Top five at 5th - #5 Beckett Sennecke

The Montreal Canadiens have many options with the fifth overall selection at the upcoming draft at the end of the month.

Leading up to the draft, I felt going through the top five forwards that the Habs could target would be a good way to get the draft nerd blood flowing. It could go many ways, with lots depending on how the first four selections go. Certain guys might not be available; as each team has a different draft list, but the five that will be discussed in this article and the next four would be ideal choices.

The fifth guy on the five-player countdown is Beckett Sennecke, a skilled right-shot forward who is growing into his body. He had an okay regular season but seemed a little bit behind, adapting to a growth spurt presented its challenges. But when it mattered most, Sennecke arrived on the scene and emerged as a star for the Oshawa Generals in the Ontario Hockey League playoffs.

Sennecke yields a certain level of dynamism with his blend of puck skills and size, while there are others projected to be picked high who are skilled, they don't have the size. For the Canadiens, who have some very talented smaller players and a few bigger players, adding in Sennecke could be a scary thought for the opposition. He isn't a one-trick pony either, with deft defensive skills to intercept passes and strip opponents of the puck.

Scouts may have been far apart at the start of the year, but at this point, it appears that it would be rather unsurprising if he elbowed his way into the top five. Certainly, some players are ranked ahead of him and could go before him. But with Sennecke, you get an uber-talented winger, who is still figuring out how to play with his larger frame and a little patience could afford a team a homerun talent.

Adding Sennecke into the Habs top six would provide them with a balanced attack with size, speed and skill. Imagine a line with Kirby Dach, Juraj Slafkovsky and Sennecke - while it might not shake out that way, a couple shifts with this trio could be fun to watch. Perhaps this is all talk for nothing, but I believe he will certainly be discussed by Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton.