Canadiens: Mocking The First Ten Picks Of the 2023 NHL Draft

The NHL Draft is tomorrow, and there’s still a lot that’s uncertain about what could happen, especially after the first four picks of the draft. This just happens to be when the Canadiens will be on the clock, with lots of options still left on the table. With that said, I thought I’d throw my hat in the mock draft ring by attempting to guess how the first ten picks of the first round will unfold.

The Canadiens will surely be busy tomorrow; the question is, will Habs fans be pleased with the results? It’s hard to say, but Kent Hughes has shown he’s not afraid of anything, so everything is on the table. Other teams — with Chicago the obvious example — will be less busy as some have known who they’re picking for quite some time now. Still, it should be must-see TV. Speaking of which, you can watch the draft at 7PM ET on Sportsnet, ESPN, and TVA Sports. And with that out of the way, let’s get into it.

The Blackhawks make the easiest selection of the first round, without much deliberation and take Connor Bedard. Bedard is the best prospect the NHL has seen since Connor McDavid and has superstar written all over him. This pick has been known since the moment the Blackhawks secured the first overall pick in the draft lottery.

There were murmurings last week that the Ducks could use this pick to draft Matvei Michkov, or move down and select the Russian, but I don’t think that happens. Fantilli is a much safer pick, but he’s also an incredible talent in his own right. He’s a first-overall pick in almost any other draft; he just happens to be in the same class as Connor Bedard. Anaheim gets their franchise centre for the next decade in Fantilli.

The Blue Jackets will draft a centreman with this pick; they’ve been very clear about that from the get-go. The only question is who they pick, Leo Carlsson or Will Smith? I think they go Carlsson, as he’s been near the top of the rankings much longer than Smith and has the size that so many teams covet. Carlsson would be a solid addition to what is already a team budding with young talent, looking to compete very soon.

I’m sure the Sharks will seriously consider taking Matvei Michkov, but I don’t think they pull the trigger, instead opting for Smith. Smith is a dynamic centre and an exceptional playmaker who instantly adds talent to a rebuilding squad in San Jose. To win in the NHL, you need to do so down the middle, and I think the Sharks understand that and draft Smith.

We Have a Trade to Announce: Montreal  trades the 5th pick to Philadelphia in exchange for pick #7 and #22 in this year’s draft and a second round pick (LA’s) in next years draft. 

It’s obvious the Flyers want to land Matvei Michkov, and it seems like the Canadiens are not, so swapping spots in the top ten with additional compensation makes sense. The Canadiens might still be able to pick the player they would have with the fifth pick at seven, and Philly gets the next great Flyer. Michkov has star written all over him, and there are a few teams that seem interested in trading up to nab him. Philly is getting an offensive star, one that should be a stud by the time he comes over from Russia, right when Philly will be ready to compete.

The Coyotes have been linked as a possible destination for Reinbacher and have a need for a right-shot defenseman after moving Jakob Chychrun earlier this season. The Coyotes add a steady defenseman to a blueline that needs more talent to catch up to their offense. I like the fit here for Arizona, even if they’re leaving offensive talent on the board, the Coyotes have quite a bit of skill upfront already. They’re in a better place to pass on a forward than other teams.

Nothing is truly set in stone, but I think the Canadiens are going to get some attractive offers to move down from five, some that might be too difficult to turn down. Especially if they’ve decided against picking Matvei Michkov, which doesn’t seem all that far-fetched at this point. The ability to add an additional first-round pick, as well as a second rounder — the Habs are without their own next year –, is attractive, and the price to move up could cost even more if multiple teams engage in a bidding war. Multiple teams have been reported to move up, with Washington, the other likely team.

If the Canadiens stay at five, they might pick Michkov; I certainly wouldn’t rule that out just yet. But they could also pick Leonard at five. In this scenario — one that I believe is very much in play — they add an additional first-round pick, as well as a second, and take the same player. That’s tidy business and making the best out of a difficult situation. You can read all about Ryan Leonard and what he’d bring to the Habshere.

The Capitals would’ve loved to land Matvei Michkov, but couldn’t outbid the Flyers to move up, and there was no way he was falling to them at eight. Instead, they opt for a two-way centre with some offensive upside. Nicklas Bäckström is on the decline, and Dvorsky might be able to eventually fill that role, or at least be a great number two centre for the Capitals, who are still looking to compete as long as Ovechkin is still scoring goals.

There’s something about a Swedish defenseman going to the Red Wings that just makes sense. Willander has shot up the rankings after a strong finish to his season, but this would still be a little early for him. But the Red Wings are no stranger to taking chances on guys that other teams might hesitate on. The Red Wings still have the 17th pick, so they feel comfortable going defenseman here, knowing they’ll be forward talent later.

There are not nine players better than Zach Benson in this draft, but his size is likely going to have him fall in the rankings, fair or not. Benson is incredibly skilled and defensively responsible; he shouldn’t be available by ten, just like Cole Caufield shouldn’t have been available at 15 in 2019. The Blues would be wise to scoop up Benson here, taking the best player available on the board and adding a future first-line player at tenth overall. This should be a no-brainer, but then again, Benson shouldn’t make it past six.

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