3 reasons the fifth pick in the 2024 NHL Draft will further transform the Canadiens

The NHL Draft Lottery came and went on Tuesday night, and, as expected, the Montreal Canadiens hung onto their fifth-overall pick. No, they didn’t luck out and get the top selection, but they also didn’t drop to a “bad draft slot” at sixth or seventh overall - both of which were also possibilities. 

So, now that we know they hold a top-five selection and general manager Kent Hughes has more than proven himself following his stellar first-round picks in the 2022 and 2023 drafts, let’s dive deeper into how maintaining a top-five selection will transform this team; maybe not in 2024-25, but definitely in 2025-26 and beyond. 

Another top-five selection guarantees another franchise cornerstone

Juraj Slafkovsky is on his way to becoming a longtime cornerstone for the Habs, and if David Reinbacher keeps impressing us, he will be on the same path. Before Kent Hughes came to the organization, the Canadiens already had a couple of stars in the making with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, and they have already earned the ‘cornerstone’ label. 

But now, Kent Hughes will add yet another top-five selection to the organization, something that we saw with Slafkovsky (No. 1 overall) and Reinbacher (No. 5 overall). One player who stands out more than anyone else is Cole Eiserman, who is coming off of a record-setting 2023-24 season.

We all know Macklin Celebrini will play for the San Jose Sharks, while Ivan Demidov, Artyom Levshunov, and Cayden Lindstrom could be picks No. 2, 3, and 4, or at least that’s how the mock draft at Tankathon drew it up as of May 8th.  

If that’s how everything falls into place come June 28th, the electric Eiserman could find himself as the next top prospect for the Habs. And if recent history shows us anything, perhaps the Boston University commit winds up in Quebec long before his collegiate eligibility runs out.