Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes left many fans wondering what his exact goals were at the 2023 NHL Draft, as some players were selected that weren’t on even draft analyst’s radars.
The goalie cupboard was re-stocked, and a potential, future number-one defenseman was taken with the Habs’ first-round pick. But late in the draft, Hughes and co. opted to take a flier on an overaged player, Luke Mittelstadt in the seventh round, hoping that he can be a late bloomer that provides a ton of value at that junction of the draft.
The Canadiens drafted a position that is somewhat of a strength within the organization, and their prospect pool. Mittelstadt isn’t a polished defenseman, but he does have an intriguing offensive game, and he could certainly go a long way in earning a pro contract based on how he performs this upcoming season with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.
The Golden Gophers have a few exciting pieces on their roster, including Logan Cooley, Jimmy Snuggerud and Oliver Moore. There’s also Mittelstadt’s older brother John, and fellow Habs prospect Rhett Pitlick, should he not elect to turn pro.
On the blue line, there are some great options for Middelstadt to pair with, featuring the likes of Blackhawks prospect Sam Rinzel and Capitals 2022 second-round selection Ryan Chesley. He will be surrounded by high-upside players, and that could bode well for the 20-year-old. Ideally, the latter of the two, Ryan Chesley, would be a fantastic partner, in that he would allow Mittelstadt to play his offensive style, while Chesley exhibits his brilliant positional play, smart defensive stick, and his ability to shut down plays in the defensive zone.
Certainly playing alongside the defensive-minded Chesley, could help Mittelstadt in more ways than one. Firstly he can continue growing his offensive game, knowing that Chesley can cover for him. The second thing that Chesley could provide him with, is a bit of tutelage to improve areas on the defensive side of the puck, through watching him and trying little things to round out his game.
I think if Mittelstadt can match or even best his production from 2022, that would certainly be a positive, and I believe he could certainly notch 10 goals and 25 assists. If he is able to continue growing and developing his defensive game, while producing the way he has shown that he can, he could be a nice addition to Laval’s roster as soon as 2024-25, if all things go right.
Mittelstadt was a low-risk, potentially high-reward pick, and his upward swing should be telling for his 2023-24 season.
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