On Friday night, the Montreal Canadiens traded up two spots in the first round to select Gleb Pugachyov. On Saturday in the second round, the Canadiens traded up once again, this time four spots to 57th overall to select defenseman Timofei Runtso.
The move up four spots cost Montreal their fourth round pick this year (125th overall).
Timofei Runtso is a defenseman who played for the Victoria Royals in the WHL last season. He is an offensive-minded defenseman who had 44 points in 68 games and is set to play for Miami University of Ohio next season.
Montreal Canadiens continue to build depth on their blueline
After adding a physical forward in Gleb Pugachyov, maybe due to the physical series they had against the Carolina Hurricanes, they added an offensive-minded player like Runtso. They could have looked to add that after the series they had against the Buffalo Sabres.
The Sabres have an excellent group that are able to jump into the play in the offensive zone. The Canadiens have that as well with Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson, but maybe not as deep as what the Sabres have.
A player like Runtso could be a great fit for a second or third-pair for the Canadiens that can help keep pressure in the offensive zone.
It remains to be seen how long it might take him to get to the NHL, but the Canadiens are in a position where they don't need to rush him. They already may have too many NHL-ready prospects with David Reinbacher and Adam Engstrom ready to make the jump, with potentially not enough roster spots for both.
For the Canadiens, it is clear they have prospects they want to add and are not afraid to go up and get them. Even with the trades, the Canadiens still have five picks left over the final four rounds.
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