The Montreal Canadiens started the second day of the NHL Entry Draft with eight draft picks in their pocket. Although they had to wait until the second round was over, they had four picks in the next two rounds. The Canadiens traded their No. 37 pick in this year’s draft to the Colorado Avalanche In the Alex Newhook dealincluding their 31st pick.
On Day One, the Canadiens made shock waves by taking the first defense of the 2023 draft in David Reinbacher. While this year’s class was rich in offensive talent, General Manager Kent Hughes chose to bolster his blue line. The Canadiens were short of right-handed defensemen, and Reinbacher’s style is something the team will have lusted after for years. We’ll see how long it takes him to translate his game to North America as he plays against men in Switzerland.
Related: Canadiens’ 2023 Deep Dive Project: 1st Round Edition
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Hughes couldn’t find a way to sneak into the second round via trade, so after 32 picks, the Canadiens finally got through. One area of concern is the Canadiens’ lack of goaltending depth, and this year’s draft had plenty of netball pros capable of filling that need. With the 69th pick in the first round, the Canadiens were officially on the clock for the first time on the second day.
Canadians run strong breeds
In the fourth round, the Canadiens used all four of their picks to take players in all three positions. If Florian Xhekaj’s name rings a bell, it’s likely because of his brother Arber, who already plays for the team. Florian plays as a left winger and can be as feisty and aggressive as Arber. He will join the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) next season, and maybe one day, he will join his brother with the big club.
With their final draft pick, at 197, Montreal took Luke Mittelstadt of the University of Minnesota. His brother, Casey, is poised to become a great player for the Buffalo Sabers, and Luke is counting on doing the same for the Habs. His defensive game was above average at the NCAA level, showing quality gap control and a net forward presence. His skating looked fine, but he’ll need to face tougher competition as an overage defensive lineman.
Canadians add three spiky prospects
The Canadiens started the second day with a bang, selecting Jacob Fowler at number 69. A top five goaltender in North America by Center Scouts, Fowler is an exceptionally talented athletic goaltender. He was great for the Youngstown Phantoms of the United States Hockey League (USHL), helping the team capture the USHL Clark Cup championship and Winning the Clark Cup Player of the Year award and USHL Goaltender of the Year.
Determined to add more depth between the pipes, the Canadiens used their 128th pick to take Montrealer Quentin Miller, along with their 144th pick to take Yevgeni Volokhin of Russia. Miller is a local kid from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) who was a backup to William Rousseau with the Quebec Remparts. Volokhin has been sharp with Mamonty Yugri of the Russian Junior Hockey League (MHL) and will return next season for another run.
After leaving the 2023 draft, Hughes clearly wanted to focus heavily on building his depth from the net. Of their nine selections this year, only three play the forward position – one center and two are wingers. Reinbacher is, without a doubt, the cream of Montreal’s 2023 crop, but don’t count the potential of some of their later picks. Fowler at 69 is excellent value for a potential goalkeeper in two years, and their depth of defense has improved dramatically on the right flank. Time will tell when and if these young prospects get out, but Canadiens fans are cutting their fingers and toes that the 2023 draft class will be one to remember five years from now.