The Montreal Canadiens have nine picks between Rounds 3 and 7 in the 2024 NHL Draft, so they’re naturally one of the most exciting teams to follow as the big weekend - okay, Friday and Saturday but nonetheless the weekend - draws to within one week. Since they have so many mid-to-late-round picks, it makes sense to at least talk about who general manager Kent Hughes should consider taking with those selections.
And it’s safe to say digging deep in the draft has worked well for the Habs in recent years, something Joshua Roy is already starting to prove. Roy saw time in 23 games last season, with four goals and nine points, and his role should expand in 2024-25 and beyond.
Rafael Harvey-Pinard has 17 goals and 31 points in 83 games, and the former seventh-round pick should be back with the big club for another season. Other notable names include Jordan Harris, Cayden Primeau, and Michael Pezzetta, so let’s see which NHL-caliber steals Kent Hughes must keep a close eye on during Day 2 of the draft.
Stepan Gorbunov, F/Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk
So we got a versatile forward who is 6’5, and still just 17, making Stepan Gorbunov the perfect prospect to use one of those late-round picks on. He fared rather okay in his first MHL season, with 10 goals and 12 assists over 40 games, and he also added another three points and two goals in 10 postseason outings.
Per Elite Prospects, only NHL Central Scouting has Gorbunov ranked, and that’s as the No. 99 EU skater, so there’s an excellent chance he will still be available in the seventh round. Other than that, not much is known about Gorbunov, something that didn’t surprise me, considering how late in the draft he’s expected to go, if drafted at all.
But his overall size and age are what got me thinking he’s at least worth taking a flier on, letting him develop overseas, and reevaluating year after year.