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Montreal Canadiens 2012 Draft Class: First Top-Five Pick In Seven Years Lands Galchenyuk

By Nate Duffett |
Nashville Predators v Montreal Canadiens
Nashville Predators v Montreal Canadiens / Minas Panagiotakis/GettyImages
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It's officially draft month! For June, we will look back at some of the draft classes to see how the Habs front offices of the past did with their selections. It's too early to examine some of Kent Hughes' first few draft classes. The 2012 class will be the subject of our tenth look at the history.

The 2012 NHL Draft was the 50th in history. It took place at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh. There were some swings and misses in the top three of this draft, as Nail Yakupov, Ryan Murray, and Alex Galchenyuk went to the Edmonton Oilers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Canadiens. The first round wasn't the best crop, but some players could've gone higher in hindsight.

2012 NHL Entry Draft - Portraits
2012 NHL Entry Draft - Portraits / Jamie Sabau/GettyImages

Round 1

3rd Overall - Alex Galchenyuk

Galchenyuk's Canadiens career doesn't get enough credit, as he'd be viewed as better if the Habs hadn't taken him third overall. He may not have lived up to the expectations the draft position gave him, but he was a solid player for six seasons. He was then traded for Max Domi, who became a fan favorite in Montreal.

The Galchenyuk story took a wrong turn after he left Montreal, and you can only hope that he is in a better place in his life right now as he begins his KHL career. Galchenyuk had a good first season with SKA Saint Petersburg, tallying 16 goals and 26 assists in 61 games.

2012 NHL Entry Draft - Rounds 2-7
2012 NHL Entry Draft - Rounds 2-7 / Bruce Bennett/GettyImages

Round 2

33rd Overall - Sebastian Collberg

There won't be many success stories written about the Canadiens' 2012 draft class, but the Collberg selection was indirectly a good decision. Collberg has been back and forth between Europe and the North American minor leagues for his entire career. However, the Canadiens used him in a trade with a conditional second-round pick to land Thomas Vanek at the 2013-14 season's trade deadline. Vanek was a good player for the Canadiens, tallying 15 points in 18 games and then 10 in 17 playoff games.

51st Overall - Dalton Thrower

Thrower played nine games with the IceCaps during the 2015-16 season, his only games above the ECHL level. He was in the ECHL for eight seasons, and according to HockeyDB retired after the 2022-23 season.

Tim Bozon of France in action during IIHF Ice Hockey World...
Tim Bozon of France in action during IIHF Ice Hockey World... / SOPA Images/GettyImages

Round 3

64th Overall - Tim Bozon

Bozon's career didn't recover after a meningitis diagnosis caused him to miss the end of the 2013-14 season. He lost 40 pounds, had difficulty speaking, and had to re-learn how to walk. He attended the Canadiens' training camp and returned to the WHL for his final season.

Bozon played 41 games with the IceCaps in 2015-16 but has been in the Swiss National League since 2017-18. Bozon played the last three World Championships with France, tallying one goal and ten assists over 21 games.

Round 4

94th Overall - Brady Vail

The Canadiens left Vail unsigned after playing five games with the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2013-14. He signed with the Marlies in 2014-15 and bounced around the minors for six seasons. He spent the 2021-22 season in Denmark but hasn't been on a team since.

Montreal Canadiens v Boston Bruins
Montreal Canadiens v Boston Bruins / Maddie Meyer/GettyImages

Round 5

122nd Overall - Charles Hudon

Hudon is the other member of this draft class with NHL experience. He played just six games with the Canadiens over his first three professional seasons, but then scored 30 points in 72 games in his first full season. He decided to play in the Swiss National League in 2020-21, relinquishing his rights with the Canadiens.

He played the next three seasons with the Lightning, Avalanche, and Kings' AHL teams.

Round 6

154th Overall - Erik Nystrom

Nystrom played just 17 games in North American after signing a 25-game tryout with the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2013-14. He went back to Europe and retired after the 2019-20 sea

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