Habs Daily: Canadiens Draft Picks, Focus On Physicality, Trades
Here are the Montreal Canadiens and NHL news items you may have missed on a very busy NHL Draft weekend.
Montreal Canadiens News
-
The Canadiens made several trades over the weekend, though none of them to acquire an NHL player. Rather, they moved up to pick Gleb Pugachyov, as well as Timofei Runtso. In total, the team would go on to make eight picks.
-
No. 26 Overall – Gleb Pugachyov – Right Wing – 6’3″, 224 lb.
-
No. 224 Overall – Tyler Deakos – Right wing, 6’1″, 175lb.
-
The recurring theme when evaluating the players chosen by the Canadiens was the fact that none of them stood below 6’0″. In fact, five of the players stand at 6’3″, or taller. A focus on physicality was definitely on the menu for the Canadiens. [Canadiens Draft Recap: Aggressive Trades And Violent Prospects]
-
The Habs are convinced they’ve drafted another “unicorn”, as described by Martin Lapointe. While Pugachyov is a heavy hitter, he’s not simply a goon. He’s an excellent skater with offensive potential.
-
Pugachyov spoke to the media on Saturday, predicting it will take him roughly two seasons before he makes his way to the NHL.
-
It should be noted that there’s a possibility we’ll eventually see a Pugachyov, Ivan Demdidov, and Alexander Zharovsky trio in Montreal.
-
ICYMI: It’s not always easy to get a good read on the prospects who are developing in Russia, which is why we turned to various scouting outlets to acquire as much information as possible on Pugachyov’s potential. He’s fast, he’s a hard worker, and he absolutely loves violence. [Scouting Profile: Canadiens Add Physicality With Pugachyov]
Sportsnaut Network
-
On Friday, the Devils selected Alexander Command with the 12th pick in the first round out of Sweden. On Saturday, they added another six prospects to the pool. [New Jersey Devils]
-
Garnet Hathaway is the newest member of the Florida Panthers and, after being acquired in a trade with the Flyers on Thursday, is returning home. Kind of. Hathaway was born across Alligator Alley from the Panthers’ Sunrise arena, but the native of Naples did not stay in southwest Florida long. [Florida Panthers]
-
The Avalanche signed former Canadiens defenceman Brett Kulak to a five-year contract extension. The Canadiens ended up selecting Lane Hutson with the pick they acquired in exchange for Kulak, making it an excellent deal for both the team and the player involved, as he’s gone on to play for Stanley Cup contenders ever since he left Montreal. [Colorado Avalanche]
Related Headlines
