These three Canadiens players have been ranked among the best young players in hockey.
Montreal Canadiens players Lane Hutson, Ivan Demidov, and Juraj Slafkovsky have all made The Hockey News' Top 100 Hockey Players 21-And-Under list.
Hutson was given the No. 5 spot, and it is easy to understand why. The left-shot defenseman won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie with the Canadiens in 2024-25, posting six goals, 60 assists, and 66 points in 82 games. So far this season, he has posted three goals, 16 assists, and 19 points in 23 games, so he is continuing to shine.
Demidov was given the No. 7 spot, which makes sense when noting that he has the potential to be a star. The young forward is certainly showing that early on this season, recording five goals and 18 points in 23 games so far. He also has five points in his last five games with the Canadiens.
As for Slafkovsky, the power forward was given the No. 17 spot. The 2022 first-overall pick has shown promise early on during his career and is still young enough to get even better. In 23 games so far this season, he has posted seven goals and 12 points. This is after he had 18 goals and a career-high 51 points in 79 games in 2024-25.