There is no reason to complain if you’re a Montreal Canadiens fan today. Things are going pretty well with some incredible drafting and trading that has them sitting here with a core of Nick Suzuki, Lane Hutson, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Ivan Demidov. The hope is the Canadiens have a core that will one day win a Stanley Cup.
But do you know what would make this team a true contender? Quinn Hughes.
It’s Missed Opportunities Week here at Fansided, and we’re taking a look at every team’s biggest “so close” moment. As good as the drafting was after 2018, it’s hard not to say this is one of the biggest misses of the decade.
The Canadiens had a chance to get the second-best defenseman in the NHL back in 2018 at their draft class. They also had a chance to draft Brady Tkachuk and Evan Bouchard. They could have even selected Barrett Hayton, who was at least the subject of an offer sheet by the New Jersey Devils this offseason.
Instead, the Canadiens went for center Jesper Kotkaniemi. At the time, it wasn’t considered a bad pick. In fact, The Athletic’s Corey Pronman gave the Canadiens an A for their draft grade.
Analysts spoke highly about Kotkaniemi’s handling and puck control, building around an impressive frame. He looked like a guy who should be able to play well in the NHL, especially since he had already played against men in the Finnish league.
Kotkaniemi was the top center in the draft, but that is where the issue lies. This was not a strong draft for centers, and the Canadiens forced the issue.
The Montreal Canadiens missed a huge opportunity at the 2018 NHL Draft
Kotkaniemi was ranked sixth among European skaters. He was ranked behind the likes of Martin Kaut and Adam Ginning just on the European side.
Looking back, most actually thought the Canadiens would go for a different European: Filip Zadina. It seemed like it was between him and Tkachuk for that third-overall pick. The Canadiens forced their way to a center. Marc Bergevin had a need, and he wanted to use the third-overall pick to address this need.
Now, eight years later, that “need” caused the biggest drama facing the Canadiens, likely ending Bergevin’s tenure on a sour note, and Tkachuk and Hughes are building contenders elsewhere.
Kotkaniemi’s biggest addition to the Canadiens was when the Carolina Hurricanes gave him an offer sheet that led to a return of a first-round pick and a third-round pick. It wasn’t a huge return for a former third-overall pick, but the fact that the Canadiens accepted the compensation rather than just giving Kotkaniemi a one-year, $6 million contract shows how far the relationship had fallen.
If the Canadiens had just made the move to draft Quinn Hughes, who was gaining momentum heading into the first round, then the Canadiens would be true contenders today. Heck, they could have drafted future Canadiens player Noah Dobson or superstar defenseman Evan Bouchard.
Instead, the Canadiens are hoping to make a move for one more star to build around this core.
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