After making the splash of the first round by landing Noah Dobson in a trade for their two first-round picks on Friday evening, the Montreal Canadiens went right back to work on Saturday afternoon. Martin Lapointe and Nick Bobrov were entirely on board when GM Kent Hughes decided to pull the trigger on the trade that brought the New York Islanders’ top defenseman to town. However, when they saw that their man was still available at the start of the second round, they hoped Hughes could pull off another trade, and he did.
The co-directors of amateur scouting were pleased when the Habs moved up to pick 34 by sending picks 41 and 49 to the Carolina Hurricanes, which allowed them to select Alexander Zharovsky, a diamond in the rough they had intended to pick as early as 16th overall. The right winger is a 6-foot-1, 163-pound impressive package of skills who can dazzle with the puck and find multiple ways to beat the opposition.
Describing him, Lapointe said:
He’s a really smart guy with good size who’s going to get bigger physically. He can make plays, slow down the game, launch the attack quickly…He’s got great vision. He’s strong on the puck and in board battles in the corner; he’s not going to be intimidated. We love that from him. He’s a top six level talent.-
In the third round, the Tricolore opted for a supersize center who comes in at 6-foot-5 and 202 pounds. He’s a good skater for his size, and he likes physical play. He’s one of the players the Kelowna Rockets acquired last season in readiness for hosting the Memorial Cup this upcoming season. In 71 games with the Rockets and the Spokane Chiefs, he gathered 43 points. He’s projected to be a support player in the NHL.
With their other two third-round picks, they selected a mobile right-shot defenseman in Bryce Pickford with pick 81 and a Belarusian goaltender in Arseni Radkov at 82. Pickford was in his second year of eligibility and exploded offensively this past season, putting up 20 goals and 47 points in 48 games with the Medicine Hat Tigers. As for Radkov, he’s a big goaltender at 6-foot-4 and 194 pounds, and in 19 games with Tyumenski Legion in the MHL, he posted a 3.18 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage. He’ll be coming over to this side of the pond this season, having committed to play for the University of Massachusetts in the NCAA.
In the fourth round, the Canadiens returned to the United States Development Team Program to select the smallest player in the draft, John Mooney, who is only 5-foot-7 and 162 pounds. When asked about this pick, Lapointe mentioned he could be a homerun in that round and explained:
It’s a young guy with a lot of character; he’s a competitor. He’s dynamic and able to score goals. In the fourth round, very few players had that profile. He’s a talent. His size does not worry us.-
The center, who’s nicknamed LJ for little John (his dad is named John as well but is much bigger which is how he got the nickname), says he plays with a lot of bite, he likes blocking shots, hitting and being tough physically, that’s how he has always played and he intends to gaon strength going forward. In 26 games with the USNTDP this past season, he put up 28 points. He’ll be spending the next season with the University of Minnesota in the NCAA, which will give him plenty of time to hit the gym.
In the fifth round, with pick 145, the Canadiens elected to take goaltender Alexis Cournoyer, a native of Trois-Rivières, Quebec. The 19-year-old netminder could have his picture in the dictionary under the word perseverance. Multiple teams cut him in the QMJHL before he was given an opportunity with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, and he seized it with both hands. In 21 games, he posted a 13-6-1 record, with a 1.82 GAA and a .942 SV. While those were impressive numbers, even if it was over a small sample, it was also the youngster’s personality that charmed the Habs’ brass, and he came across very well in interviews with the scouting staff. Next year, he’ll be plying his trade in the NCAA with Cornell University.
In the sixth round, Montreal selected Carlos Handel, a right-shot defenseman who is a German national and played in the QMJHL with the Halifax Mooseheads this past season. Speaking about him, Bobrov said:
When a right-shot defenseman is still available at that point of the draft, you have to go for it. We followed him all year in Halifax and at the World Junior Championships. He can quarterback a power play, he’s very calm, and passes the puck well. He was also the captain of his national team at the U18 level.-
The Canadiens doubled down in defensemen in that round, also adding Andrew MacNiel at pick 189. He’s a defensive defenseman who wasn’t even ranked on the North American Skaters Central Scouting Ranking. He’s 6-foot-3 and 196 pounds and could be described as a project.
Finally, in round seven, Montreal added yet another defenseman in Maxon Vig, a 6-foot-2 and 212-pound rearguard who had been passed over in last year’s draft. He’s got a big shape and was an alternate captain with the Cedar Rapids of the USHL this past year, putting up 32 points in 62 games.
Photo credit: KHL junior league website
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