The Montreal Canadiens have the 28th overall pick at the upcoming draft, and while that's a really late first-round pick, there could still be a diamond in the rough to find, including right-shot defenseman Juho Piiparinen.
A lot has been said and written about the Montreal Canadiens' lack of depth, reliable options on the blueline, and right-shot defensemen. They may get a chance to improve their fortune in both departments if Juho Piiparinen is still available at number 28.
Piiparinen, who is ranked sixth amongst European skaters by the NHL Central Scouting, is widely considered the best defensive defenseman of his draft class. The 6-foot-1 and 201-pound right-shot defenseman may be young (he was born in August and is therefore only 17 years old), but his defensive game is not.
Playing with Taapara in Finland’s top league, the blueliner has recorded three points in 29 games. With the U20, he recorded 13 points in 15 games, proving he was ready to play with the senior team despite his young age. While defensive defenseman are not regarded as particularly exciting picks by fans, they remain essential in a balanced and contending blueline.
The youngster has plenty of speed and mobility, a knack for being in the right place at the right time on defense. He’s a puck-retrieving machine, whether that means collecting loose pucks or taking them away from the puck carrier. For such a young age, his decision-making is on point. He knows when it’s time to use a bone-crushing hit to cause a turnover, but he won’t take himself out of the play in the process. He’s elite at knowing when it’s time to back off and picks his moments well.
The defense-first rearguard knows how to play defense in all three zones; he can hold the blueline on the attack, clog up the neutral zone and hunt pucks like the best of them in his own zone, making life difficult for opposing forwards. There may be room to grow the offensive side of his game, but it’s hard to say what his ceiling could be on that side of the puck at the moment. Still, he can make a solid first pass out of the zone, helping his side’s transition game.
He projects as a top-four defenseman, a sound and safe defenseman that can complement an offensive blueliner perfectly. He’s expected to go middle to late first round and would be a hard pick to resist for a team in need of a right-shot blueliner. If he’s still available when the Canadiens make their pick, he should be at the top of their list.
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