The Montreal Canadiens had to wait most of the night to make their first pick, but didn't want to wait all the way to their originally scheduled pick of 28th. Instead, they traded up two spots with the Vegas Golden Knights, costing them a 2027 third-round pick, to select forward Gleb Pugachyov.
Pugachyov is a big, physical forward at 6'3", and this past season played in the MHL, VHL, and KHL in Russia. He played 33 games in the MHL and had 10 goals and 14 assists with another nine points in 16 playoff games. He also had 15 games in the VHL with one goal and four assists and in 13 games at the KHL level with two goals and one assist.
The Canadiens have had great success as of late with Russian forwards, with Ivan Demidov two years ago and Alexander Zharovsky this past year. Demidov already looks like a star with 19 goals and 43 assists in his first full season in the NHL, with another three goals and six assists in 19 playoff games. Meanwhile, Zharovsky seems to be following in his footsteps and is looking like a steal as a second-round pick.
Pugachyov was a popular mock draft pick for the Montreal Canadiens
It seems that the Canadiens' interest in Pugachyov was clear, and he was even mocked to the Canadiens in the last mock draft on ESPN by Rachel Kryshak. While the Canadiens had to move up two spots to get it done, it makes a lot of sense for this team:
"It is abundantly clear that the Canadiens are looking to add a power forward or two to the organization. Pugachyov ticks all the boxes for size, physicality and power."
The Canadiens certainly could use size and physicality after what they had to play against in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes. It was clear that the Hurricanes were the more physical team and the Canadiens could use some size up front.
Pugachyov might still be a few seasons away but is a great pick that fills a big need for the Montreal Canadiens.
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