Draft 2022

[seventeen]

Jun 29, 2022 13:50:56 GMT -5 Cranky said:

Because I'm not very smart and not a fan of tiny players....

I would offer the Devils Caufield for 2nd and Zacha.

1...We now have a ton of young centers that are going to fight for 1C and 2C like a pack of wolves AND Jagr Jr.

2...Or cry because Caufield scores 40 consistently.

I bet it's 1 and I will give myself a Mohican on youtube if I'm wrong.

I won’t hold you to that. If you’re wrong I’m not sure I could unsee that. It’s almost in thong territory.

[seventeen]

Jun 30, 2022 10:30:42 GMT -5 Tankdriver said:

I'm all in for Wright too but if I am Hughes, I'd try to find a way into the the top 5 for a second pick.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s doing that. We shouldn’t be too tempted as this draft class isn’t up to snuff at the top.

[folatre]

It would be extremely costly asset-wise to get an additional top five pick. Unless Hughes wants to build a package around a prime kid like Caufield or Guhle or the Habs unprotected 2023 first rounder, then it is probably a mute point.

I am more keen on the possibility to move up into the 18-20 range if there is an offensive difference-maker there who likely gets picked before #26.

[PTH]

I can't see us getting into the top 5 a second time. Caufield, Suzuki and our 1st next season are the only pieces that would make that possible, and to me none of them should be on the table.

A package of Guhle, Anderson and 26th overall might get us higher, but I'm not sure it would be worthwhile for us. Trading up is horribly expensive.

The best I can see is us moving Petry to get into the top 20 or so (thinking of 18 from Dallas), but even then we'd have to give up a decent pick to get there.

[Willie Dog]

Firstly I'd offer Petry and the Oilers 2nd (62) for Dallas 1st (18) and 2nd(50)

If that did not fly, I'd swap the 62 for our 33 but they have to throw in a prospect

[folatre]

I am not sure if Dallas would really get primed to make a deal until July 14 or 15, after the dust settles on the higher end of the UFA market. Columbus, on the other hand, is not a destination for top UFAs, so I could see them doing something at the draft (however, I really do not believe a trade with the Blue Jackets will involve either of their first rounders).

[PTH]

I'm wondering who we could trade up with - not for the high, sexy picks, but just who could use more picks overall.

I could see us doing a 3 for 1 since 14 picks this year is just insane. A couple of 4ths and a 3d for a 2nd rounder or something ?

[Tankdriver]

Does anyone buy the rumor of Habs trading with New Jersey and swapping top picks? I mean it would have to be something pretty substantial to do that. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to draft #1 in your own barn.

[PTH]

Nope.

The one thing is apparently teams like picking guys in the "right" order, so if for whatever reason you like someone but you know he should be #2, you trade down to get him at the "right" spot. It sounds nuts, but it's kind of happened in 1999, 2003, etc. I could see us just get a 3d or something, though, to flip with NJ if they want someone we wouldn't be taking #1 anyways.

[seventeen]

Jul 1, 2022 23:36:16 GMT -5 PTH said:

Nope.

The one thing is apparently teams like picking guys in the "right" order, so if for whatever reason you like someone but you know he should be #2, you trade down to get him at the "right" spot. It sounds nuts, but it's kind of happened in 1999, 2003, etc. I could see us just get a 3d or something, though, to flip with NJ if they want someone we wouldn't be taking #1 anyways.

It seems that that's the game Hughes is playing with Fitzgerald.

Hughes: "We still don't know who we're taking".
Fitzgerald : (inside voice)...damn I hope they don't change their mind and take Slaf instead of Wright)
Hughes: "Man, we're having trouble deciding. It's so tight."
Bob McKenzie: "5 out of 10 scouts now rate Slavkovsky as #1."
Fitzgerald: "Say, Kent, can we offer you a 2nd rounder if you don't pick Slaf?"

Hughes: "Let me think about it. Second rounder next year?"

[folatre]

Jul 1, 2022 20:45:19 GMT -5 PTH said:

I'm wondering who we could trade up with - not for the high, sexy picks, but just who could use more picks overall.

I could see us doing a 3 for 1 since 14 picks this year is just insane. A couple of 4ths and a 3d for a 2nd rounder or something ?

For sure, I think moving up could make a lot of sense. As you say, Montreal has a real surplus of mid-round picks and inevitably there will not be professional contracts for the majority of these kids down the road. Also, I believe it is crucial to hit on two (obviously the first overall is one) offensive difference-makers in this draft class. I see quite a few serious talents (I really like Kulich, Miroshnichenko, Mateychuk, Firkus, Howard, Ohgren) who may come off the board in the late teens and early twenties. Therefore, I hope management is going into the draft with an aggressive mindset.

Obviously, it is far from free to even make minimal movements upward in round one. For example, in 2020 Gorton moved from #22 to #19 to grab Schneider and it cost a mid-third rounder. In the same draft Washington likewise paid a mid-third to move up two slots to get Lapierre. For me, this is fine when a club such as Montreal has a ton of mid-round picks (rounds 3-5) and an already deep prospect pool. So if one of the guys that I think has the talent to break down defenses and produce goals is sitting there, then I would just go for it. For instance, let's say a team that has been starving for picks for years like Pittsburgh says sure you can have our pick (#21) in exchange for #26, #75, and #128 then I jump on it.

[Disgruntled70sHab]

... oh dear ...

[seventeen]

Is that a hint? There hasn't been much said about either Cooley's or Slafkovsky's character, while Wright's is well established. Captain of his teams, even when he's been younger than his peer group.

[folatre]

Craig Button's first round mock draft came out today on TSN. He is convinced Montreal takes Wright.

At #26, he has the Habs selecting Gaucher. I am not quite sure how I would feel about this. Most of the guys I am hoping slip down such as Miroshnichenko, Mateychuk, Kulich, Howard, and Ohgren are off the board according to Button. However, Firkus is there and I would have a hard time taking Gaucher (and I feel confident Gaucher will have a nice NHL carerr) if a kid with elite offensive skill is available.

[seventeen]

Gaucher has elite character though. And in this case, I'm not joking...there was a poll of players, coaches etc. along various subject in all 3 CHL leagues and Gaucher won the character category for the Q in a landslide.

[NWTHabsFan]

I will weigh in on Hughes’ reference to “character” (he actually says it a lot as do others in the organization). Let’s not all be burned by how overused the term was under the Bergevin era. It was bandied about as a rallying cry and it felt like it was more important than skill or hockey IQ in player assessment. In reality, it should not be mutually exclusive, and that is where Hughes’ more complex and calculated references to character are quite reassuring actually.

HuGo have often repeated that they want this team to be perennially competitive and play with speed and skill. When Hughes goes on to explain how character fits into that (no media has specifically asked him to explain this, but he has consistently actually done so in response to many other questions), it goes something like this. He wants players that have the hockey IQ and self awareness to know their strengths and flaws, be able to work on bettering their weaknesses, and actually implementing those in a game situation that he often refers to as very fast, reactive and intuitive. The life long learner mentality. The guys that will put in the hard work to get better throughout their career. Yesterday he used Marchand as an example of this very philosophy (hey Kent, quit praising a player from the “enemy” 😂).

He is also building a much better support team to help identify those areas of improvement and to give each player throughout the various levels of their careers with the development plan and tools to help them improve. An analytics group to reinforce trends and integrate that information with the player coaches and skill development folks. Actual skill development experts to develop individual plans and to assist players in said development.

For all these reasons and when you piece how it all fits into what Hughes and cohorts have openly communicated in how they plan to improve the team and prospects/players, then I get quite comfortable with the frequent use of the word “character” under this management team. It is no longer a bad word for me!

Just my take on it.

[NWTHabsFan]

Now about Gaucher (Button taking him at 26 in his mock and seventeen mentioned his character strength). Firstly, he is a good player. He has a lot of good attributes and is deserving of being in the conversation in the last third of the first. No question in my mind.

Picking him comes down to two philosophies for me. There will always be pressure for the Habs to pick local guys. This does not go away with the new management team in place. In fact, the pressure goes up because it is their first draft so certain media guys will be watching to see if they are more committed to it than the last lot. The question is when does that tip your scale on picking the local guy in the draft? The last few years were banner years for the QMJHL, this year is not strong. The Habs picked four Q based players last year. A lot of those picks made infinite sense at those points in the draft. Back to Gaucher, will he be the BPA at 26 or even 33 if he is still on the board, because that is hugely important with top picks?

That brings the second philosophy that is in play here. How does this team rank BPA and value players compared to the Berg/TT approach. Timmins often deferred to a safer pick that had a decent chance to play, but did not always have a high upside. Two way responsible players over riskier high end and perhaps less rounded players. Gaucher would tick every box for TT. Size, superb two way play, character guy, and he hails from the backyard. He projects as a very good third line versatile two way centre with size and decent skill to chip in at times.

The challenge this year is that there are likely going to be a number of more one-dimensional guys with much higher ceilings and top six potential, but with more risk to get there. The higher risk, much higher reward guys. The home run swing guys. An example that may play out in two days is a guy like Jagger Firkus vs Gaucher. He has tantalizing skill. He can be a dynamic winger at the next level, but he is definitely going to have to get stronger and bigger to convert his junior success at the pro level. A bigger unknown (and risk to him getting there than the more sure thing in Gaucher whose game should easily convert), but the upside and projection is different. I really hope this new group takes more swings with the higher upside potential guys as those kind of prospects are hard to find and the Habs have not accumulated a lot of those over the years. In fairness to TT, picking Roy last year was very much this type of pick. We need a lot more of it, especially with the high picks the team has the next couple of years and the insane number of picks they have this year.

My preference at 26 and 33, assuming they keep both, will be to pick the higher upside guys to beef up the quality of the prospect pool even if it comes with a bit more development risk to achieve those ceilings. Let’s see more high end skill guys when opportunities present themselves in the draft.

[Tankdriver]

Jul 5, 2022 8:32:07 GMT -5 NWTHabsFan said:

Now about Gaucher (Button taking him at 26 in his mock and seventeen mentioned his character strength). Firstly, he is a good player. He has a lot of good attributes and is deserving of being in the conversation in the last third of the first. No question in my mind.

Picking him comes down to two philosophies for me. There will always be pressure for the Habs to pick local guys. This does not go away with the new management team in place. In fact, the pressure goes up because it is their first draft so certain media guys will be watching to see if they are more committed to it than the last lot. The question is when does that tip your scale on picking the local guy in the draft? The last few years were banner years for the QMJHL, this year is not strong. The Habs picked four Q based players last year. A lot of those picks made infinite sense at those points in the draft. Back to Gaucher, will he be the BPA at 26 or even 33 if he is still on the board, because that is hugely important with top picks?

That brings the second philosophy that is in play here. How does this team rank BPA and value players compared to the Berg/TT approach. Timmins often deferred to a safer pick that had a decent chance to play, but did not always have a high upside. Two way responsible players over riskier high end and perhaps less rounded players. Gaucher would tick every box for TT. Size, superb two way play, character guy, and he hails from the backyard. He projects as a very good third line versatile two way centre with size and decent skill to chip in at times.

The challenge this year is that there are likely going to be a number of more one-dimensional guys with much higher ceilings and top six potential, but with more risk to get there. The higher risk, much higher reward guys. The home run swing guys. An example that may play out in two days is a guy like Jagger Firkus vs Gaucher. He has tantalizing skill. He can be a dynamic winger at the next level, but he is definitely going to have to get stronger and bigger to convert his junior success at the pro level. A bigger unknown (and risk to him getting there than the more sure thing in Gaucher whose game should easily convert), but the upside and projection is different. I really hope this new group takes more swings with the higher upside potential guys as those kind of prospects are hard to find and the Habs have not accumulated a lot of those over the years. In fairness to TT, picking Roy last year was very much this type of pick. We need a lot more of it, especially with the high picks the team has the next couple of years and the insane number of picks they have this year.

My preference at 26 and 33, assuming they keep both, will be to pick the higher upside guys to beef up the quality of the prospect pool even if it comes with a bit more development risk to achieve those ceilings. Let’s see more high end skill guys when opportunities present themselves in the draft.

I second your draft philosphy.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

Jul 5, 2022 8:32:07 GMT -5 NWTHabsFan said:

Now about Gaucher (Button taking him at 26 in his mock and seventeen mentioned his character strength). Firstly, he is a good player. He has a lot of good attributes and is deserving of being in the conversation in the last third of the first. No question in my mind.

Picking him comes down to two philosophies for me. There will always be pressure for the Habs to pick local guys. This does not go away with the new management team in place. In fact, the pressure goes up because it is their first draft so certain media guys will be watching to see if they are more committed to it than the last lot. The question is when does that tip your scale on picking the local guy in the draft? The last few years were banner years for the QMJHL, this year is not strong. The Habs picked four Q based players last year. A lot of those picks made infinite sense at those points in the draft. Back to Gaucher, will he be the BPA at 26 or even 33 if he is still on the board, because that is hugely important with top picks?

That brings the second philosophy that is in play here. How does this team rank BPA and value players compared to the Berg/TT approach. Timmins often deferred to a safer pick that had a decent chance to play, but did not always have a high upside. Two way responsible players over riskier high end and perhaps less rounded players. Gaucher would tick every box for TT. Size, superb two way play, character guy, and he hails from the backyard. He projects as a very good third line versatile two way centre with size and decent skill to chip in at times.

The challenge this year is that there are likely going to be a number of more one-dimensional guys with much higher ceilings and top six potential, but with more risk to get there. The higher risk, much higher reward guys. The home run swing guys. An example that may play out in two days is a guy like Jagger Firkus vs Gaucher. He has tantalizing skill. He can be a dynamic winger at the next level, but he is definitely going to have to get stronger and bigger to convert his junior success at the pro level. A bigger unknown (and risk to him getting there than the more sure thing in Gaucher whose game should easily convert), but the upside and projection is different. I really hope this new group takes more swings with the higher upside potential guys as those kind of prospects are hard to find and the Habs have not accumulated a lot of those over the years. In fairness to TT, picking Roy last year was very much this type of pick. We need a lot more of it, especially with the high picks the team has the next couple of years and the insane number of picks they have this year.

My preference at 26 and 33, assuming they keep both, will be to pick the higher upside guys to beef up the quality of the prospect pool even if it comes with a bit more development risk to achieve those ceilings. Let’s see more high end skill guys when opportunities present themselves in the draft.

The Habs have a very deep pool of existing talent in the minors and 14 more picks to add to the pool. We have more third and fourth line talent than we can ever ice. We need quality over quantity. That means trading up or swinging for the fences rather than simply BPA. Firkus may be a sniper or never play an NHL game. Ben King might be the next Esposito, hopefully Phil and not Angelo. Does Tom Brady want Giselle or 20 Morman sister wives?

[BadCompany]

Jul 5, 2022 8:32:07 GMT -5 NWTHabsFan said:

Now about Gaucher (Button taking him at 26 in his mock and seventeen mentioned his character strength). Firstly, he is a good player. He has a lot of good attributes and is deserving of being in the conversation in the last third of the first. No question in my mind.

Picking him comes down to two philosophies for me. There will always be pressure for the Habs to pick local guys. This does not go away with the new management team in place. In fact, the pressure goes up because it is their first draft so certain media guys will be watching to see if they are more committed to it than the last lot. The question is when does that tip your scale on picking the local guy in the draft? The last few years were banner years for the QMJHL, this year is not strong. The Habs picked four Q based players last year. A lot of those picks made infinite sense at those points in the draft. Back to Gaucher, will he be the BPA at 26 or even 33 if he is still on the board, because that is hugely important with top picks?

That brings the second philosophy that is in play here. How does this team rank BPA and value players compared to the Berg/TT approach. Timmins often deferred to a safer pick that had a decent chance to play, but did not always have a high upside. Two way responsible players over riskier high end and perhaps less rounded players. Gaucher would tick every box for TT. Size, superb two way play, character guy, and he hails from the backyard. He projects as a very good third line versatile two way centre with size and decent skill to chip in at times.

The challenge this year is that there are likely going to be a number of more one-dimensional guys with much higher ceilings and top six potential, but with more risk to get there. The higher risk, much higher reward guys. The home run swing guys. An example that may play out in two days is a guy like Jagger Firkus vs Gaucher. He has tantalizing skill. He can be a dynamic winger at the next level, but he is definitely going to have to get stronger and bigger to convert his junior success at the pro level. A bigger unknown (and risk to him getting there than the more sure thing in Gaucher whose game should easily convert), but the upside and projection is different. I really hope this new group takes more swings with the higher upside potential guys as those kind of prospects are hard to find and the Habs have not accumulated a lot of those over the years. In fairness to TT, picking Roy last year was very much this type of pick. We need a lot more of it, especially with the high picks the team has the next couple of years and the insane number of picks they have this year.

My preference at 26 and 33, assuming they keep both, will be to pick the higher upside guys to beef up the quality of the prospect pool even if it comes with a bit more development risk to achieve those ceilings. Let’s see more high end skill guys when opportunities present themselves in the draft.

If we're swinging for the fences with a later pick then I would go for Lane Hutson. Small, very small, but he offers something to the prospect pool that we have very little of, the rover-type defenseman. Other than Norlinder we don't have many of those pure-offense defensemen in the system. Plus, he insists that his endocrinologist says he's going to be 5'10.

The problem with the high-risk, high-reward philosophy is that it is… high-risk. More often than not, much more often than not, you’re going to get a bust. And because these high-risk guys are often high-profile, it can be quite spectacular when they do fail. Think Esposito, Schremp, Ho-Sang, etc. Or heck, Andrei Kostitsyin. Lots of red flags with that pick (illness, lower quality of competition, poor numbers in the regular season, only seemed to do well in international competitions…), but the upside… A much sexier pick than those boeuf de l’ouest guys that were available. Safe may sometimes be death, but sometimes safe is... safe. 

I get what you’re saying, and I’m not even arguing against it, but it is a plan that is more likely to fail than to succeed. With our prospect depth and plethora of picks perhaps now is the year to do so, but manage the expectations I guess.

[NWTHabsFan]

If the Habs don’t use 33 on a guy like Hutson, then someone will before the Habs next pick at 62. I really like Hutson. He controls the play…a ton. I have seen at least a dozen of his games (probably more including a bunch last year), and he is always noticeable. The key risk is obvious to everyone, will he get big enough to defend at the NHL level or will he just be a rover type PP specialist that you have to severely limit his minutes on defense.

To be clear, I am not talking about reckless swinging for the fences with every pick, but I would like to see these rare high picks used on skill and talent that is rare to get outside of high picks. With these high first and second round picks, the odds are good the Habs will get a nice number of NHLers out of the next two drafts. Being able to draft guys that can eventually play top six or top four is huge in being able to architect a perennial contender. They need to hit on these high picks, and not just bottom six or pairing guys.

And if that means moving up from 26 with another asset(s) to get a better quality guy, then do it. Gorton has a track record of moving up to get a targeted guy. And all those mid round picks, if they can be pooled to move up into the second or third to get a better guy that is still around, then do it. And there is also using mid round picks to complement your roster or get prospects where teams cannot hang onto players due to cap or contract limit space. Lots of ways to improve the quality of the prospect pool over the next two years.

[PTH]

Jul 5, 2022 8:32:07 GMT -5 NWTHabsFan said:

Now about Gaucher (Button taking him at 26 in his mock and seventeen mentioned his character strength). Firstly, he is a good player. He has a lot of good attributes and is deserving of being in the conversation in the last third of the first. No question in my mind.

Picking him comes down to two philosophies for me.....
That brings the second philosophy that is in play here. How does this team rank BPA and value players compared to the Berg/TT approach.....

Very interesting post, and one reason I actually read fewer draft publications is that while 11 months of the year, even when looking at past drafts, pundits say BPA is everything, just about no one analyses draft tendencies the way you did. Some teams at some points just draft a lot of guys from the same leagues, countries or style, for whatever reason. Most draft guides essentially justify their choices according to team needs, and ignore team trends (or when they do, they ignore when teams change their scouting teams and just assume trends continue). Even some looking at Wright claim Habs need to take him since he's a center and we have a need there. This will seem silly in 5 years if Slavkovsky is a top-line 40 goal play driver while Wright is a semi-decent #2 center.

I as well hope we get a 25% chance at a Pastrnak and not a 75% chancer of a Poehling (who is a nice player and all...).

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

My order of picks based not on positional need but rather on need for greatness. I don't think we need more mediocre to good prospects in the system.

1. Montreal Canadiens - Shane Wright, C, Kingston (OHL)
2. New Jersey Devils - Juraj Slafkovsky, LW, TPS (Finland)
3. Arizona Coyotes - Logan Cooley, C, USA U-18
6. Columbus Blue Jackets - Simon Nemec, D, Nitra (Slovakia)
5. Philadelphia Flyers - David Jiricek, D, Plzen (Czech Republic)
10. Anaheim Ducks - Matthew Savoie, C, Winnipeg (WHL)
7. Ottawa Senators - Joakim Kemell, RW, Jyp (Finland)
8. Detroit Red Wings - Marco Kasper, C, Rogle (Sweden)
9. Buffalo Sabres - Jonathan Lekkerimaki, RW, Djurgarden (Sweden)
4. Seattle Kraken - Cutter Gauthier, C/W, USA U-18
29. Edmonton Oilers - Ivan Miroshnichenko, LW, Omsk Krylia (Russia)
11. San Jose Sharks - Kevin Korchinski, D, Seattle (WHL)
21. Pittsburgh Penguins - Isaac Howard, LW, US U-18
Ben King
Jagger Firkus
11. San Jose Sharks - Kevin Korchinski, D, Seattle (WHL)
12. Columbus Bkue Jackets - Conor Geekie, C, Winnipeg (WHL)
14. Winnipeg Jets - Noah Ostlund, C, Djurgarden (Sweden)
15. Vancouver Canucks - Nathan Gaucher, C, Quebec (QMJHL)
16. Buffalo Sabres - Danila Yurov, RW, Magnitogorsk (Russia)
22. Anaheim Ducks - Jimmy Snuggerud, RW, US U-18
23. St. Louis Blues - Frank Nazar, C, US U-18
luca Del Bel Beluz
24. Minnesota Wild - Rutger McGroarty, RW, US U-18
25. Toronto Maple Leafs - Ryan Chesley, D, US U-18
26. Montreal Canadiens - Brad Lambert, C, Pelicans (Finland)
27. Arizona Coyotes - Reid Schaefer, LW, Seattle (WHL)
28. Buffalo Sabres - Liam Ohgren, LW, Djurgarden (Sweden)
Mavrik Borque

Some high risk/reward. Missing out on a good pick won't hurt us since we already have depth. A windfall great contributor will definately help us.
(sorted from others lists)

[NWTHabsFan]

I have developed my annual list of guys who could be available when the Habs pick that I like. It is huge with around 43 guys over the 14 picks (yes, I know they won’t keep all the picks). Just need time to type it up and post. Probably by late tonight or tomorrow morning.

[seventeen]

Jul 5, 2022 13:30:53 GMT -5 Habs_fan_in_LA said:

24. Minnesota Wild - Rutger McGroarty, RW, US U-18
25. Toronto Maple Leafs - Ryan Chesley, D, US U-18
26. Montreal Canadiens - Brad Lambert, C, Pelicans (Finland)
27. Arizona Coyotes - Reid Schaefer, LW, Seattle (WHL)
28. Buffalo Sabres - Liam Ohgren, LW, Djurgarden (Sweden)
Mavrik Borque

Some high risk/reward. Missing out on a good pick won't hurt us since we already have depth. A windfall great contributor will definately help us.
(sorted from others lists)

Was Mavrik Bourque a typo? He was picked by Dallas 2 years ago in the 30th spot. Good choice.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

Jul 5, 2022 17:13:57 GMT -5 seventeen said:

Jul 5, 2022 13:30:53 GMT -5 Habs_fan_in_LA said:

24. Minnesota Wild - Rutger McGroarty, RW, US U-18
25. Toronto Maple Leafs - Ryan Chesley, D, US U-18
26. Montreal Canadiens - Brad Lambert, C, Pelicans (Finland)
27. Arizona Coyotes - Reid Schaefer, LW, Seattle (WHL)
28. Buffalo Sabres - Liam Ohgren, LW, Djurgarden (Sweden)
Mavrik Borque

Some high risk/reward. Missing out on a good pick won't hurt us since we already have depth. A windfall great contributor will definately help us.
(sorted from others lists)

Was Mavrik Bourque a typo? He was picked by Dallas 2 years ago in the 30th spot. Good choice.

Maveric Lamoureux

I would love to blame autocorrect but it was really my mistake.

[NWTHabsFan]

Alright, first the usual caveats. This is just something I do for fun as I really enjoy the draft and talking about prospects. It is not a draft board as it does not list all the guys I like. It is a weird hybrid of a list where I pick some names that interest me at each of the Habs various picks. With 14 picks as of now. I have combined a few, especially from the middle rounds onwards for ease of managing this list. I expect the Habs to make some moves involving draft picks, so that could drastically alter who may be available with any new picks acquired or moved up for...so be it, this is for fun based on information right now. I can chime in on the thread in real time if and when that happens as I am sure any in-draft movement will generate chatter amongst us. Also, teams draft boards vary drastically. So it is an absolute guarantee that guys I have not listed because I do not think they will be available, may in fact be available. If this happens, just cue my response 'I do like this pick, just did not think he would be there' As such, there are a bunch of guys in the first few rounds that I really like but don't list since I don't think the Habs will have a sniff of them at all.

Onwards...

Round 1 Pick 1:

Hughes has already said what three guys they are considering.

Shane Wright, C, Kingston (OHL) See the other thread. He is my guy as I like his upside the best as it is the most complex and complete of the three guys.
Juraj Slafkovsky, LW, TPS (Liiga) The big power forward. Will he be the next unicorn or just another pretender?
Logan Cooley, C, UTDP (USHL) The fast and dynamic top line centre on the very strong NTDP U18 team is very worthy of a top three discussion. He is fun to watch.

Round 1 Pick 26:

Honestly, one of the most likely picks to be moved. But at the same time, I really believe the Habs could hold onto this and get a very good player at this point as some guys will fall as the first round has the chance to be all over the map after the first 12 guys or so (and even that second tier from 6-12 or so can be all over the map in order too).

Ivan Miroshnichenko, LW, Omskie (VHL) If not for the Russian factor and his health recovery, this guy was a top five pick IMO. Big, mobile, heavy shot. A mainstay on the top lines of his Russian age group teams when he is healthy and when Russia played internationally.
Jagger Firkus, C\W, Moose Jaw (WHL) Undersized but dynamic playmaker, shooter and puck driver. The Firkus Circus will be fun to watch if he can gain that needed beef to take on the next level of competition.
Filip Mesar, RW, Poprad (Slo) He is a tad under average size but is a very shifty and dynamic winger who can generate lots of offense Part of that exciting young core of Slovakian players of this age group(s).
Noah Ostlund, C, Djurgarden (J20) He is the usual centre for both Lekkerimaki and Ostlund at Djurgarden J20 and also on the national team. He has good vision, speed and skill and just needs to add some beef as he is still quite slight physically.
Calle Odelius, LD, Djurgarden (J20) One of the best skating defenders in the draft. He is good at moving the puck in transition and using his mobility to get back to defend. A top guy for both his club and national team.

Round 2 Pick 33:

Owen Beck, C, Mississauga (OHL) He was the 2C behind Del Bel Belluz, so his offensive numbers do not pop as much as you would expect due to less ice time and exposure, but he is a more complete two way centre with high IQ and skills. With an elevated role his numbers should pop.
Mattias Havelid, RD, Linkoping (J20) An all star at the U18s and one of the top defenders in his age group. Very engaged at both ends of the ice and a great skating two way defender. He is 5'10 so may slip a bit farther than where he should be picked. He is very good value from this point onwards.
Gleb Trikozov, RW, Omskie (MHL) Honestly I have no idea how far the Russian kids will drop, but with this a bit of an off year in Canada, they have some very good and skilled players like Gleb who should be picked high. A gifted scorer who is responsible in his own end. He plays a very dynamic always in motion game a lot like Frank Nazar of the UTDP.
Sam Rinzel, RD, Chaska High\Waterloo (USHS\USHL) A big mobile defender who can skate well and is still raw but has a very intriguing upside. He split his season between high school and USHL so he did hold his own against junior players. Mobile two way defenders with size are a bit rare in this draft, especially right shot guys.
Luca Del Bel Belluz, C, Mississauga (OHL) He was scoring at will for the first half of the season but his production tailed off in the second half and into the playoffs. Still a lot to like with his skill. He really has to grow into his lanky body and get stronger to improve his first step and skating, but the potential and skill are there.

Round 2 Pick 62 and Round 3 Pick 66:

Ryan Greene, C, Green Bay (USHL) The NL native was actually the most impressive draft eligible kid that I saw in the USHL season this year outside of the NTDP. He is a very solid two way centre with size and mobility who really drove the Gamblers offense as their 1C. When they put Cameron Lund (see later) on his line, they were magic together.
Devin Kaplan, RW, NTDP (USHL) If a team misses out of Gauthier and Cutter, the next best player of that style from their team is Kaplan. He played bottom six minutes so got much less exposure, but he brings a lot of the same attributes that scouts like in those other two.
Noah Warren, RD, Quebec (QMJHL) The huge Montreal native is another raw work in progress. At the top prospects game he knocked Wright on his can, so his physical game is very alive and well. He is still working on his puck moving and offensive side of the game and that will determine his ultimate upside. A lot to like already.
Ludwig Persson, LW, Frolunda (J20) Another fast and skilled Swedish winger who did not get as much exposure since he is a late birthday so he aged out of that U18 age group.
Christian Kyrou, RD, Erie (OHL) Yup, he is the younger brother, but he plays defense. His offensive game really took off this season. He is the oldest guy in his first year of eligibility.
Cameron Lund, RW, Green Bay (USHL) A big good skating skilled forward. He is a very solid overall player.
Adam Sykora, RW, Nitra (Slo) Another of the exciting young Slovaks. He is a skilled winger who was the third draft eligible player who was invited to the World Championships. He got a few games in later on and scored a pair of goals (with Hughes and crew in the house).
Ludvig Jansson, RD, Soldertalje (Allsvenskan) Another mobile two way right handed defender on my list. A coincidence? I think not as a team with a big gap in a position in its prospects pool will also try and pick some guys that fill a void with other things being somewhat equal. He is a December birthday so another guy who suffers from less exposure as he aged out of the U18 squad. He also plays against men already, so tougher competition against which to assess his development progression.

That is part 1 of 2 for now. I will complete the write up of the rest of the draft picks and post later on. If they keep them all, these are five pretty important picks for the Habs to get way more big hits than misses as you do not often get this many top picks in one draft.

[NWTHabsFan]

Part 2 continued (this covers a lot of picks!)

Round 3 Pick 75:

Topias Leinonen, G, JYP (FinJr) The big athletic goalie was the starter for Finland at the U18s. He is still raw, and this is not a good draft at all for goalies, but I still expect that Habs to scoop one with all these picks. He also fits that mold that their goalie scout likes.
Jake Karabela, C, Guelph (OHL) Another guy whose production likely suffered a fair bit playing behind two other centres on his team. When he was able to play with good players at the Top Prospects game, he put on a show and showed the higher upside he is capable of.
Hunter Haight, C, Barrie (OHL) A high IQ centre who has great skating and skill. His production was a bit below some pretty lofty expectations coming into this season, but he is a very versatile skilled guy who can slot into many roles for a team.
Gavin Hayes, RW, Flint (OHL) He is a bigger winger who brings size and skill to the wing. He seems to be the type of guy that the Habs brain trust and looking to add combining some size with decent hockey abilities.
Ben MacDonald, C, Noble & Greenough (USHS) A decent sized skilled centre who played prep school hockey, but it one of the highest regarded forwards out of the US high schools. Of course, these guys need lots of time to adjust up the ranks against better competition, but the raw goods are there.

Round 3 Pick 92 and Round 4 Pick 98:

Viktor Neuchev, RW, Avto (MHL) A decent sized Russian winger with a rocket of a shot. Well worth it at this point in the draft to get that kind of skill.
Jordan Dumais, RW, Halifax (QMJHL) How does a draft eligible kid get over 100 points and not be ranked higher? The fatal flaw duo of size and lack of pace. He is a superb playmaker and that is worth a pick if a team can help get his skating improved as he will need that with his size to have a hope at the next level. Boom bust kid.
Dmitri Buchelnikov, LW, SKA-1946 (MHL) He was an early September birthday so was eligible last year but was picked over due to size and being buried on a strong lineup behind Michkov, Gordin and a bunch of others. This season he lead the perennial MHL contender with 41 goals and was the team's top goal scorer and points guy. Now, that Michkov kid split his season with the MHL and big league team, so he would have likely been the top guy. Anyway, he should not get passed over again and I liked him in my viewings when watching Gordin (before his trade to Sochi) and that Michkov kid of whom I do not tire watching.
Dylan James, LW, Sioux City (USHL) The Calgary native had a very uneventful and COVID shortened season in the AJHL last year, but he moved full time to the USHL and had a great season winning the league rookie of the year award in the process.
Oskar Pettersson, RW, Rogle (J20) A Swedish power forward who has decent mobility and skills, while also not shying away from a heavy game. I just rewatched the U18 gold medal game and he had a very good showing (as did half his team at least).
Michael Fisher, RD, St Marks (USHS) Another fleet footed two way defender who shoots right. He is committed to Northeastern, a good program and one the Habs are very familiar with.
Sandis Vilmanis, C\LW, Lulea (J20) Although this skilled forward plays in Sweden, he is Latvian and has been a pretty big part of his national teams at his age group even though they are often over matched in the games they play against the stronger nations. He still shows well in those games.

Round 4 Pick 127, Round 4 Pick 128, Round 5 Pick 130:

Three picks in a span of four picks mid draft. Not sure they keep them all, so these are prime candidates to see at least one moved to move up somewhere or to move out to 2023.

Connor Kurth, C, Dubuque (USHL) I liked him last year as a mid to late rounder, but he was not picked. He is an inch under six feet but built like a tank. He has speed and does not shy away from going to the net to add to his decent offensive output.
Kasper Kulonummi, RD, Jokerit U20 (FinJr) A lanky mobile two way defender who was also part of the U18 national team that won a bronze this past year.
Kirill Dolzhenkov, RW, CSKA (MHL) At six and a half feet tall he is the biggest forward in the draft. He has decent mobility for his size (that is not meant as a backhanded complement) and for teams looking for perhaps the next Elmer Solderblom, could this be the guy?
Miko Matikka, RW, Jokerit U20 (FinJr) I have been far to light on Finns up to these picks, but there is a bit of a drop after the top guys and the others scattered throughout the draft. He is a scoring winger with good wheels.
Samuel Savoie, C, Gatineau (QMJHL) A bit undersized but quite the talented buzz bomb that makes a really good value pick at this point in the draft. It is always hard getting your share of the spotlight when you are on a stacked lineup.
Antonin Verreault, LW, Gatineau (QMJHL) If he was not 5 feet 8 inches, he would be going much higher in the draft. But it is what it is.
David Spacek, RD, Sherbrooke (QMJHL) If you watched any of my Josh Roy highlights, you would often have caught glimpses of Spacek who was an offensive catalyst for the Phoenix from the back end. The second year eligible is the son of the former Hab.

Round 6 Pick 162, Round 7 Pick 194, and Round 7 Pick 216:

Definitely in the dart throwing part of the draft at this point, but you sometimes find gems and the Habs seem to like the 7th round.

Alexis Gendron, LW, Blainville Boisbriand (QMJHL) Of the Q guys, he seems to get very little attention, but he has speed and a good shot.
Martin Johnsen, C, Farjestad (J20) This small, fast and talented Norwegian plays his junior hockey in neighbouring Sweden, but does get to play for his national team at age level events.
Charles-Alexis Legault, RD, West Kelowna (BCHL) The QC native looked out of sorts last year in the USHL during his first draft eligible year, but had a much better season out playing Junior A in the BCHL. He is a physical and mobile defender.
Dennis Hildeby, G, Farjestad (J20) This 'old' 2001 born goalie is a big favourite of a highly regarded independent draft guide resource that I purchased. The more I read up this guy the more he sounds like the tall, athletic European goalies that goalie scout Vincent Riendeau really likes. In a very weak goalie draft, maybe the Habs pick an older guy (on the edge of aging out of the draft) that is further along in his development. That approach seems to be liked by HuGo so far in their short tenure (through trades).
Simon Forsmark, LD, Orebro Jr (J20) If this LHD is still available, he is a decent pick this late as you can sit on Euro guys for up to four years. My second LHD just to show I am not 100% obsessed with RD in my list (but darn close lol). Another tall pass first guy who has a late birthday so he too aged out of the U18 team. He actually split his season between J20 and SHL. Impressive.
Ben King, C, Red Deer (WHL) Yes, he has been passed over twice before, but I liked him last year too and that crazy COVID shortened regional bubble WHL season did him no favours. He is big, skilled and top two in WHL scoring. Did I mention that HuGo do seem to like guys further along in their development and closer to making the next jump?
Nikita Grebyonkin, LW, Stanlnye Lisy (MHL) I saw a few of his games and he always looked like the best guy on the ice, despite there being higher touted prospects playing. He has good size and is a great playmaker. He is a 2003 so this is his second draft, but the skill and size is there. Use a late pick now and hold his rights for ages and avoid using a much higher pick next year when he breaks out even more and the political situation improves.
Luke Mittelstadt, LD, Madison (USHL) I watched a bit of Madison to see forward Quinn Finley, but took notice of how well Mittelstadt's transition game has adapted from the high school level last year. I did actually see a game of his last year at the MN state championships and thought he might get drafted last year. I like how he starts and controls the transition from the back end and plays a solid two way game. I also like guys who show positive development from year to year. Another late round flyer candidate for me just for kicks!
Miguel Tourigny, RD, Acadie Bathurst (QMJHL) He is an very undersized skilled defender who is in his third year of draft eligibility and from the Q, so that is almost a guaranteed Habs pick although both RHP and Simoneau were forwards, but you see the trend.

It was long, but our team has a lot of picks so a ton of guys to consider. In the end even if they do not pick anyone listed (other than one of the big three for pick #1), I still enjoy just watching, reading and sharing some of my draft musings.

NWT out!!

[folatre]

Nice work, NW. You have a good handle on a lot of prospects. Thursday and Friday should be a lot of fun. I believe Montreal will select Wright first overall. I am far less sure what management does with the other picks.

At 26th, assuming Hughes keeps it, for me I really hope a high ceiling offensive difference-maker is available. I am probably being a bit greedy (or unrealistic) because I really want one of the following kids to be there: Miroshnichenko, Mateychuk, Ohgren, Howard, Kulich, or Firkus. Individually, the smart bet would be each of these prospects goes in the top 25. But looking at it collectively, one of them will probably drop to Montreal. I have no idea which one drops, so my best guess is Kulich, whose average was 25.5 across the four rankings (Barrachini, McKenzie, Kennedy, Cosentino) I happened to read.

It is cool to have the first pick on Day Two, so I kind of hope Hughes does not trade it. There will be some nice prospects available. I have my eyes on Del Bel Belluz and Gaucher, but something tells me they will be gone. I also like some kids who may be a bit of a reach at 33rd overall (Warren, Goyette, Schaefer). So I will take a local that all the rankings agree should go right around this slot -- Tristan Luneau.

[NWTHabsFan]

Jul 5, 2022 21:53:39 GMT -5 folatre said:

Nice work, NW. You have a good handle on a lot of prospects. Thursday and Friday should be a lot of fun. I believe Montreal will select Wright first overall. I am far less sure what management does with the other picks.

At 26th, assuming Hughes keeps it, for me I really hope a high ceiling offensive difference-maker is available. I am probably being a bit greedy (or unrealistic) because I really want one of the following kids to be there: Miroshnichenko, Mateychuk, Ohgren, Howard, Kulich, or Firkus. Individually, the smart bet would be each of these prospects goes in the top 25. But looking at it collectively, one of them will probably drop to Montreal. I have no idea which one drops, so my best guess is Kulich, whose average was 25.5 across the four rankings (Barrachini, McKenzie, Kennedy, Cosentino) I happened to read.

It is cool to have the first pick on Day Two, so I kind of hope Hughes does not trade it. There will be some nice prospects available. I have my eyes on Del Bel Belluz and Gaucher, but something tells me they will be gone. I also like some kids who may be a bit of a reach at 33rd overall (Warren, Goyette, Schaefer). So I will take a local that all the rankings agree should go right around this slot -- Tristan Luneau.

Thanks! I like your suggestions too!

If they keep both 26 and 33, I think guys they really like will drop. Just feels that way this draft and the variability of lists from the mid point onwards. That is exciting.

I too hope they keep 33, as it would be cool to draft first overall on both days. The scouts can get all excited about the guy “that we did not think would be there” 😂 and fell in their lap. Heck, the draft is at home so they can get the kid’s jersey all stitched up with his name.

Lots of intrigue and excitement for Habs fans this draft as we really have no idea how HuGo will approach it. I fully expect some trades, even if it is just shuffling around picks. And thank goodness the draft is in person again. The last two were painful marathons, even for an avid draft junkie like me. Day Two was agony.