Habs’ Prospects 2024-25

[NWTHabsFan]

Time to update for all our new draftees and existing prospects who have not yet graduated to the Rocket or Habs.

QMJHL

Quentin Miller - Rimouski Océanic

OHL

Owen Protz - Brantford Bulldogs

WHL

Tyler Thorpe - Vancouver Giants

BCHL

Ben Merrill - Penticton Vees
Mikus Vecvanags - Brooks Bandits

NCAA

Jack Smith - University of Minnesota-Duluth
Luke Mittelstadt - University of Minnesota
Emmett Croteau - Dartmouth College
Jacob Fowler - Boston College
Sam Harris - Denver University
Michael Hage - University of Michigan
Logan Sawyer - Providence College

Finland

Aatos Koivu - TPS Turku

Sweden

Filip Eriksson - Växjö Lakers
Rasmus Bergqvist - Skellefteå AIK
Oliver Kapanen - Timrå IK

Russia

Alexander Gordin - Gornyak UGMK
Dmitri Kostenko - Spartak Moscow
Bogdan Konyushkov - Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod
Yevgeni Volokhin - HC Sochi
Ivan Demidov - SKA St Petersburg
Makar Khanin - Dynamo St Petersburg
Daniil Sobolev - Spartak Moscow

Switzerland

Vinzenz Rohrer - ZSC Lions

Recent graduates to Laval or Montreal: Filip Mešár, Owen Beck, Florian Xhekaj, Luke Tuch, Lane Hutson, Adam Engström, and David Reinbacher

[seventeen]

Good info recap, NWT. Thank you.

[NWTHabsFan]

The last interviews from Development Camp. If you have not heard or seen Protz yet, give him a listen. He is quite the old soul character. Fowler is always full of great quotes snd Hage is very well spoken in both official languages.

0:33 Harris
6:10 Bouillon
16:43 Fowler
23:30 Protz
31:09 Nadeau
34:28 Hage

[Disgruntled70sHab]

[seventeen]

Jul 8, 2024 14:46:58 GMT -5 NWTHabsFan said:

The last interviews from Development Camp. If you have not heard or seen Protz yet, give him a listen. He is quite the old soul character. Fowler is always full of great quotes snd Hage is very well spoken in both official languages.

0:33 Harris
6:10 Bouillon
16:43 Fowler
23:30 Protz
31:09 Nadeau
34:28 Hage

Well spoken young men. Protz was indeed the liveliest of the bunch, followed closely by Fowler. The most interesting tidbit I took out of it was Fowler's comment that Beck won the Go Kart races for the 3rd year in a row. I don't have much karting experience, but I know that to win, you have to be aggressive, take chances and possibly spin out. I've developed a line of thinking re Beck that slots him into a defensive, low risk checking centre category, but the karting thing puts a completely different spin on him. Good news IMO. I like that a lot. I wonder how good Oliver Kapanen is at go-karting?

[NWTHabsFan]

A piece from Cowan on Sam Harris.

[NWTHabsFan]

A very thorough and entertaining video scouting report on Demidov.

[seventeen]

Thanks NWT. It seems the only concern over Demidov is potential injuries related to his skating stance and that it might leave his knees vulnerable for collisions. That's true of anyone with great edges who goes side to side extremely well, as Davidov does. Catton has that same stance. You just have to be prepared for those hits. Also, that's not a high probability injury, I'd think.

[NWTHabsFan]

Jul 21, 2024 17:25:36 GMT -5 seventeen said:

Thanks NWT. It seems the only concern over Demidov is potential injuries related to his skating stance and that it might leave his knees vulnerable for collisions. That's true of anyone with great edges who goes side to side extremely well, as Davidov does. Catton has that same stance. You just have to be prepared for those hits. Also, that's not a high probability injury, I'd think.

His skating style when he goes wide stance reminds me a bit of Galchenyuk, but with much more talent and infinitely less drama. 😆

Once they get him over to Canada, I expect a guru like Adam Nicholas can tweak his skating style a bit to make him less vulnerable without taking away any of his dynamic playing style.

[NWTHabsFan]

Some weird summer hockey action update. Aatos Koivu just played in B2B exhibition games with the U20 Finnish team as it warms up back in Europe before coming over to the USA later this month for the summer showcase. He scored a PP goal today and was held pointless yesterday, both in 4-1 Finland wins. Ironically, he is not part of the named roster that is coming over for Finland, but is clearly a player that Finland is keeping an eye on as part of its future WJC teams. He is eligible for two more WJCs, so with a good start to the season, we could potentially see him in Ottawa in December/January.

[NWTHabsFan]

I guess Koivu (junior) will be playing at the summer showcase after all. And he will be sporting a rather familiar #11. Not sure there will be any Canadian tv coverage as it will be up against the Olympics, but if I see anything I will update in a post.

[IamCanadiens]

I like that we focussed on drafting Hyokkaajats in this draft

[Willie Dog]

Jul 23, 2024 15:09:43 GMT -5 IamCanadiens said:

I like that we focussed on drafting Hyokkaajats in this draft

Looking "forward" to seeing how he does... lol

[NWTHabsFan]

I think it is very positive that:

1. There appears to be open communication between the two teams, and

2. That SKA plans on providing Demidov with a good development year in the KHL.

We all want to see him over asap, but a year to adjust from MHL hockey against U20s to KHL hockey against men is the best adjustment for him. The step up in competition is a big one, so it can only help him to be much more prepared to fight for a spot in the NHL in 25-26.

[seventeen]

Darn. I was hoping otherwise, but c'est la vie. Let's hope they do indeed give him a reasonable amount of ice time.

[NWTHabsFan]

A very deep dive into the Habs’ prospect pool by Tony Ferrari of the Hockey News. My only knock would be (and it is a minor quibble for such a well written and researched article): where is Engström in this discussion? I have a soft spot for the two underrated Swedes in Engström and Eriksson.

[seventeen]

Good assessments, but as you say NWT, where are Engstrom and Ericksson? They would add even more to the depth equation.

[NWTHabsFan]

Good for him. Guess I won’t see him live this season after all.

[seventeen]

[Dschens]

Aug 8, 2024 12:26:11 GMT -5 seventeen said:

Ah, another ranking between Michkov and Demidov. At the end I'm more interested in one number. How often will Ivan Demidov raise Lord Stanley's mug in the Habs uniform.

By the way Demidov received one more 1st place votes than Michkov.

[seventeen]

This appears to be a fan type of Russian publication (though I'm guessing) and as with all fan opinions, the hype plays a factor. In my opinion, to put it quite simply, I would not trade Demidov for Michkov straight up right now. We haven't seen either play in the NHL, but we can assume both will be dynamic offensive players. Where I find a measurable difference is in their attitude toward defending. Demidov at least cares about having a role in his own zone. I'm not sure Michkov does.

One aspect that plays a role in my judgments is consistency. I can't get over that video of Michkov throwing out the first pitch at that Philly game. He just looked awkward. I've seen a lot of personalities throw out first pitches. The athletes may not throw strikes, but their motion looks like an athlete's. Everything follows the flow you expect..leg, hip, arm, wrist. Michkov's was weird. The torso didn't turn the way it should have, the arm wasn't drawn back right and the wrist wasn't cocked, it was held straight. The ball went where it was supposed to, but the motion was all off. I guess they don't play baseball in Russia. He probably plays soccer quite well. I'm an odd duck though. I judge people's empathy and responsibile characteristics by whether they have a cat or dog living with them. That's weird, but oddly telling.

Anyway, Michkov's throwing motion isn't going to make or break him, but his overall game will affect his team. Give me Ivan any day.

[folatre]

I never thought Demidov was coming this season. Assuming he gets solid minutes with quality mates on a good team, the experience in the KHL will certainly add to his overall maturation as a hockey player.

[seventeen]

The insomniacs on the east coast might want to stay up and watch the Canada/US semi-final of the Hlinka/Gretzky (HG) tournament on TSN 5 at 9:30 ET. You'll get to see the latest magician, Gavin McKenna, for Canada, and the favourite to go first in the 2026 draft. He doesn't turn 17 until late December. The US has some prospects as well. I believe one of them is Cooper Simpson, but I dont' know much about the Americans. (Cue NWT). Canada also has two other guys we should pay special attention to. Matthew Schaefer, a 6' 1", 174 lb defenceman who is eligible for the 2025 draft by 10 days. He's still 16 at this tournament but has been Canada's best defenceman. Then there's Caleb Desnoyers of the Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL). He's 6' 1", 179 lbs. He hasn't played much centre at the HG, but when he takes face-offs, he wins them. Smart, good all around and projected to go 11-16 in the draft. I like him a lot, though he looked more dangerous at the IIHF U18 championships where Canada won gold (when Trevor Connelly took a major penalty for the US and opened the door for McKenna to kick it down). Desnoyers played on McKenna's line and there was real chemistry between them. For some reason this Canada coach (Kelowna Rockets) hasn't been playing them together. He's missing out.

So, to have a look at some of the higher picks in the 2025 draft, check out the Hlinka/Gretzky. Gold medal game goes Sunday. Sweden is playing Czechia in the other semi.

PS. It's a VERY condensed tournament. Five games in 6 days. The only break is the day before the finals, so conditioning is high on the agenda.

[Willie Dog]

Good review of Konyushkov by Patrik Bexell

www.habseyesontheprize.com/bogdan-konyushkov-2024-montreal-canadiens-top-25-under-25-prospect-profile-projection-scouting-stats/

[seventeen]

Really bad skater. The scout guy says that if he improves his skating from really bad to just bad, he has an NHL future. Really smart, though. That description reminds me of Markov, who was not a great skater. but made up for it in so many other ways. Mind you I don't think Andrei was ever considered a bad skater.

[Willie Dog]

Aug 10, 2024 1:21:06 GMT -5 seventeen said:

Really bad skater. The scout guy says that if he improves his skating from really bad to just bad, he has an NHL future. Really smart, though. That description reminds me of Markov, who was not a great skater. but made up for it in so many other ways. Mind you I don't think Andrei was ever considered a bad skater.

I was thinking the same thing about Markov, super smarts can get you somewhere... that's why I think Lane will be fine, and he'll thicken up a bit, and be able to handle things

[frozone]

Aug 10, 2024 8:33:22 GMT -5 Willie Dog said:

Aug 10, 2024 1:21:06 GMT -5 seventeen said:

Really bad skater. The scout guy says that if he improves his skating from really bad to just bad, he has an NHL future. Really smart, though. That description reminds me of Markov, who was not a great skater. but made up for it in so many other ways. Mind you I don't think Andrei was ever considered a bad skater.

I was thinking the same thing about Markov, super smarts can get you somewhere... that's why I think Lane will be fine, and he'll thicken up a bit, and be able to handle things

I’m not so convinced about Lane. Unlike Markov, Lane relies on his skating and footwork to create offense. And while Markov was incredibly efficient with his movements, Lane will shimmy and shake 3 times on his opponent before doing anything. And if you’re gonna have skating warts, I think efficiency should be your friend.

In fact I think most of the league’s best Dmen are incredibly efficient. Now it doesn’t mean that Lane will flame out, just that the odds may be stacked against him. I mean PK wasn’t particularly efficient but he was still the man. And Lane is quite possibly the best Dman I’ve ever seen at deceiving his opponent. He could go bust or he could create a whole new generation of kids wanting to play like Lane. It will be interesting to follow.

Konyushkov, based on the clips that I’ve seen, is efficient like Markov. It doesn’t look like he would survive playing any other way. He certainly won’t be shimmying and shaking his way to the NHL.

[NWTHabsFan]

seventeen As for the US Hlinka team, it is mainly B level prospects from the USHL. Sometimes that league has higher rated guys, but this crop is pretty average at best. The top forwards are likely Kevan, Simpson, Hayes, Lansing and Sykora (yes, the son). They will all get drafted, but likely nobody on day one. The best player on the team is their captain, Blake Fiddler, a 6’4” physical, good skating defender who moves the puck well and is a highly coveted right shot. While I cannot speak to if he is one of the best 32 guys right now, or will be next June, he has all the right attributes that make him highly likely as a guy a team will take round one. He also has a big Edmonton connection. His Dad, exNHLer Vern, is from YEG and he plays for the Oil Kings in the Dub in the very building hosting this event. I will see even more of him this season as he plays a bigger role on a young Oil Kings team. Heck, I will see him shortly live at the Bronze medal game with my grandson! Tonight, Mrs NWT and I will take in the gold medal game between CAN-CZE!!

[Skilly]

Aug 10, 2024 8:33:22 GMT -5 Willie Dog said:

Aug 10, 2024 1:21:06 GMT -5 seventeen said:

Really bad skater. The scout guy says that if he improves his skating from really bad to just bad, he has an NHL future. Really smart, though. That description reminds me of Markov, who was not a great skater. but made up for it in so many other ways. Mind you I don't think Andrei was ever considered a bad skater.

I was thinking the same thing about Markov, super smarts can get you somewhere... that's why I think Lane will be fine, and he'll thicken up a bit, and be able to handle things

Thicken up you say? Exhibit A

[Willie Dog]

Aug 10, 2024 12:59:04 GMT -5 Skilly said:

Aug 10, 2024 8:33:22 GMT -5 Willie Dog said:

I was thinking the same thing about Markov, super smarts can get you somewhere... that's why I think Lane will be fine, and he'll thicken up a bit, and be able to handle things

Thicken up you say? Exhibit A

I saw that and he just needs to strengthen up top now