Canadiens land a pair of potential stars in Team-by-Team NHL Mock Draft

All right, so this team-by-team NHL mock draft outlines what the Montreal Canadiens might do next Friday with the No. 5 and No. 26 selections. That said, I’ve used FC Hockey’s mock draft simulator to decide on who each of the other 24 teams also selected within the first 26 picks may do. 

Now, you will see some reaches in this one, but even more potential steals, and I may have grabbed one of those steals at pick No. 26 while playing the role of general manager Kent Hughes. Oh, and I’m also convinced I got a steal with that No. 5 pick, too, and one I was sure would not be available when I was on the clock. 

Anyway, keep reading to discover how this team-by-team mock draft turned out and who I had headed to the organization in this exercise.  

1st Overall: San Jose Sharks - Macklin Celebrini, C/Boston University

The San Jose Sharks won’t budge on this one and we will see Macklin Celebrini in a teal sweater shortly after the first round commences. Look for him to jump straight to the NHL and start proving why he was the consensus top pick in this draft. 

2nd Overall: Chicago Blackhawks - Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, RW/Mora IK

Mock draft simulations love throwing random picks at you, but they don’t always come so early. While I like Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, I would have to question the Blackhawks if they took him with the second selection in the draft. 

3rd Overall: Anaheim Ducks - Berkly Catton, C/Spokane Chiefs

As with the Brandsegg-Nygard pick, Berkly Catton wouldn’t be my first selection here, but I also wouldn’t critique it to the same extent. Catton’s playmaking tells me that one can at least justify taking him early, even if it meant passing on Artyom Levshunov or Ivan Demidov. 

4th Overall: Columbus Blue Jackets - Artyom Levshunov, D/Michigan State

Speaking of Artyom Levshunov, it wasn’t long until the simulation put him with a struggling franchise that needs to rally the organization and the fan base. Artyom Levshunov is one of the remaining players in the draft who could do that for the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

5th Overall: Montreal Canadiens - Ivan Demidov, RW/SKA St. Petersburg

Thanks to the way the top four picks shaped up, there was no way Ivan Demidov was falling any further. This is a player who, even if Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Nick Suzuki make up the top line, could provide outstanding productivity with second-line minutes.