Montreal Canadiens Top 31 Prospects: #22 Ty Smilanic

Montreal Canadiens fans don’t get a lot of breaking news in the month of August, so here at A Winning Habit, we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 31 prospects currently in the Habs organization. Each player was carefully deliberated by our writers and ranked accordingly. Today, we’re onto the 22nd-ranked player, Ty Smilanic.

Acquired in the Ben Chiarot trade, Ty Smilanic played his 2022-23 season in the NCAA with the University of Wisconsin. His first season with the Badgers under head coach Toni Granato was underwhelming, but he is primed to play a full, healthy year. To be noted, Smilanic played his third NCAA season this past year, after transferring over from Quinnipiac where he played his rookie and sophomore years.

At the time of his draft year (2020), Smilanic was viewed as a one-dimensional player, he was purely offensive. It caused him to slide to 74th overall, and that’s when the Panthers pounced on him. Since being drafted, he has continued sharpening his offensive game, while addressing those one-dimensional concerns, adopting a much improved two-way style.

The 6’1” 174 lbs native of Elizabeth, Colorado., loves to produce offence, and the growth in his two-way game has allowed him to gain more offensive touches. His improvement in physical strength has allowed him to win more battles in the trenches. All around he has developed quite well, and will look to best his previous season’s totals, and show Kent Hughes he deserves to play professionally in the Habs organization.

I would suspect that after his senior year, he will turn pro, and if all things go well, he could be a year or two away from fighting for a spot on the Canadiens roster. His smart offensive style and improved all-around game could be a nice addition to an NHL top nine. He will have to prove his worth if he wishes to unseat one of the Canadiens’ top nine forwards for a roster spot, though.

In a loaded Canadiens prospect pool, it’s unlikely that Smilanic plays in the Canadiens’ top-six, but he could end up being a nice bargaining chip for the Habs down the line. He certainly has the talent to play in an NHL top nine in the future, if all things go right, but it will likely be elsewhere. Regardless of that, Smilanic is a solid prospect and his upcoming season will be the biggest of his young career, thus far.

Ty Smilanic ranks 23rd on the Canadiens 31 prospect list, and that’s because he hasn’t played a full season of hockey and the hockey he did play in 2022-23 was far from his best. At just over half a point per game, Smilanic has 46 points through 84 NCAA games. A big season in 2023-24 could help his stock rise and confidence grow.

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