The Montreal Canadiens have accumulated a nice group of players, with a few yet to debut in front of the Bell Centre crowd.
Kaiden Guhle and Jayden Struble are two pillars on the Habs blueline. And once you take a look throughout the pipeline, it’s noticeable that the Canadiens have put an onus on building a strong blue line. Lane Hutson, David Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux are also coming along, and Arber Xhekaj has made a strong case for the next call-up. That’s not even to mention Adam Engstrom, who is ripening in Sweden.
On the offensive side of things, Martin St. Louis and Kent Hughes have pieced together a nice core. Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield were already in the fold, thanks to Marc Bergevin’s work. Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook were brought in by Hughes, and Joshua Roy looks like a top-six forward.
Throw in Filip Mesar - who has taken massive strides in his second OHL season. Showing top nine upside, with the potential to become a top six NHL talent. He is the total package - speedy, smart and dynamic offensively, while his two-way game has taken significant strides.
Then Owen Beck, who appears to be the Canadiens third line centre. Offensively, his game isn’t on par with his defensive game, but it has shown steady improvement. His faceoff prowess and steady two-way game are what drew the ire of Habs management, and it seems he will take on his role soon.
One 35 Goal Man Away From Contention?
Barring a trade, the Habs are going to head into the draft with their current group. Is it good enough to compete down the road, who knows? Hughes and Jeff Gorton seem to think so.
If that is their belief, then the moves on the draft floor will be very telling. With all that said, I think that adding a couple of high-potential forwards makes a lot of sense. With Juraj Slafkovsky, Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield forming the top line.
Kirby Dach and Joshua Roy look to be two-thirds of the second line. So adding a new piece at the draft could put the finishing touches on the top six. Putting Newhook with Beck and say Emil Heineman or Jesse Ylonen would give the Habs a very competitive top nine.
The Canadiens aren’t far off, and with a healthy roster to start the 2024-25 season, expectations for a playoff spot will only increase.
NHL Central Scouting Top Five NA & International Skaters
Medicine Hat Tigers v Winnipeg Ice / Jonathan Kozub/GettyImages
At the moment, the Canadiens are leaning closer toward a wildcard spot than a draft lottery position. So it’s tough to assess where they will pick, and who will be available when they do. But according to the top five international and North American skaters - there are some talented players.
The North American skaters are kickstarted by presumptive number one overall selection Macklin Celebrini. Artyom Levshunov - a right-shot defender and Cayden Lindstrom - a six-foot-five left-shot center round out the top three. Zeev Buium, a left-shot defender for Michigan State University and left winger Trevor Connelly for Tri-City in the USHL.
For the International top five prospects, Finnish Liiga 17-year-old center Konsta Helenius kickstarts the list. The number two and three ranked prospects hail from Russia - 6-7, 211-pound left-shot defenseman Anton Silayev and 5-11, 181-pound left winger Ivan Demidov. Round out the top five are right-shot defender Adam Jiricek and right winger Emil Hemming, from TPS in Finnish Liiga.
Of the bunch, Lindstrom and Demidov stand out. Both of which would provide the Canadiens with a perfect selection, that would impact the Habs in short order. While the season has showcased inconsistencies in the Canadiens game, they have grown and the draft will give a big reason for excitement.
Even if the Habs pick outside of the top 15, with Hughes trade assets in hand and a first of his own. The Habs might just add a name from one of the top two lists. Kent has a plan for the Habs and I have the draft circled boldly on my calendar, in anticipation.
With strong scouting, the Canadiens are sure to get something good, whether it’s pick six or 22.
