struggled, Musty showed flashes of brilliance without much of a supporting cast.

The 6’2″ and 203 pound left winger scored 12 goals and 31 points in 50 games, but showed a lot of skills with the puck as well as the ability to win battles and run through an opponent to get to the net. If the Habs liked Slafkovsky, they are absolutely going to love Musty as well.

The United Starts don’t always send their elite team to this tournament, which means Musty is likely to play a huge role. Look for him to bowl over the competition and really stand out for the Americans.

He is ranked as a first round pick by most, though he is far from a guarantee to go in the top ten. The Canadiens will probably pick inside the top ten, but if not, Musty is a player worth keeping an eye on this season.