The Canadiens Should Be in Tank Mode

I’m not suggesting they should try and lose games. Players don’t do that. I’m saying trade the players whose contracts are up and get in the Top 7 for the 2025 NHL Draft. I will continue to study the draft and right now this is a solid place to have a shot at a potential future star.

When I went and checked out the current draft position on Tankathon, the Canadiens are in the ninth position but that doesn’t account for the lottery part of it so they could move up or down. They are in a decent spot but it can improve and why wouldn’t you want to do that?

Players can still develop under these conditions. All you have to do is put them in key spots in the lineup, with some veterans, and let them get the reps. That’s still important and a way of moving forward for the future while ensuring you can get the best draft pick you can. It’s a balancing act.

While we move closer to the draft. Getting a defenseman in the Top 10 may not be the focus of the team. You go with the strength of the draft when you have a lot of needs and they would have an easier time getting a center rather than a defenseman. I mean a potential star and not a second-pairing defenseman or a third-line center. 

This is the kind of draft where you want to select a high-floor guy rather than taking a home run swing. More on that down the road.