Group of Canadiens prospects are having historic seasons

After all the rumours that surrounded the Montreal Canadiens before the NHL Trade Deadline, the organization, to many people's surprise, chose to stick to the process and not empty out their prospect pool. The Canadiens have the second-youngest roster in the NHL, right behind the Chicago Blackhawks. Considering that Montreal is already a playoff-calibre team, there is no need to rush and make moves now, as their Stanley Cup window is not closing any time soon.

The Canadiens have a lot of talent that could potentially make the jump over the next couple of years, some of whom are having historically great years at the collegiate/minor-league level. Many fans have had their eyes on Michael Hage since being drafted in 2024, but the Canadiens have lesser-known prospects that are having just as good or even better seasons.

Bryce Pickford

Bryce Pickford is inarguably having the best season of any Canadiens prospect this season. The 2025 third-round pick is shattering records this season for the Medicine Hat Tigers, leading the team in goals with 43 as a defenceman. Pickford is the first WHL defenceman since the 1990-91 season to hit the 40-goal mark, and if it were not for an injury that sidelined him for 10 games, he could have had a chance of breaking the single-season defenceman goal record of 63 set in the 1987-88 season by Troy Mick. Despite missing 10 games, Pickford is still second in the WHL in goals, and his 79 points have him 12th in league scoring (second among defencemen in scoring).

His production this season has been a pleasant surprise for the Canadiens. After struggling in his first two full seasons in the WHL with the Seattle Thunderbirds and being passed over in his first year of draft eligibility, things began to change after being traded to the Hat Tigers. Pickford scored 20 goals and added 27 assists in his first season with the Hat Tigers, showing enough potential for the Canadiens to take him with their third-round pick. His offensive explosion this season has proven the Canadiens right to take a chance on him.

Michael Hage

The Canadiens' top-ranked prospect, Michael Hage, is having an outstanding season for the number-one-ranked Michigan Wolverines. Hage is second on his team in points with 45 points, which has him in fourth in scoring in the Big Ten Conference. The 2024 21st overall pick will be one of the finalists for this year's Hobey Baker Award, but will be up against some stiff competition, with Gavin McKenna, James Hagens, and Porter Martone all having excellent seasons.

Hage’s play at the 2026 World Junior Championship only got Habs fans more excited about his future with the team. Despite Canada not winning gold, Hage led the tournament in scoring with 15 points and was one of the three forwards named to the tournament’s all-stars team. All eyes will be on Hage once the NCAA season comes to an end on whether he decides to return to the Wolverines next season or sign his entry-level contract with the Canadiens. If Hage does elect to sign his entry-level contract, it would not be surprising if we see him play a game for the Canadiens before the end of the season.

Alexander Zharovsky

Despite not having a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft after the blockbuster trade that netted the Canadiens Noah Dobson, the franchise was still able to find a first-round talent in Alexander Zharovsky in the second round. Zharovsky, in his rookie season with Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the KHL, is third on the team in points with 38 in 54 games. Zharovsky leads the way in rookie scoring, and his 38 points set the record for most points in a season by an 18-year-old.

Zharovsky's production tailed off as the season went on, but that likely has to do with him playing a career-high 54 games this season. The most games he has played prior to this season were 45, which makes sense once you realize his production began to dip right around the 45-game mark of this season. It is normal for rookies to hit the “proverbial wall,” as they have never played that many games in their career, something similar to what we have seen of Ivan Demidov as of late, with five points in his last 10 games. Zharovsky likely will not make as quick a jump to the NHL as his countryman Demidov did last season, but there is still a lot to be excited about as he continues to develop in the KHL.