Could the Canadiens select this forward with their first-round pick this year?
The Athletic's Corey Pronman recently released his latest 2026 NHL Mock Draft, where he predicted all 32 first-round picks. When it came to the Canadiens' first-rounder for this year, Pronman predicted that the Habs would end up selecting forward Liam Ruck.
If the Canadiens ended up taking Ruck in the first round, he would certainly give them another prospect with plenty of promise. The 6-foot winger just had a monster year in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Medicine Hat Tigers, and the truth can be seen with his stats.
In 68 games this season with Medicine Hat, Ruck recorded 45 goals, 59 assists, 104 points, and a plus-47 rating. This is after he had 25 goals and 41 points in 61 games for Medicine Hat this past season. With this, there is no question that the skilled winger took a major step forward with his development this campaign.
With this, if Ruck is still available once the Canadiens on the clock, it would make sense if they at least considered him. There is a lot to like about Ruck's game, and it will be interesting to see if he ends up being the Canadiens' first-round pick this year from here.