Canadiens might have uncovered two hidden gems in last year’s NHL Draft
The Canadiens hold the 28th overall pick at Friday’s NHL Draft in Buffalo (7 p.m., Sportsnet, TVA Sports).
That’s the lowest first-round pick the Canadiens have had since former GM Marc Bergevin decided to select defenceman Logan Mailloux 31st overall in 2021.
The Canadiens had the No. 1 pick (Juraj Slafkovsky) and No. 26 pick (Filip Mesar) in 2022, the No. 5 pick in 2023 (David Reinbacher) and the No. 5 (Ivan Demidov) and No. 21 picks (Michael Hage) in 2024.
Last season, the Canadiens didn’t have a first-round selection, trading picks No. 16 and No. 17 to the New York Islanders as part of the deal to acquire defenceman Noah Dobson.
That was fine with Martin Lapointe, the Canadiens’ director of player personnel and amateur scouting. Lapointe noted that general manager Kent Hughes had done a good job of accumulating draft picks to be able to make a trade like the one for Dobson.
Nick Bobrov, the co-director of amateur scouting, also had no problem with the No. 16 and No. 17 picks being traded after spending a year scouting players who might have been available at those positions.
“Well, when the test is cancelled but you still get an A, you’re really excited,” Bobrov said with a chuckle after last year’s draft. “We had no problem doing that.”
It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Canadiens trade their first-round pick again this year, maybe as part of a package to acquire either a second-line centre, a big top-six forward or a right-shot defenceman.
The Canadiens also have a second-round pick at this year’s draft, a third-round pick, two fourth-round picks, one sixth-round pick and two seventh-round picks. Round 2-7 will be held Saturday (11 a.m., Sportsnet, TVA Sports).
Since becoming general manager of the Canadiens four years ago, Hughes has drafted 39 players. Nine of them have played with the Canadiens — Slafkovsky, Demidov, Reinbacher, Lane Hutson, Jacob Fowler, Owen Beck, Adam Engstrom, Florian Xhekaj and Jared Davidson.
While the Canadiens didn’t have a first-round pick last year, they might have struck gold in the second round when they took Russian winger Alexander Zharovsky 34th overall. The Canadiens traded the No. 41 and No. 49 picks to the Carolina Hurricanes to move up to No. 34 and get Zharovsky. The 19-year-old was named the KHL’s rookie of the year after posting 16-26-42 totals in 59 games this season with Ufa Salavat Yulayev, a year after Demidov won the award after posting 19-30-49 totals in 65 games with St. Petersburg SKA.
“We had Alexander (ranked) in the first round and, obviously, we wouldn’t have done what we did if we didn’t have him in a certain area,” Bobrov said after last year’s draft.
The 6-foot-2, 176-pound Zharovsky still has one year left on his KHL contract, but plans to spend a good chunk of this summer training with his good friend Demidov at the Canadiens’ practice rink in Brossard.
The Canadiens took 6-foot-5, 205-pound centre Hayden Paupanekis with their first of three third-round picks at last year’s draft (69th overall). The 19-year-old had 15-22-37 totals in 57 games this season with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets to go along with 52 penalty minutes.
With their second third-round pick last year (81st overall) the Canadiens took 6-foot-1, 186-pound defenceman Bryce Pickford, who shoots right. The 20-year-old was outstanding this season with 45-38-83 totals in 55 games with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers to go along with 56 penalty minutes and a plus-55 differential. He was named the CHL’s top defenceman.
The Canadiens took 6-foot-4, 203-pound goalie Arseny Radkov of Belarus with their third pick in the third round last year (82nd overall). Radkov split this season between the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and the Saint John Sea Dogs. He had a 12-7-3 record with the Armada, along with a 3.01 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage, and was 5-7-2 with the Sea Dogs while posting a 4.04 GAA and a .882 save percentage.
In the fourth round last year (113th overall) the Canadiens took 5-foot-8, 165-pound centre L.J. Mooney, who had 7-23-30 totals in 34 games this season as a freshman at the University of Minnesota.
Goalie Alexis Cournoyer, the Canadiens’ fifth-round pick last year (145th overall), had an 18-10-0 record as a freshman at Cornell University, along with a 2.05 GAA and a .915 save percentage.
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The Canadiens took two right-shot defencemen in the sixth round last year. Carlos Handel, a 6-foot-2, 176-pounder from Germany, was drafted 177th overall and had 3-19-22 totals in 44 games this season with the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseads. Andrew MacNiel, a 6-foot-2, 170-pounder, was taken with the 189th overall pick. He had 2-5-7 totals in 48 games this season with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers.
The Canadiens’ final pick last year in the seventh round (209th overall) was left-shot defenceman Max Vig. The 6-foot-1, 212-pounder had 6-1-7 totals in 36 games this season as a freshman at Bemidji State University.
The Canadiens will hold their annual development camp for drafted players next Tuesday through Thursday at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard. Players will go through medical and physical testing on the first day and be on the ice the last two days, wrapping up with a scrimmage on Thursday.
