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In Hainsight: What About that 2nd First-Round Pick |
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Follow me @KarineHains for all updates about the Montreal Canadiens and women's hockey
Back in January, Canadiens’ fans were dreaming of two top-ten picks, and it looked like it could happen, the Panthers were struggling mightily, and their season seemed like it was going to go down the drain, but it didn’t. The Cats woke up big time, made the playoffs and even reached the Stanley Cup final, meaning that the Canadiens’ second 1st round pick is the 31st overall.
It’s hard to know what could become of that pick, in his first and only draft, Kent Hughes showed that he wasn’t shy on pulling the trigger on deals that made sense to improve his team in the long run. He flipped fan favorite Alexander Romanov to the Islanders to get the 13th overall pick before sending that one to Chicago for young center Kirby Dach. We’ve heard that the Canadiens are trying to move up in the draft, we’ve heard that they’ve contemplated moving down, in short, everything is on the table right now.
But say Hughes doesn’t find a trading partner and the Canadiens end up making a pick at the end of the first round, who could be available? If we look at the Hockeybuzz mock draft, there are a few names still on the board that could make sense for the Habs. I’ll admit I had my eye on Riley Heidt out of Prince George but the center was just snagged by Colorado at 27th overall. The scouting reports on him are quite good, he’s got impressive playmaking skills, speed and he’s a great forechecker and even if the Habs were to have selected a center at 5th overall, I don’t think extra centers are a luxury, besides, Kaiden Guhle might have liked to see the Canadiens select his brother-in-law (not that this would be a deciding factor).
The way the mock draft is unfolding, there are a couple of right-handed defensemen which could be welcome additions to the Canadiens’ system. Lukas Dragicevic from the Try-City Americans comes in at 6’4’’ and 181 pounds and packs a lot of attacking punch. His eagerness to attack can sometimes leave his team vulnerable to counter attacks though and that’s something to keep in mind.
Another option when it comes to right-handed D could be Radek Bonk’s son Oliver Bonk who’s more of a two-way defenseman than Dragicevic. Bonk played for the London Knights this season and was second when it came to points by a blueliner with 40, second only to Canadiens’ prospect Logan Mailloux. He plied his trade on the second pairing, often getting harder defensive assignment. His transition game could be somewhat of a concern though and his decision making isn’t always on point. Taking everything, I’ve read about him into account, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him slide in the second round.
Up front, I wonder if the Canadiens may be tempted to go for former NHLer turned hockey commentator Denis Gauthier’s son: Ethan Gauthier. The right winger has spent the last two seasons in Sherbrooke developing alongside Canadiens’ prospect Joshua Roy as his linemate. A solid skater with good instincts, Gauthier knows where to go on the ice to create opportunities. He’s also got a strong transition game and he’s a real battler always vying for the better position on the ice. Furthermore, he’s strong on the forecheck and will often create odd man rushes for his team.
That being said, who knows how things will play out on the draft floor on Wednesday night, the players who are available on the Hockeybuzz mock draft may be long gone when the Habs take the stage for their second selection…If they do in fact make another pick instead of trading it.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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