Options For the Canadiens’ 1st Round Pick If They Keep It
The Montreal Canadiens currently have the 28th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. There seems to be a lot of talk about the pick being moved in a trade on or around the day of the 1st round of the draft on Friday, June 26th. Despite the fact that the Habs are looking to make a trade, there is a chance that all possible deals involving the 28th pick fall through, and they end up drafting a player. It’s hard to predict who will be available by the time they get to their pick, but there should still be a few interesting options for the Habs at pick #28 that deserve to be talked about.
David Pagnotta: Re Canadiens: They anticipate using the 1st round pick in some capacity in order to better their current roster – DFO Rundown (6/4)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) June 6, 2026
The first two players that could be intriguing for the Habs if they somehow keep the 28th pick are the Ruck twins, right winger Liam and centre Markus Ruck. During the regular season I mentioned them a few times alongside Habs prospect Bryce Pickford with the Medicine Hat Tigers, as they often helped set him up for his WHL-leading 45 goals throughout the 2025-26 campaign. While the Habs only have one pick, so they wouldn’t be able to pick both twins, either one of them would be a great add to a strong prospect pool.
Looking purely at their stats, it’s surprising that they are both ranked in the 20s or 30s for this draft and could even slip to the 2nd round, but the truth is they aren’t the strongest skaters and struggled in the postseason with the Tigers. Not to mention, their 2-way games still need some considerable work before they are ready for the pros. According to the Elite Prospects end-of-season draft rankings, only one of the twins is in their top 32. The only public scout who has them high is Craig Button, who has Liam at 10th and Markus at 16th in his most recent rankings.
Liam, who is the goal scorer of the two brothers, is listed at 24th, while being tied finishing with Pickford for the WHL goal lead with 45 during the 2025-26 campaign. Meanwhile, Markus is not listed in the top 32 at all despite leading the WHL with 87 assists and 108 points in 68 games with the Tigers. Getting the goal scorer in Liam, who can also be a playmaker, would be the better fit for the Habs, but Markus’ playmaking skills have the potential to also translate well to the NHL level and could develop into a 2nd line centre if he can round out his game some more. The Ruck twins fell a lot in the rankings thanks to their playoffs, but it is clear they have a ton of skill and can be a great fit for the Habs or any other team that takes a chance on one of them.
If the Habs aren’t trading the first round pick, (they should) if he’s still available, I’d rather go for Markus Ruck. But if they do and Lucian Bernát is available in the second round, it wouldn’t be a bad pick at all. #GoHabsGo https://t.co/msOOtVW3LN
— Leo Montanaro (@FanMontanaro) June 1, 2026
Normally, late in the first round, teams get guys who can be great bottom six players, which is where we go with centre Maddox Dagenais of the Quebec Remparts. The former 1st overall pick of the QMJHL draft is the son of former Habs forward Pierre Dagenais and is a 6’5″ power forward who hits hard. Dagenais likely won’t be the most skilled player that can be taken 28th overall, but he brings a style of play that can fit very well come playoff time. It is well-known that the Habs need to add some sandpaper to their forward core, and while he would be 2-3 years away, Dagenais can be a guy that can be a fit in a 3rd line checking role.
The Remparts centre finished his draft year with 30 goals and 62 points in 62 games to finish as a point-per-game player. He is looking as if he will be an NHL player, which is why he might get taken before 28th overall, but at the same time, if teams go for offensive upside, he might fall into his hometown team’s lap if they keep their pick. Elite Prospects actually has him higher than most scouting outlets, as he’s 17th on their ranking but is between 20 and 30 on all other lists; therefore, there is a decent chance he is available at 28.
The Canadiens could also go the route of adding a much-needed right-handed defensive defenseman if they end up making their pick at 28. Around that range there are a couple of options that they can draft, such as Finnish defender Juho Piiperinen. Standing at 6’3″ and 203 lbs, he brings a mix of size and great defensive awareness that could potentially fit perfectly next to Lane Hutson down the line as a top 4 defenseman. Piiperinen is both great at shutting down plays and getting his opponents away from the front of the net to help his netminder. He is currently the 40th-ranked prospect in the Elite Prospects end-of-season list, but he is likely to go a bit earlier if there is a team looking for a defensive-first defender that can complement more offensive defensemen like the Habs and Hutson. Piiperinen may not be known for his offensive game, but he is still a solid skater that has a good first pass to start offensive plays up ice; if the Habs were to keep their pick, he would definitely be a good pick for them.
While the Habs are unlikely to draft at 28 this year, there are a couple interesting prospects as well as some that would fit an important need down the line if they do end up keeping it. The four players mentioned above are just a few that the Habs can consider if ever they do keep their pick this year somehow.
Who are some prospects you would consider for the Habs if ever they keep the 28th pick overall?
Click here to read about why Nico Hischier would be a great fit with the Habs.
