The Montreal Canadiens' rebuild is tracking nicely, especially after selecting Ivan Demidov at this summer's NHL draft. Tony Ferrari takes a deep dive into the team's prospect pool.
The Montreal Canadiens' rebuild is tracking nicely, especially after selecting Ivan Demidov at this summer's NHL draft. Tony Ferrari takes a deep dive into the team's prospect pool.
The Montreal Canadiens' NHL prospect overview has arrived.
Tony Ferrari examines the Canadiens' strengths and weaknesses, gives a quick overview of their latest draft class, shows their positional depth chart and examines who could be next in line for an NHL chance.
A player who no longer holds rookie eligibility in the NHL is considered graduated and no longer considered a prospect for these exercises, except in very specific cases.
First Thoughts
The Montreal Canadiens have done a great job building their prospect pipeline and looking toward the team's future. They already have one of the best groups of U-23 players in the NHL.
Last year’s first-rounder, David Reinbacher, was a divisive pick at the time, but Canadiens fans have come around on the Austrian defender.
After a couple of solid seasons in the Swiss pro league, Reinbacher joined the AHL's Laval Rocket last season for an 11-game stint. Reinbacher looked as good as he had since being drafted, showcasing a little bit of everything that the Canadiens were hoping for from him. He was playing some very solid, steady defense while pushing the puck up ice in transition as a passer. As he became more comfortable, he was getting more involved as a puck carrier as well.
Reinbacher's offensive game is simple but effective, with a big shot from the blueline and crisp passes around the zone. Reinbacher has the potential to be a well-rounded, do-it-all blueliner for a team that has plenty of talent on the back end coming through the pipeline.
Lane Hutson, on the other hand, is a defender Montreal fans have been enamored with since before he was even drafted to the team. At just 5-foot-10 (generously) and 161 pounds, he isn't going to barrel over his opponents, and there might be some hiccups in his own end, but the offensive skill and creativity are elite. Hutson is a shifty playmaker who is almost like a fourth forward on the ice. His rover mentality may burn him defensively, but it makes for quite a bit of entertaining offensive output.
When Logan Mailloux was drafted, the fan base had obvious issues with the off-ice issues that took place during his time in Sweden. With all of that said, Mailloux has been an offensive force over the last couple of years, with his rookie AHL season last year earning him a one-game call-up to the NHL.
Mailloux is physically built for pro hockey. His skating is powerful, and he can throw massive hits. Mailloux can create scoring chances for himself and his teammates on the rush or during sustained zone time. He can tend to make some questionable decisions on the ice, particularly in his own end, but if you pair him with a defensively responsible partner, he can make a big impact in transition and offensively. Whether he gets to take full advantage of that with a player like Lane Hutson ahead of him is a different question.
It was a bit shocking when Montreal selected Bogdan Konyushkov in the fourth round last year as a double overage prospect, but the KHL production and his big role with Nizhny Novgorod made it a worthy bet. This past season, he was given the captaincy, and his role increased even more. He was consistently relied upon in all situations, and Canadiens fans were captivated by his play. His skating is the biggest area of concern, but he has two years left on his contract in the KHL, so if he can take a step in that regard, he could very well be an effective player for the Habs. He has the intelligence and the puckhandling, but he just needs to get a bit more fluid on his feet.
The Habs added their most effective and offensively gifted forwards at this year's draft in Ivan Demidov and Michael Hage. We’ll get to them in a bit, but they have plenty of solid, steady forward prospects throughout the group.
Owen Beck gets all of the love due to how close the center is to being an NHLer in the eyes of some. He just helped the Saginaw Spirit win the Memorial Cup, with his 200-foot game being a big factor in the Spirit coming away with a championship. Beck showed off his heavy release, a physical game that had everything from big hits to excellent board play and an understanding of what to do in every given situation. He is part playmaker, part finisher, part defensive presence. He may never score 40 goals or reach a point per game at the NHL level, but he is going to be a pretty solid middle-six center.
A lot of what can be said about Beck can also be said about Oliver Kapanen. He is a solid two-way center who reads play at a high level. He plays a responsible defensive game, engaging with opposing attackers from the red line down. Kapanen’s unique offensive feature is that he is excellent around the net. Kapanen has excellent hands around the crease, and he is a skilled puck deflector as well. His offensive upside is a bit lower, but he could be a really solid bottom-six center with some net-front utility on the power play.
After two solid seasons in the OHL capped off by an excellent playoff run, Filip Mesar is headed to Laval in the fall. He has some pro experience from when he played in his native Slovakia, and he will look to regain some of that form when he plays with Laval. Mesar is a transitional beast, thanks to his high-level skating and puckhandling. Mesar plays a tactical offensive game that thrives when he can win puck battles, work the puck around to teammates and find teammates in space. He should be able to impact the AHL roster instantly.
In what was his first full pro season, Joshua Roy split the season between the AHL and NHL as a 20-year-old. Roy is the ultimate complementary player. He is a give-and-go artist who can be a distributor or finisher. He isn’t the most fleet-of-foot or skilled puck carrier, but he plays with impeccable timing. He’ll never drive the play, but he can make things easier on just about any player he plays with. He has a real shot at playing in the NHL right away this season after 23 games last season.
The Rocket have seen nice seasons from some of Montreal’s top prospects, including Emil Heineman, who is a physical force and a heavy shooter, and Sean Farrell, a supremely skilled playmaker who can thread the needle to set up his linemates. Laval will be must-watch TV for the next couple of seasons with so many of the team’s top prospects.
Goaltender Jacob Fowler won’t be with Laval as he continues to ply his trade at Boston College, where he proved himself to be one of the best netminders in the NCAA. Fowler is an excellent skater who is explosive laterally and is quick in and out of his post integration. The Canadiens will allow him to take his time in college and jump into the pro ranks when ready.
U-23 Players Likely To Be on the NHL Roster
Juraj Slafkovsky (LW), Kaiden Guhle (LD), Jayden Struble (LD), Alex Newhook (C/W), Kirby Dach (C), Cole Caufield (RW), Arber Xhekaj (LD)
2024 NHL Draft Class
Round 1, 5th overall - Ivan Demidov, RW, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg Jr. (Rus.)
Round 1, 21st overall - Michael Hage, C/W, Chicago (USHL)
Round 3, 70th overall - Aatos Koivu, C, TPS Jr. (Fin.)
Round 3, 78th overall - Logan Sawyer, C, Brooks (BCHL)
Round 4, 102nd overall - Owen Protz, LD, Brantford (OHL)
Round 5, 130th overall - Tyler Thorpe, RW, Vancouver (WHL)
Round 5, 134th overall - Mikus Vecvanags, G, HS Riga (Latvia)
Round 6, 166th overall - Ben Merril, C, St. Sebastians HS (USHS-MA)
Round 7, 210th overall - Makar Khanin, RW, Dynamo St. Petersburg Jr. (Rus.)
Round 7, 224th overall - Rasmus Bergqvist, LD, Skelleftea Jr. (Swe.)
As mentioned, the Canadiens have been building a deep and talented prospect pool, but they were missing a true game-breaking talent.
In 2022, they shocked many by taking Juraj Slafkovsky over Shane Wright or Logan Cooley. That’s worked out great so far, as Slafkovsky took a massive step last season and looks like a difference-making power forward. Last year, the fans were dying to see Matvei Michkov go to Montreal, but the Habs went with Reinbacher to fill their need for a do-it-all defenseman. Whether it was Wright, Cooley, or Michkov, the management team in Montreal didn’t feel like any were their guy.
This year, all of that changed with Ivan Demidov. The Canadiens identified him well before this draft cycle as the player who could be the game-breaking talent they are missing.
The management group sees him as the potential offensive engine for the team. Demidov is a shifty, skilled playmaker who is as creative as they come. His instincts are cerebral. His processing is lightning-quick. His confidence is through the roof. Whether he is talking about wanting to emulate Kobe Bryant’s legendary “Mamba Mentality” or discussing how much he will enjoy the pressure of playing in the hockey mecca that is Montreal, Demidov is ready to be the difference-maker.
Michael Hage’s story is well documented. His father passed away last summer in a swimming pool accident. His relationship with his father, a diehard Montreal fan, helped shape his love for the game. Less than a year after the life-changing tragedy, Hage was drafted by his father's favorite team, 21st overall, in a moment that made the entire family emotional, giving them a moment they’ll never forget.
On the ice, Hage had a slow start to the season, but his second half was as impressive as anyone. He asserted himself as one of the best players in the USHL, scoring at will at times. He could throttle his game when needed, attacking off the rush and creating with little to no help at times. Hage improved his teammates and used his puckhandling ability to create separation and find seams to pass through. Hage has the potential to be a skilled middle-six center, and he will have ample time to develop as he heads to the University of Michigan next season.
The Canadiens hit the nostalgia nerve for many fans in the third round when they announced Aatos Koivu as their pick. His father, Saku, was captain of the team for nine seasons in the early 2000s. Aatos is a smart, 200-foot center with pro habits. His game doesn’t have much dynamism, but he is a capable finisher who can score in a various ways. Koivu fits the mold of the centers the Canadiens have drafted in the second and third rounds in recent years.
Logan Sawyer was taken just a few picks later. The star Brooks Bandits forward is always moving his feet and trying to get involved with the play. His willingness to work off his teammates and work to get himself open when they have the puck is enviable. He is more of a passer than a finisher, but at the Jr. A level, he’s been capable of being a dual threat. Players drafted out of Jr. A are always a risk, but Sawyer is a solid bet in the third round.
Some players love to throw hits, and then some players are flat-out bulldozers. Owen Protz falls into the latter category. He loves to crash and bang, using his strength and incredibly fearless approach to kill rushes. He isn’t much of an offensive creator, but he can keep a play going by simply moving the puck to a teammate in the attacking zone. Montreal drafted Protz for his physicality, not his offensive skill.
Tyler Thorpe is a massive winger with a very good shot, but his mobility is a bit of an issue. He gets himself into shooting positions and always seems to find his way to the net front. At 6-foot-5, he has no issue using his frame to win puck battles or establish a position for himself. Thorpe is a project, but he’s a very intriguing one to take on in the fifth round.
Latvian netminder Mikus Vecvanags's name came up every once in a while for the 2024 draft, but a solid U-18 World Championship really put him on the radar. Despite Latvia clearly being the weaker team in almost every contest, Vecvanags was always doing a relatively good job of keeping his team competitive. He isn’t a stud, but he might be a diamond in the rough. With some patience and the right development path, he could be a solid prospect for the Habs.
Ben Merril is one of the more raw forwards in the draft, playing primarily at the prep school level. His shot is the main attraction, as he can wire a puck, but the rest of his game is a work in progress. He is the ultimate long-term project with the hopes of developing a player who can eventually work as a finisher on a line. He is a long shot, to say the least.
The seventh round is the time for teams to snag a player or two they like but are long shots. Makar Khanin is a skilled playmaking winger who plays with some pace, but he sits on the outside a bit too much. Rasmus Bergqvist is a smart defensive player who is consistently looking to make the right play, often opting for the safest play in the process. Both were passed over last year in the draft but had very nice seasons afterward in their respective leagues to get picked this time as solid late-round swings.
Strengths
The clear strength of the Canadiens' pipeline is the back end.
With a number of talented young defenders already on the team, such as Guhle, Struble and Xhekaj, the Habs are developing a solid group.
Hutson is almost surely going to join them at some point this season. Reinbacher could easily find some playing time on the NHL roster if there are injuries or if he blows the doors off at the AHL level.
Mailloux is a high-upside option who could be an offensive force. Konyushkov is a swing that looks great as of now.
William Trudeau, Luke Mittelstadt and Dmitri Kostenko are prospects who would be in the top four or five defenders in many pipelines, but they are afterthoughts with the Habs' depth. Montreal should have everything it needs and more in the near future.
Weaknesses
The Habs have done a good job of rounding out their prospect pool, adding players at just about every position and finding good value. If you had to identify a weakness in the group, the one area you could nitpick a bit is the left wing.
While many of their center prospects are likely to end up on the wing at the NHL level, they don’t have any sure things sitting there on the depth chart on the left side.
Heineman is a nice prospect who plays with a ton of energy while possessing a big shot, but he might top out as a bottom-six player if he reaches the NHL on a full-time basis. Farrell has shown some flashes when given a shot at the NHL level, but his first full AHL season last year was fine at best. At 23 years old this year, they need him to take a big step, or he could wind up as an AHL all-star who isn’t quite capable of cracking an NHL lineup.
Habs fans love Florian Xhekaj, the brother of defender Arber Xhekaj, but he isn’t really going to be the offensive producer he became as a 19-year-old last season in the OHL. His skating and puckhandling in open ice are underwhelming, with most of his value coming around the net as a deflection artist who can take away a goalie's eyes.
All of these players could find an NHL role, but none of them are likely to play too high up the lineup, and there is a lot of work for each of them to do to get into the NHL.
Next Man Up: Lane Hutson, D
The Canadiens got a glimpse of what Hutson could do at the end of last season, and the undersized yet wickedly skilled blueliner jumped into the lineup at the tail end of the season for two games.
His ability to manipulate opposing players and create offense from the blueline is incredible. Hutson is an agile skater who pounces at the opportunity to get involved. His passing is pristine, which is only made better because of the way he sees the ice. There aren’t many players in hockey with as cerebral instincts as Hutson.
There are some issues defensively, but he’s learned to use his feet to close gaps and cut off pucks in the defensive zone. He will never be a physical beast, but his instinctual play allows him to intercept passes and jump on mistakes or small bobbles of the puck.
If Hutson is on the roster on opening night, as many expect, he will add an offensive flair the Canadiens haven’t had on the blueline in quite some time.
Prospect Depth Chart Notables
LW: Emil Heineman, Luke Tuch, Florian Xhekaj, Sean Farrell, Xavier Simoneau
C: Michael Hage, Owen Beck, Oliver Kapanen, Aatos Koivu, Riley Kidney, Logan Sawyer
RW: Ivan Demidov, Filip Mesar, Josh Roy, Vinzenz Rohrer, Tyler Thorpe
LD: Lane Hutson, William Trudeau, Luke Mittelstadt, Owen Protz
RD: David Reinbacher, Logan Mailloux, Bogdan Konyushkov, Dmitri Kostenko, Daniil Sobolev
G: Jacob Fowler, Jakub Dobes, Yevgeni Volokhin, Quentin Miller, Joe Vrbetic, Mikus Vecvanags
For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out the Future Watch and upcoming Yearbook print editions in The Hockey News.