There is help on the way, to add to this core

If we are looking at things in all seriousness, Jacob Fowler and Ivan Demidov are going to play their rookie seasons in 2025-26.

Fowler, whose Boston College Eagles bowed out early from the Frozen Four tournament, is following Ryan Leonard, who signed his ELC with the Washington Capitals, and Gabe Perreault who inked his first NHL deal with the New York Rangers. Though it's different routes, all three players are looking to make an instant impact, which Fowler will do, if he gets a start between the pipes for the Rocket down the stretch.

Lane Hutson has made a very appealing case for the Calder Trophy, and the Habs youth is set to be in the mix for the Calder Trophy in 2025-26. Fowler, will likely not play very much, but he could make a case for Rookie of the Year, and goaltender of the year for the Rocket next year. Demidov will surely be in the Calder Trophy conversation at the end of the '25-'26 season.

It's crazy to think about it, but the Habs have two top-five selections that aren't in their lineup yet. They also have two first-round selections for the upcoming draft. And the Rocket has been brilliant, with many of their young cast doing the heavy lifting.

Montreal is in a very fortunate position, and with a big offseason, I expect that they will come out looking significantly better in 2025-26. 1993 is 32 years ago, that is more than long enough to wait for another Stanley Cup in Canada. The CH with 25 cups sounds beautiful.

Martin St. Louis is hoping to guide the young Habs to the playoffs this year, in what is hopefully a long run of playoff berths over the next 8-10 years. I think the team needs a ready-made second line centre this offseason, and they will make some tremendous noise next season.

The future is bright for this team, and as soon as next year, the Bell Centre will be home to some extremely exciting young talent.

Who should the Habs target at the draft?

Let's assume that the Habs two picks are between 20-32, basing it on that I will go through a range of players projected by scouts to be available in that range.

Carter Bear

I think the Habs would benefit from drafting an abrasive winger/center, and the guy that comes to mind for me is Carter Bear. The Everett Silvertips product plays an in-your-face Travis Konecny kind of game, with troves of skill in his bag of tricks. He was the top point producer for the WHL's Silvertips - scoring 40-42-82 in 56 games, before suffering a season-ending Achilles injury.

Whichever pick is later between the Habs and Flames, should be used on a right-shot defenseman, or a left-shot center/winger. To me, that sounds like Radim Mrtka, Lynden Lakovic and I would take a flier on Ivan Ryabkin. Perhaps he pops off like Demidov in his draft plus one season.

Radim Mrtka

Radim Mrtka is a six-foot-six, hulking right-shot defenseman, playing his draft year in the Western Hockey League with the Seattle Thunderbirds. Kent Hughes has shown interest in the Thunderbirds in the past with over-aged forward Jared Davidson.

Back to Mrtka though, a native of Czechia, is an offensive defenseman, who skates beautifully and has a great nose for the net. Despite his size, he is rather mobile walking - walking the blueline prodding for passing lanes regularly. After having a guy like Shea Weber, I love the idea of adding Mrtka to a group with David Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux.

When you see the things this guy does, I wouldn't be surprised if he usurped Mailloux, who I think has high offensive ability. I just worry about his defensive zone play, and I think adding another option could make the competition a little stiffer. Mrtka is very intelligent and understands how to play in his zone - with and without the puck.

His aggressive style - including a willingness to step up on guys at the blueline is something that will endear him quickly to the Bell Centre faithful. Mrtka is too intriguing of a package to pass on, if I'm Hughes, and he is available. I think there is top pair potential there, and his frame is rare - he is the type of guy, if developed properly who will take over games.

Mrtka spent 10 games in the Czech league, but after transferring to the WHL, he has posted 3-32-35 in 43 regular season games. He also added three assists through three playoff games to this point. I think he is worth a look.

Lynden Lakovic

Lynden Lakovic is a six-foot-four, 190-pound left-shot winger playing in the Quebec Maritimes Hockey League for the Moose Jaw Warriors. A native of Kelowna, British Columbia, Lakovic plays a little shy like Juraj Slafkovsky, but he is loaded with character.

I expect when he realizes that his size isn't much of an advantage in the NHL unless he makes it that way - he can't expect to dominate players. Often bigger prospects take a little longer to develop, but I think he would benefit from another season in the QMJHL, and then head for Laval to play a season or two with the Rocket.

Lakovic checks a lot of boxes that would be a huge benefit if added to the Habs lineup, and I think that is reason enough to take a flier on him. The fact that he is playing in Saskatchewan, makes him a player who is easy to scout. There are concerns about his physical engagement and his skating, but adding muscle - to get stronger and faster is only going to increase his confidence.

This could be a pick that takes a couple of years to pay off, but this guy could develop into a stud, and that value after pick twenty sounds like some wise business. Lakovic posted 27-31-58 through 47 games. His plus/minus (-25) is a little worrisome, but that is more reflective of his team than just solely him.

Ivan Ryabkin

Ivan Ryabkin, a six-foot, 198-pound Russian centre playing in the United States Hockey League for the Muskegon Lumberjacks is uber-talented. He is also expected to go between the 20-30 range, which is the likely range where one of the Canadiens picks will land.

Ryabkin is projected to be an offensive dynamo at the NHL level, but given the fact that the 2024-25 season was his first in North America, he deserves a little bit of lee-way. However, I think he would be wise to take the college route if it's accessible for him. He has a solid frame, and I think his two-way game would improve most in the NCAA.

In 24 USHL games, Ryabkin recorded 16-9-25 - showing a willingness to shoot the puck - just what the Habs could use.

He also has some sick mitts, and is cerebral with the puck on his stick, leveraging great vision and above-average offensive instincts. Ryabkin is a great stickhandler and an offensive-minded left-shot centre. I think he would be a tremendous pick for the Habs.