Montreal Canadiens Top 10 Prospects: Honourable Mentions

The Montreal Canadiens have seen many of their top prospects graduate to the NHL over the past few seasons. Despite this, the Canadiens still have a very solid prospect group. 

In the next few days, I will be discussing my top 10 prospects within the Montreal Canadiens organization. All prospects on this list are either still on the entry-level contract or remain unsigned by the Montreal Canadiens. Today, we start with three prospects who are just outside the top 10 prospects list.

Honourable Mention #1: Logan Sawyer, Forward, Providence College

The first prospect who just narrowly misses out on the Montreal Canadiens’ top 10 list is forward Logan Sawyer, who will be entering his third year at Providence College. Since being selected in the third round, 78th overall, by the Canadiens in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, Sawyer has continuously improved his game, becoming a reliable two-way player for the Providence Friars. 

He is easily among the most underrated prospects in the Canadiens organization, as he often flies under the radar for what he does on the ice, partially because prospects like Michael Hage and LJ Mooney are much flashier offensively in the NCAA than Sawyer. Last season with the Friars, Sawyer scored 14 goals and 28 points in 35 games, finishing second on the team in both categories. While he hasn’t shown true dominance at the college level thus far, he does bring intangibles that could potentially translate to the NHL. 

Sawyer may never be a big point-getter at the next level, but his defensive improvement over the last few years is what could allow him to be an important piece to a team in the NHL someday. He plays a hardworking forechecking game that could fit well in a bottom-six role with the Montreal Canadiens or another NHL organization. Even though he has the great intangibles that could make him an NHLer, his game lacks the abilities or projectability that the other prospects above him have. 

Honourable Mention #2: Timofei Runtso, Defenseman, Miami University (Ohio)

The 57th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, defenseman Timofei Runtso is the next honourable mention that deserves recognition for what he brings. Runtso is about to begin his freshman season at the University of Miami (Ohio) after being one of the top players on a very weak Victoria Royals team this past season. 

The 19-year-old defenseman blossomed on the Royals blueline in his only season in the WHL, where he scored 11 goals and 44 points in 68 games. By drafting Runtso, the Montreal Canadiens added much-needed right-handed defensive depth to their prospect pool. With a great freshman season in the NCAA this upcoming season, Runtso has the chance to be this year’s version of Bryce Pickford, who soared up the Canadiens prospect list with an incredible season last season. Both players are very smooth skaters who help create offence from the backend.

While he may not have Pickford’s shot, Runtso was a better playmaking defenseman in his draft +1 year, leading to him getting picked higher as an overager. On top of that, he brings more size to the blueline as well, which could end up making him a better defensive player. However, Runtso didn’t show the dominance that Pickford brought with the Medicine Hat Tigers last season. With that being said, Runtso is still a little off being a top 10 prospect in the Montreal Canadiens’ pipeline. This upcoming season could be a big one to see how Runtso plays against tougher competition in the NCAA, but for now he is just an honourable mention, just outside the Canadiens’ top 10 prospects. 

Honourable Mention #3: Hayden Paupanekis, Forward, St. Cloud University 

The final honourable mention is forward Hayden Paupanekis. In terms of pure skill, Paupanekis may have the least of the honourable mentions, as he has continued to play mainly a bottom-six role even in his time in the WHL with both the Spokane Chiefs and Kelowna Rockets. He scored just 15 goals and 37 points in 57 games. However, Paupanekis may have the most NHL-ready body of the three for the role that he would be expected to play, as at 6-foot-5, 212 pounds, he already looks like a pro player who just needs to refine his skills. 

Heading to play at St. Cloud University this upcoming season should be exactly what Paupanekis needs to get ready for the level. It will allow him to both work on his skills and be ready for the pro body. If all goes well, Paupanekis could one day play a key part on a Montreal Canadiens fourth line and be a regular penalty killer in the process.

He will still need a lot of work over the next year or two as a lot of his skills are still raw, but the potential is there, and he could eventually be a great energy forward for the Canadiens someday.

Another similar prospect that is in the same boat as Paupanekis is forward Tyler Thorpe, who just finished his first year with the Laval Rocket. Thorpe is a 6-foot-5, 190-pound forward who makes his money by being a physical presence every night, but he doesn’t have the same potential to go to the next level as Paupanekis. With that being said, that is what makes Paupanekis an honorable mention over Thorpe. Time will tell if Paupenakis can hack it at the pro level but for now he is just outside the top 10 prospects. 

All three of these prospects have potential to play a role in the Montreal Canadiens success down the line and these aren’t even the top 10 prospects yet. Stay tuned for prospects ranked 6 through 10 tomorrow.