The Montreal Canadiens will have the 28th overall pick in the next draft, and if they use it, there are a few good players they could target. That includes 18-year-old Quebec Maddox Dagenais.
While it’s likely that in an ideal world, the Montreal Canadiens would be able to trade their first-round pick to fix one of the team’s existing needs, there’s no guarantee that there will be a deal to be made before the draft. Kent Hughes has always been very active on the draft floor, but he won’t make a move unless he feels it’s the right move. He won’t be desperate to trade the 28th overall pick, and should he end up keeping it, there are a few interesting players likely to go around that draft position that the Habs could consider. This article will focus on one of them: Maddox Dagenais.
Dagenais is an 18-year-old left-shot centerman who was born in the Canadiens’ backyard in Montreal. He was selected first overall at the 2024 Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League draft by the Quebec Remparts. While he didn’t have an easy rookie season in Quebec, being limited to just 26 points in 43 games, he bounced back nicely for his draft year.
This season, he averaged a point per game, registering 62 points in as many games, including 30 goals. He was also assessed 128 penalty minutes, which is hardly surprising, since he is 6-foot-3 and weighs 196 pounds. He has a big frame, and he plays like it. Dagenais is a budding power forward and has good skills at the faceoff dot, winning 51.3% of his draws.
Despite his big frame, he has good speed and mobility, which makes him hard to contain for opponents. He also has a very good shot, making him a constant threat up front. While he can also be a playmaker, he’s better known for his goal scoring and ability to find the shooting lanes, something that the Canadiens lacked in their Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes.
His defensive game is inconsistent, but his speed allows him to stick to his man quite well. There’s room for improvement, but that’s always the case with young prospects. He projects as a middle-six player at the NHL level and could be the kind of player the Canadiens can use down the line.
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