Habs at the 2013 Entry Draft

[christrpn]

Matt Cooke Engelland/Macintyre

Marchand Chara/Lucic/Thornon

Clutterbuck Kassian

Ott Jon Scott

Kadri Orr/Fraser/Maclaren

We can't draft\trade for\sign a pest or in your face gritty player if we don't have the muscle to back it up. As much as I like White and Prust, they are both better suited on the ice than in the box for five minutes.

[BadCompany]

Okay, I'll be the first idiot person to go.

Thanks to Skilly for the table.

As good as last year's draft was in terms of name players falling to us I think this year will be the complete opposite. In fact, I'm going to predict that we are going to be "disappointed" in the way things turn out. I don't know if we will still be disappointed five years from now, but come Monday morning I expect there to be miles and miles of angry words written on the subject of Montreal's 2013 draft. So consider yourself forewarned. But then I usually go "off the board", as I have done again this year, so what do I know?

PICK	TEAM	POS	NAME	Comments
1		C	Nathan MacKinnon	Patrick "L'Equipe C'est Moi" Roy picks a Q player, using HIS knowledge of that league. He's very smart you know. Just ask him.
2		D	Seth Jones	The new face of the franchise. Does he save it? Does it need saving?
3		LW	Jonathon Drouin	"Drouin to Stamkos…scores!" I can see them actually trading up with Florida to make this pick.
4		C	Alexander Barkov	He's a Predator-typeplayer. Team first!
5		D	Darnell Nurse	First surprise of the draft. Historically the Canes aren't big on Europeans, and Nurse offers up a tremendous physical package with high-end potential. Only once in their 16 year existence have the Canes used a first rounder on a European, and that was 12 years ago, and it was the forgettable Igor Knyazev.
6		C	Sean Monahan	I don't think the Flames want to make this pick, as it is the very definition of "unsexy" and that's not what they want to do. Watch for a trade here.
7		D	Nikita Zadarov	They had Nurse all linedup, but alas… So they get his brother-from-his-Russian mother.
8		D	Rasmus Ristolainen	They, like everybody else, want to start beefingup. So they go with the hard-hitting Finn. They have not drafted a player out of Russia in like 8 years. Not one (and I mean a guy who was playing in Russia, not a Russian who was playing here, like Grigorenko).
9		C	Elias Lindholm	Too easy for them. Top five talent sitting at #9, AND it's from a country the Devils have scouted hard?? With the draft being in New Jersey I seethe Devils and Flames being prime trading partners.
10		LW	Valery Nikushkin	Jim Nill will bring the Detroit-slow-and-steady approach to Dallas, which means he won't be afraid of the possibility that Nikushkin doesn't show up in North America for a few years. Sure, Nikushkin now says he will be here earlier, but who really knows with these Russians? Nill won't care. Nikushkin interviewed very badly, apparently.
11		LW	Max Domi	They won't be scared of his size, which is an overblown concern anyways, in my opinion. Yeah, he's short, but he's stocky and strong. And he can score. A more likeably Phil Kessel.
12		C	Bo Horvat	The gritty character kid will go through walls for you. Will that lead to injuries though?
13		C	Curtis Lazar	Fan favorite in the making. "A laser from Lazar!" (trust me, that won't be the last time you hear that)
14		LW	Kerby Rychel	I don't think Jarmo Kekäläinen is going to draft a European just because he's a European. In fact, I think he might do just the exact opposite. Assuming the Jackets even keep this pick. And yes, I did copy and paste Jarmo's name.
15		D	Ryan Pulock	Another team that I think could be shopping their pick for immediate help. IF they keep it I think they go for the puck mover. 14 and 15 are where I am targetting a move-up, if I am Timmins and I am inclined to move up, by the way. Just saying.
16		D	Samuel Morin	Curses Isay, curses! They're not afraid of the Q, and as I said above they too are looking for a culture change
17		RW	Michael McCarron	Too high? Yeah, probably. But 6'5 is hard to ignore.
18		C	Hunter Shinkaruk	Diamond in the rough?
19		RW	Ryan Hartman	Another gritty, character kid, a real agitator. Starting to look like the St. Louis Blues, aren't they?
20		RW	Valentin Zykov	Not tall, but heavy and strong. Plays like a tank.
21		C	Jason Dickinson	They go for the home-run here.
22		LW	Anthony Mantha	50 goals is 50 goals.
23		D	Mirco Mueller	Good value pick at this point.
24		D	Ian McCoshen	An organization that is in turmoil, and teetering on the edge of becoming a complete joke, if you ask me. They need a home-run summer, because this thing could go off the rails in a real hurry.
25		LW	Justin Bailey	"Gauthier! Gauthier! Gau… wait, what?" Bailey is tall, but skinny. However his dad was a former linebacker in the NFL, and Bailey has the frame to fill it out. Very Eller-like in that regard, in that at first you're going to think he's too thin, but 10 years from now he's going to be clocking in at a very healthy 6'3, 225lbs. Whether that's in the NHL or someplace else is the question of course. He's a long term project, but one that could pay off in a very "big" way.
26		C	Frederik Gauthier	Gauthier! Gauthier!Gauthier!" Quelle horreure!
27		D	Steve Santini	Will you pick a European for crying out loud! Santini has the same birthday as Mike McCarron. Did you know that?
28		G	Zachary Fucale	Not a fan, but everybody else likes him.
29		D	Jordan Subban	Waaaayyy higher than most think he will go. But teams love genetics, they love athleticism, character and known commodities. They get all of that with Subban. Nill won't mind waiting, or betting on a growth spurt.
30		C	Alexander Wennberg	A faller, Wennberg probably isn't on their radar, but it's too good a value pick at this point.

Round Two:

34: Nicolas Petan, C: Wait, WHAT??" He's 5'9!!! Yeah, he's small. Very small. No getting around it, and no point in trying to sugar-coat it with "but he's tough!" He's small. But he's good, and very offensively talented. You'll hear a lot of Gallagher comparisons/justifications. He's not going to be part of the "culture-change" to bigger-is-better, but if that change is made elsewhere then five years from now he, and the team, could be real beneficiaries of it.

36: JT Compher, C. "Di-a-by! Di-a… aw forget it. Fire Bergevin." Compher isn't all that big either, but he's aggressive and irritating and has a knack for scoring clutch goals. I saw one scouting report that compared him to Claude Lemieux in that regard, though perhaps the aforementioned Gallagher is a better comparison. Compher is bigger than Gallagher, but probably not by much. Still, he's a heart and soul player that will do whatever it takes to win.

[Patty Roy]

Nice mock! Definitely some "controversial" selections there, but from what i'm understanding there isn't alot to choose from in the 15-40 range so we're likely going to get some surprises this Sunday.

From a Habs perspective, i have to admit i'd be disappointed if those were our top 3 picks. I like Bailey but i like him alot more at 34. I think he'll still be there...or at least there's a decent chance he'll still be there at our first second round pick, so i'd probably take Gauthier if things broke down as you say and just hope for the best. If Bailey were gone at 34 i like what i'm hearing on Emile Poirier.

[christrpn]

I say we sign Vinny and trade him to Colorado for their pick. They owe us for the last french Canadian franchise player they fleeced from us

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

Morin or Gauthier (prefer Morin), Pétan and Subban. Big is better than small, but good is better than career AHLer. We won't be getting a player who will be starting in 2013. We have young players in the system with offensive talent and two good Dmen ready to move up. Using our depth talent to move up in the draft to secure Morin, Pétan and Subban would be a successful draft outcome. Mackinnon, Drouin and Jones would be great but are out of reach. mcDavid is the next one!

[Roggy]

All I think if when Habs fans start chanting for Francophone players is "Esposito! Esposito!" Anyone know where Angelo is today? Remember the disappointment that followed picking McDonagh instead of him, then having him snatched up 2 picks before they landed Pacioretty? Imagine if he had fallen 2 more picks and was available at 20 and the Habs selected him over Patches?

Leblanc is another example. Not exactly living up to the hype he had as a francophone wunderkind selected in Montreal, by Montreal. 23 players from that draft picked after Leblanc have more NHL points, so far.

[blny]

Per Habs twitter: “The chances that we draft a goaltender are good.” -Marc Bergevin

I wonder if the attempt to move up is for Fucale.

[Andrew]

Jun 29, 2013 15:25:58 GMT -5 blny said:

Per Habs twitter: “The chances that we draft a goaltender are good.” -Marc Bergevin

I wonder if the attempt to move up is for Fucale.

I don't like the idea of using a first round pick on a keeper. Especially when there are a few goalies projected as 2 - 3rd round picks. Take a forward in the first round!

[blny]

I agree. I'm also not sold entirely on Fucale. I think there may be better goalies in the Q. They should be available in the second round.

[seventeen]

There's no indication from Bergevin that he's trying to move up to draft a goalie. He said we'll draft a goalie. Could be in the 7th round. There are way too many good players available at 25 to draft a goalie. There will be several available at our late 2nd round pick or 3rd round picks. Not a concern to me. I'd rarely if ever, use a first rounder on a goalie. Way more late round goalies win cups than 1st rounder. St Patrick was a 3rd rounder (equivalent to 2nd in today's bloated NHL).

[Patty Roy]

The Habs are looking to draft a goalie this year, and rightfully so, but i expect that we'll be looking to pick a goalie either with the late 2nd or early 3rd round pick. There are a number of goaltenders that slot in around that are that look to have decent potential.

For what its worth Marc Antoine Godin (La Presse) who seems to be pretty reliable said that the Habs covet Bo Horvat and Curtis Lazar. Horvat's likely a pipe dream as he should go in the 10-15 range but Lazar is closer to our pick.

[sergejean]

According to LaPresse, the Habs are really high on Bo Horvat and Curtis Lazar....

"Sans qu'aucun nom ne soit ressorti des points de presse de Bergevin et Timmins, samedi, on peut vous dire que Bo Horvat et Curtis Lazar sont deux joueurs que le CH rêverait de repêcher. Mais le prix pour se retrouver en position de réclamer Horvat, par exemple, risque d'être assez élevé."

www.lapresse.ca/sports/hockey/201306/29/01-4666334-repechage-la-liste-du-canadien-est-prete.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B9_sports_257_accueil_POS1

[seventeen]

If I was Bergevin, and there was a player or two I really coveted, I would 'leak' that I really liked, say a couple of other guys, who were rated close to the players I really desire. With Timmins' and Bergevin's reputations for talent evaluation, it might sway some team to choose the faux desirees instead of the players the Habs really want.

At least that's what I'd do if I was Bergevin.

[PTH]

Jun 28, 2013 11:27:29 GMT -5 BadCompany said:

A faller, Wennberg probably isn't on their radar, but it's too good a value pick at this point.

I know I'd be weary of "fallers". That is how we drafted Matt Higgins and Jason Ward, after all. Also, I've noticed that early 2nd rounders have a lower success rate than later 2nd rounders, my theory is that the early 2nd round has a lot of "we never thought he'd be available" picks by teams that didn't do their homework since the guy wasn't supposed to be there.

Anywhoo, something to keep in mind: our 25th pick is worth a lot more than our 34th, if only because if the guy is a complete waste of a pick, we can get a compensatory 2nd rounder in a couple of years, no such luck for the 2nd rounders.

And I expect whoever we pick, most people will hate. So please, everyone, take a page from Carey Price's playbook and relax :-)

[Disgruntled70sHab]

Jun 30, 2013 2:13:06 GMT -5 PTH said:

Jun 28, 2013 11:27:29 GMT -5 BadCompany said:

A faller, Wennberg probably isn't on their radar, but it's too good a value pick at this point.

I know I'd be weary of "fallers". That is how we drafted Matt Higgins and Jason Ward, after all. Also, I've noticed that early 2nd rounders have a lower success rate than later 2nd rounders, my theory is that the early 2nd round has a lot of "we never thought he'd be available" picks by teams that didn't do their homework since the guy wasn't supposed to be there.

Anywhoo, something to keep in mind: our 25th pick is worth a lot more than our 34th, if only because if the guy is a complete waste of a pick, we can get a compensatory 2nd rounder in a couple of years, no such luck for the 2nd rounders.

And I expect whoever we pick, most people will hate. So please, everyone, take a page from Carey Price's playbook and relax :-)

I had totally forgotten about Matt Higgins. I pulled up his stats on Hockeydb.com and he finished his playing career in Austria in 2011.

When I hear Jason Ward's name, I immediately think of Marion Hossa. Ward had his day but had no luck. He was tearing up the AHL at one point and it looked like he was going to stick around in Montreal (in a Sergio Momesso kind of role) but he was smacked in the face by a puck (from one of his teammates no less) and that took care of his last good try in Montreal.

Hossa has had a different career.

Cheers.

[blny]

When I think of Ward, I think of a player who just couldn't keep up at the NHL level. He was always at least a step behind. His skating was good enough for the AHL, but that was his ceiling. If he could have improved his skating he might have been able to display some of his other talents at the NHL level. The 90s were a bad time for drafting in Montreal. An over emphasis was put on drafting size and supposed character. NHL level talent was all but ignored a lot of the time.

[flowerpower]

Mike McCarron picked too high? I don't think so. It was more important for the Habs to make sure they got the big guy than either DLR or Fucale and, at rank 55, McCarron would have been gone. In 2004,TT picked Kyle Chipchura ahead of Bryan Bickle, and in 2006 it was Ben Maxwell ahead of Milan Lucic. I'm sure he didn't want to repeat the same mistake this year. I was a bit disappointed though with the fact he picked Jacob De La Rose while Valentin Zykov (size + outstanding scoring abilities) was still available, but future will tell.

[jkr]

This story is a few days old but it looks like MB tried to move up on Sunday & was going to part with picks & players. Not sure who he was after but I have read in other sites that it was Samuel Morin.

www.montrealgazette.com/sports/hockey/montreal-canadiens/Montreal+Canadiens+tried+pick+drafts/8601885/story.html

[blny]

jkr, I think it was dicussed on Sunday, but yes he was trying to move up for Morin. He made a big offer to the Flyers in an effort to pick Morin, but because that was the player the Flyers wanted they opted to go with the pick itself. Word was Bergevin offered 3 pieces (pick, prospect, player or something to that affect).

[BadCompany]

Jul 4, 2013 6:54:13 GMT -5 blny said:

jkr, I think it was dicussed on Sunday, but yes he was trying to move up for Morin. He made a big offer to the Flyers in an effort to pick Morin, but because that was the player the Flyers wanted they opted to go with the pick itself. Word was Bergevin offered 3 pieces (pick, prospect, player or something to that affect).

The pick obviously would have been the 25th overall, and I think it would be pretty safe to assume that the prospect would have been Kristo. So what's left to determine is what player Bergevin wants to get rid of!

[Skilly]

Jul 4, 2013 7:41:01 GMT -5 BadCompany said:

Jul 4, 2013 6:54:13 GMT -5 blny said:

jkr, I think it was dicussed on Sunday, but yes he was trying to move up for Morin. He made a big offer to the Flyers in an effort to pick Morin, but because that was the player the Flyers wanted they opted to go with the pick itself. Word was Bergevin offered 3 pieces (pick, prospect, player or something to that affect).

The pick obviously would have been the 25th overall, and I think it would be pretty safe to assume that the prospect would have been Kristo. So what's left to determine is what player Bergevin wants to get rid of!

I'll go out on a small limb and say Desharnais was apart of this deal. (and if so, no wonder the Flyers declined)

If he managed to get Desharnais and that contract off the books, I think he would have made a more enticing offer to Lecavalier.

[blny]

Jul 4, 2013 8:00:32 GMT -5 Skilly said:

Jul 4, 2013 7:41:01 GMT -5 BadCompany said:

The pick obviously would have been the 25th overall, and I think it would be pretty safe to assume that the prospect would have been Kristo. So what's left to determine is what player Bergevin wants to get rid of!

I'll go out on a small limb and say Desharnais was apart of this deal. (and if so, no wonder the Flyers declined)

If he managed to get Desharnais and that contract off the books, I think he would have made a more enticing offer to Lecavalier.

Hard to say whether there was a significant roster player involved or not. TSN was stating that 3 pieces were in the offer. The 25th pick was certain. Berg might have included one of the seconds and a prospect. S'all moot.

[Skilly]

Jul 4, 2013 8:16:01 GMT -5 blny said:

Jul 4, 2013 8:00:32 GMT -5 Skilly said:

I'll go out on a small limb and say Desharnais was apart of this deal. (and if so, no wonder the Flyers declined)

If he managed to get Desharnais and that contract off the books, I think he would have made a more enticing offer to Lecavalier.

Hard to say whether there was a significant roster player involved or not. TSN was stating that 3 pieces were in the offer. The 25th pick was certain. Berg might have included one of the seconds and a prospect. S'all moot.

It is all moot, but I am sure I read somewhere that the deal included a roster player ... EDIT: a quick google search and all I could find was the packages included "draft picks and players" So maybe it was the 25th pick, another pick, a prospect, and either another prospect or a roster player. It was plural for both, so four pieces.

[Disgruntled70sHab]

Jun 30, 2013 13:50:47 GMT -5 blny said:

When I think of Ward, I think of a player who just couldn't keep up at the NHL level. He was always at least a step behind. His skating was good enough for the AHL, but that was his ceiling. If he could have improved his skating he might have been able to display some of his other talents at the NHL level. The 90s were a bad time for drafting in Montreal. An over emphasis was put on drafting size and supposed character. NHL level talent was all but ignored a lot of the time.

I always think of Hossa ... see what he's done/doing in Chicago now?

Cheers.

[Disgruntled70sHab]

Jul 4, 2013 6:54:13 GMT -5 blny said:

jkr, I think it was dicussed on Sunday, but yes he was trying to move up for Morin. He made a big offer to the Flyers in an effort to pick Morin, but because that was the player the Flyers wanted they opted to go with the pick itself. Word was Bergevin offered 3 pieces (pick, prospect, player or something to that affect).

Just curious as to the reference. Where did you read "the word" by chance? Thanks.

Mind you, I've heard "the inside skinny" on TSN a few times.

Cheers.

[blny]

Re the word, I can't recall whether it was Dreger or Lebrun who spoke of it. That's why I spoke in generalities.

[blny]

Jul 4, 2013 11:11:59 GMT -5 Disgruntled70sHab said:

Jun 30, 2013 13:50:47 GMT -5 blny said:

When I think of Ward, I think of a player who just couldn't keep up at the NHL level. He was always at least a step behind. His skating was good enough for the AHL, but that was his ceiling. If he could have improved his skating he might have been able to display some of his other talents at the NHL level. The 90s were a bad time for drafting in Montreal. An over emphasis was put on drafting size and supposed character. NHL level talent was all but ignored a lot of the time.

I always think of Hossa ... see what he's done/doing in Chicago now?

Cheers.

Yep. Montreal wasn't the only club to miss that one. Such is the draft. It's fair to say that at least one good one gets skipped over for a while each year. We'll see who it was from this years draft in a few years.

[Disgruntled70sHab]

Jul 4, 2013 11:39:53 GMT -5 blny said:

Re the word, I can't recall whether it was Dreger or Lebrun who spoke of it. That's why I spoke in generalities.

With very few exceptions I find the TSN panel to be right on a lot of things. If Dreger, Lebrun or McK say something, it's usually because they're in the know. Thanks.

Cheers.

[blny]

Jul 4, 2013 12:12:01 GMT -5 Disgruntled70sHab said:

Jul 4, 2013 11:39:53 GMT -5 blny said:

Re the word, I can't recall whether it was Dreger or Lebrun who spoke of it. That's why I spoke in generalities.

With very few exceptions I find the TSN panel to be right on a lot of things. If Dreger, Lebrun or McK say something, it's usually because they're in the know. Thanks.

Cheers.

They're about as well connected as you can get.

[PTH]

Jul 4, 2013 8:00:32 GMT -5 Skilly said:

I'll go out on a small limb and say Desharnais was apart of this deal. (and if so, no wonder the Flyers declined)

MB said that the Flyers' price was high but that he was willing to pay it.

In short, this isn't just MB making a pitch, there was a preliminary deal in place before the draft, but when it was Philly's turn to pick, the guy they were hoping to pick was the guy we were willing to trade up for.

In short, no reason to make this another Desharnais-bashing thread...