Your Pick For #5...

[CentreHice]

...if he's still available?

[Boston_Habs]

I guess it’s Michkov, Carlson, or Smith unless there’s a draft riser between now and the draft.

The big question is whether or not Michkov falls to us at #5 given his KHL commitment and general noise.

[Andrew]

May 8, 2023 19:24:03 GMT -5 CentreHice said:

...if he's still available?

Smith if he’s available, but I’d imagine he’s not. Do we roll the dice on Michkov?

[Boston_Habs]

If Michkov falls to us at #5…. I don’t think you can pass that up.

[Cranky]

I expected nothing...and wasn't let down.

Mickov has all kinds of warning signs on him. For all we know he can be drafted unless he signs with a Ruzzian club.

Expect the very worse from Putler because he won't disappoint.

[Tankdriver]

I'd take the Russian as he is the second best player. If he did not have the wait time or Russian factor attached to him, he would be gone by the time we pick.

[folatre]

For me I would take Michkov assuming Fantilli, Carlsson, and Smith are gone. I know the three year contract in Russia is not ideal and the geopolitical situation is seemingly complicated for Russian athletes. But unless he is creating negative waves politically in Russia, which the average person just does not do, then I think there is no question the government will allow him to pursue his career in North America when the time comes. And Bettman and the NHL have shown zero appetite for listening to any argument for restricting Russian hockey players.

However, it would not surprise me if Montreal balks at selecting Michkov. Perhaps Hughes loves Benson, Leonard, Reinbacher, or some other player enough that he decides hey there is no way we trade down here just for the sake of trading down. But it seems entirely possible that if Michkov is deemed out of bounds then Montreal finds a suitor (perhaps Washington or Detroit) who wants to pay a worthwhile price to get a difference-maker like Michkov.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

May 8, 2023 21:23:06 GMT -5 folatre said:

For me I would take Michkov assuming Fantilli, Carlsson, and Smith are gone. I know the three year contract in Russia is not ideal and the geopolitical situation is seemingly complicated for Russian athletes. But unless he is creating negative waves politically in Russia, which the average person just does not do, then I think there is no question the government will allow him to pursue his career in North America when the time comes. And Bettman and the NHL have shown zero appetite for listening to any argument for restricting Russian hockey players.

However, it would not surprise me if Montreal balks at selecting Michkov. Perhaps Hughes loves Benson, Leonard, Reinbacher, or some other player enough that he decides hey there is no way we trade down here just for the sake of trading down. But it seems entirely possible that if Michkov is deemed out of bounds then Montreal finds a suitor (perhaps Washington or Detroit) who wants to pay a worthwhile price to get a difference-maker like Michkov.

It all depends on the interview with Hughes. I would take Michkov but Hughes will go for Smith. Slav is a great, person, good size and skill but not an average overall #1.
More important than a superstars an overall team. Series are being won by teams built with the 12th best players exposed by all teams. Teamwork, hustle, backchecking, positional play, discipline and 200 feet. McDavid is great but he has to beat three guyus on him and he gets by the first two only to lose the puck to a hard working checker.
We will be in the playoffs with a bunch of hardworking kids playing a system for the coach and each other.

[habsorbed]

I'm happy being in the 5 hole particularly with HuGo calling the shots and such a strong draft. They will get a top 6 forward, maybe top 3.

But history is not on our side. I looked at the 5th overall picks between 2005 and 2020. Not an outstanding list. Best players: Carey, Kessel, Morgan Reilly, and Elias Pettersen. But some real duds: Dal Colle, Juolevi - total of 61 NHL career game sbetween the two of them. And we should stay away from a dman at all costs: Luke Schenn. And are you ready? Karl Alzner.

Sure hope we do better in the 5 spot than we have done in the 3rd!!!

[seventeen]

I hope one of the teams ahead of us rolls the dice with Michkov because I don’t trust Plutin either. Trouble is there’s a substantial drop after #5. Leonard, Benson, Reinbacher are all a notch below. Hughes either trades down a couple of spots or picks Leonard or Reinbacher. If Carlsson or Smith are there, that’s who we’ll get.

[Boston_Habs]

What’s the concern with Michkov besides the longer wait? I guess the lack of control over his development, but that could be overrated if the guy is super talented. I don’t think we can afford to pass on a talent like that. We already gambled on Slafkovsky last year, there are no guarantees with him. We need more high end talent and that is missing in our pipeline.

We’ve seen plenty of muffed picks in the top 5 on players teams had plenty of time to evaluate in person. We passed on Shane Wright and a few others to pick a kid at #1 with a pretty limited track record for a top pick.

The calculation is assuming Smith and Carlson are gone that there’s a player other than Michkov with comparable talent and upside who is a better pick given the circumstances.

Failing that I don’t see another pick besides Michkov. We need horses not ponies.

[Polarice]

I would love Will Smith, I doubt he will be available. So if Michkov is available I would roll the dice.

[mikeg]

BPA - whoever it is, just take the BPA. Top 5 as we have been told again and again are all potential franchise players. I don't care if we have to wait 2.. 3.. years for Mitchkov, you take him and wait. It will suck, but *if* he ever comes here we would have a player with the potential and skillset of a Bedard. You don't pass that up.

[jkr]

I agree that you take the BPA. Enough of Bergevin's BS and drafting for position.

Is Michkov's contract ironclad? Maybe a deal can be worked out that would allow him to leave early.

[Tankdriver]

I also look at is helps our cap flexibility. The farther right his timeline, the rather out his entry level contract starts and ends. At that point we might need cap space as Dach and Caufield extensions will kick in at high dollar value and potentially that of Guhle.

We are not a contender next year and most likely the year after. Proper rebuilds take 5 years. We are in year 2. Take the Russian.

[mikeg]

May 9, 2023 7:46:31 GMT -5 jkr said:

I agree that you take the BPA. Enough of Bergevin's BS and drafting for position.

Is Michkov's contract ironclad? Maybe a deal can be worked out that would allow him to leave early.

Pretty ironclad and with the war, it may be even worse when he wants/has to re-sign. But that's a problem for another day.

[Tankdriver]

If you don't want the Russian, then you trade #5 and a B+ Prosepect and/or draft picks (ex: Struble, Kidney, Beck) and move up between 2 and 4 and get the player you want.

[Polarice]

May 9, 2023 7:46:31 GMT -5 jkr said:

I agree that you take the BPA. Enough of Bergevin's BS and drafting for position.

Is Michkov's contract ironclad? Maybe a deal can be worked out that would allow him to leave early.

Pretty sure Russian clubs have been know to sell contracts to NHL teams.

[mikeg]

May 9, 2023 8:16:55 GMT -5 Tankdriver said:

If you don't want the Russian, then you trade #5 and a B+ Prosepect and/or draft picks (ex: Struble, Kidney, Beck) and move up between 2 and 4 and get the player you want.

I don't think that's enough - it may have to be the 2 1sts this year + a guy like Harris + one of Beck/Kidney/Roy and even then I am not sure a team will value that over the pick they could make.

[habsorbed]

I havew no problem waiting a few years for Mich to come over for many of the reasons stated: we don't need him now, and it will help with cap space later. I don't see the war and Putin as an obstacle as both the war and Putin will be done within a year.

[jkr]

I sure hope that last sentence is correct in all respects.

[Boston_Habs]

May 9, 2023 8:13:12 GMT -5 Tankdriver said:

I also look at is helps our cap flexibility. The farther right his timeline, the rather out his entry level contract starts and ends. At that point we might need cap space as Dach and Caufield extensions will kick in at high dollar value and potentially that of Guhle.

We are not a contender next year and most likely the year after. Proper rebuilds take 5 years. We are in year 2. Take the Russian.

That's a huge benefit. We would be signing Michkov to his first NHL contract at age 21 at possibly a below market number relative to his talent and contribution. People are worried we won't have control over his development but the KHL is a men's league so if he can produce there then I see no reason why he can't hit the ground running in the NHL with a bit of an adjustment period.

[jkr]

Kaprizov didn't come over until he was 23. I wouldn't want to wait that long though.

[Boston_Habs]

It obviously depends on how high he’s rated by Columbus and San Jose. Those teams have the option of Smith or Carlson so you have to think Michkov is a clearly better prospect than those guys to justify the pick. Or they can come away with Smith or Carlson and still feel good about the pick.

HuGo may not have that luxury. It could come down to Michkov or a bigger drop off in talent with guys like Benson or Dvorsky.

I don’t know if that makes it easier or harder but I have a suspicion Michkov will be on the board at #5.

[Tankdriver]

May 9, 2023 10:17:14 GMT -5 jkr said:

I sure hope that last sentence is correct in all respects.

Be careful what you wish for. The person that replaces Putin could be MUCH worse. Prigozhin, Kadyro, Zhuravlyov and Zavizion are all people to look out for.

[Willie Dog]

Can a team reach out to the Russian team that has his rights and negotiate a transfer agreement before the draft? If we had Ovie, we could get him to ask...

I wonder if the Caps try to swap picks with us...

[Skilly]

We are selecting Dvorsky.

I heard he is an excellent interview

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

May 9, 2023 12:08:40 GMT -5 Tankdriver said:

May 9, 2023 10:17:14 GMT -5 jkr said:

I sure hope that last sentence is correct in all respects.

Be careful what you wish for. The person that replaces Putin could be MUCH worse. Prigozhin, Kadyro, Zhuravlyov and Zavizion are all people to look out for.

If the Russians start a nuclear war, waiting one or three years isn't an issue. Michkov is clearly the second best player, the only other possible generational pick. Bedard, Michkov, Fantilli, Carlson and Smith in that order. I hope Michkov says he doesn't want to be drafted and then falls into our lap to piss Bettman off. Not woke or politically correct but Mailloux was convicted of a misdemeanor and paid a fine. He had consensual sex as a minor with an adult who should have known better. He didn't run a dog fighting ring or put on a dress to play for the ream Canada girls team. He didn't rape, do drugs or steroids. He bragged to his teamates. Many of us bragged about our exploits whether we did them or not. Cruel and unusual punishment for a sophomoric prank. Fury from a girl rejected who was guilty of sex with a minor. Come on Buttman, this is not assault with a 3 game penalty, not a lifetime ban.

[seventeen]

May 9, 2023 5:19:31 GMT -5 Boston_Habs said:

What’s the concern with Michkov besides the longer wait? I guess the lack of control over his development, but that could be overrated if the guy is super talented. I don’t think we can afford to pass on a talent like that. We already gambled on Slafkovsky last year, there are no guarantees with him. We need more high end talent and that is missing in our pipeline.

We’ve seen plenty of muffed picks in the top 5 on players teams had plenty of time to evaluate in person. We passed on Shane Wright and a few others to pick a kid at #1 with a pretty limited track record for a top pick.

The calculation is assuming Smith and Carlson are gone that there’s a player other than Michkov with comparable talent and upside who is a better pick given the circumstances.

Failing that I don’t see another pick besides Michkov. We need horses not ponies.

Michkov's father was found dead recently, floating in a lake. No real explanation from the authorities as to how or what. Given Matvei's notoriety, one wonders. Questions are raised, anyway, even though no one publicly knows the situation around Matvei's father's death.

The contract doesn't worry me. If he spends 3 years developing in the KHL, that's ok, unless he ends up with some dictatorial a-hole as coach who plays him 8 minutes a game on the 4th line, just to show him who's boss. Oh wait, Therrien isn't coaching in the KHL. Forget I mentioned it. It's more about whether Putlerov gives a damn about him and intrudes on his career. If left alone, his contract runs out and he'll want the better money and lifestyle of the NHL.

Talent wise, many (most?) scouts put him on the same level as Bedard and that is the enticing part.

I would take my chances at 5 and pick him. We're not truly competing until some of our kids (Guhle, Barron, Xhekaj, Hutson, Slafkovsky, Beck, Roy, etc) have developed some more. In 3 years time most will be entering their prime playing years and the addition of a true superstar like Michkov would just blow the league away. If you take a Reinbacher or Leonard, it wouldn't be the worst thing, but neither is going to be a superstar and like Boston said, we need horses, not ponies.

It's the criticism we see after every organization prospect ranking. The Habs are really good but don't have any elite talent in the pipeline. I think I disagree a bit on that because if Guhle or Hutson hit their ceilings, they can be elite talent. There isn't that same possibility up front, with no disrespect to Suzuki or Caufield. They will be very, very good, but I'm not sure we'll be able to label them superstars.

[seventeen]

May 9, 2023 11:20:06 GMT -5 jkr said:

Kaprizov didn't come over until he was 23. I wouldn't want to wait that long though.

Michkov will be 21 when the season starts in 2026.