The NHL draft is still over a month away, but there’s already a lot of chatter about what Montreal Canadiens’ GM Kent Hughes will decide to do with his two first-round picks. The Habs have their pick at 17th overall, but they’ve also got the Calgary Flames’ one, thanks to Hughes’ willingness to take Sean Monahan’s contract off their hands. Those two picks could be worth a lot on the trade market, but if Hughes can’t find the right deal and decides to pick, who could he go for? Cole Reschny is one possibility.
Reschny might only be the 25th North American skater according to the Central Scouting final list, but if it weren’t for the fact he’s only five-foot-ten and 183 pounds, he would most certainly be higher than that. If there’s one thing Hughes has shown us over the last few years, it’s that he’s not afraid to gamble on a guy who may not be big but who plays as if he were (Lane Hutson, anyone?).
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With the Victoria Royals of the Western Hockey League this season, the Macklin, Saskatchewan native has exploded. From 59 points in 61 games just a year ago, he improved to 92 points in 62 contests. A pass-first kind of guy, Reschny reads the game in ways that allow him to make his linemates shine; his 66 assists on the season show how he likes to feed his wingers.
Despite his small stature, Reschny is great in puck battles and will fight for that tinny piece of vulcanized rubber like a dog for a bone. His compete level prevents his size from being an issue when it’s time to come out of the corner with the puck.
When Hughes was hired, he mentioned it’s important to have players who are suited to the kind of game the coach wants his team to play. If there’s one guy who’s likely to be available in the mid-first round who fits the Martin St-Louis system or concepts, it’s Reschny.
Cole Reschny - 2024-2025 Highlights | 2025 NHL Draft
Highlights from the 2024-2025 season of one of the top performers in the WHL and a 1st round prospect of this upcoming draft, Cole Reschny.Cole had an absolu...
The Canadiens’ bench boss likes to ask his players to read the game and react accordingly. Teaching that to less talented players can take time, especially if their creativity isn’t there, but that wouldn’t be a problem with this young center.
Furthermore, he’s strong at the faceoff dot and plays a 200-foot game. He's clearly aware that scoring isn’t enough to win games; you’ve got to defend as well. St-Louis often talks about the willingness to do what it takes to win, and Reschny looks like the kind of player who would buy what the coach is selling.
Writing about the youngster, THN’s Tony Ferrari said:
"I love so much of what he brings from a playmaking and puckhandling perspective. If he can get his feet going a bit more and gain some speed and power, he could be worth drafting much earlier than the end of the first day. There's just a lot of "if" with Reschny."- THN's Tony Ferrari on Cole Reschny
In recent years, the Canadiens have shown that they now have the kind of staff that can develop prospects correctly and get them to where they need to be. Where Ferrari sees “ifs,” the Habs brass could see high potential.
If Kent Hughes doesn’t find takers for his first-round picks on the trade market for immediate help from a roster player, Reschny is one of the players he should seriously consider.
Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
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