Montreal Canadiens director of player personnel and amateur scouting, Martin Lapointe, and co-director of amateur scouting, Nick Bobrov, defended their draft choices.
The Montreal Canadiens proceeded to make nine selections as part of the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville, TN.
David Reinbacher, RD (1st round, 5th overall)
Montreal selected defenceman David Reinbacher with their first pick. He recorded 22 points in 46 games for Kloten HC in 2022-'23. For some fans, it was certainly not the most appealing selection but Kent Hughes described him as a diamond in the rough.
"We felt that David, given what he's done this year and last year, his growth, his potential are very, very intriguing and extremely difficult to obtain. We see that every draft, teams trying to trade up and get that guy. We were fortunate that he was there for us and we have very high hopes for him," Nick Bobrov, co-director of amateur scouting explained the choice.
As far as choosing Reinbacher over another prospect, Bobrov answered this way, "I think, in this case, there were not only attributes that we loved in the player, but the knowns that we have in the player versus many of the unknowns that may exist with others."
And lastly, Bobrov felt that Reinbacher exhibited the character that was a good fit for the Canadiens. "We felt that this player embodies the type of culture that Jeff, Kent, Marty and the coaching staff are trying to build, and that was not a trivial matter to us. So, culture was an important word," said Bobrov.
Jacob Fowler, G (3rd round, 69th overall)
After completing the trade to acquire Alex Newhook on Tuesday, the Canadiens had no picks in the second round. With their third round pick, goaltender Jacob Fowler was selected from Youngstown Phantoms in the USHL. Fowler and his family have deep roots in the city of Montreal and the province of Quebec.
"Jacob is such a competitor," Martin Lapointe, director of player personnel and amateur scouting said. "He's comfortable in his body and agile."
Florian Xhekaj, LW (4th round, 101st overall)
The first of three selections in the fourth round was used to draft Florian Xhekaj, brother of current Canadien Arber Xhekaj. The 19-year-old played last season for the Hamilton/Brantford Bulldogs in the OHL and collected 25 points in 68 games.
"We know the family, we know Arber. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. He's a guy that is combative in his play. He will improve year over year. We believe in his talent, and he brings a physical dimension to our team," Lapointe said.
Bogdan Konyushkov, RD (4th round, 110th overall)
The next fourth round selection was Bogdan Konyushkov from Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL. The 20-year old totaled 25 points in 64 games.
Lapointe reached out to his former teammate Igor Larionov to obtain more information. "Igor told me that he was one of his smartest defensemen and has an impressive upside."
Quentin Miller, G (4th round, 128th overall)
The Canadiens used their final pick of the fourth round to draft Quentin Miller from the QMJHL's Quebec Remparts. In 20 games, he had a 14-4 record, a 2.11 goals against average and a .911 save percentage.
The Canadiens relied on the expertise of Vincent Riendeau, Canadiens goalie and Russia pro scout. "[Vincent Riendeau] adores him. He thinks that he has good abilities and a student of the game," Lapointe explained.
Sam Harris, LW (5th round, 133rd overall)
In the fifth round, the choice landed on Sam Harris of the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL. Last season, he scored 30 goals and 56 points in 56 games. Next season, Harris committed to the University of Denver of the NCAA.
"He competes well and has a good shot. He will go to the NCAA and he will have a longer runaway that will give him more time to develop. We like the character that Sam Harris brings to his team," evaluated Lapointe.
Yevgeni Volokhin, G (5th round, 144th overall)
The Canadiens chose a third goalie by drafting Yevgeni Volokhin of the Mamonty Yugry. The 18-year-old dressed in 31 games where he had a 20-6-3 record, a 2.12 goals against average and a .927 save percentage.
"We saw him on video. He has good abilities, fast, and athletic. Vincent Riendeau followed him by video. We see upside and has good side," noted Lapointe.
Filip Eriksson, C (6th round, 165th overall)
In the sixth round, the organization chose Filip Eriksson from Sweden. The 18-year-old only played two games in 2022-'23 with Vaxjo Lakers HC due to injury.
"He didn't play a lot because he was injured but next year will play in the SHL. He has a good hockey mind, and a playmaker. He's able to anticipate the play when he doesn't have the puck. He's very smart on the ice," evaluated Lapointe.
Luke Mittelstadt, LD (7th round, 197th overall)
The Canadiens concluded their draft class by selecting Luke Mittelstadt from the University of Minnesota. In 38 games last season, the over-ager collected 21 points in the NCAA. Luke is the brother of Casey Mittelstadt of the Buffalo Sabres.
"He's a puck mover. He's not a big guy, but he defends well. He moves the puck well and has a good shot," Lapointe said.
2023 Canadiens Draft Class
Montreal's 2023 draft class contains three goalies, a higher number than usual.
"Goalies take more time to develop. We said to ourselves that when goalies start getting picked, they will all start getting picked quickly. We never have enough goalies," Lapointe explained the strategy.
The Lapointe-Bobrov duo were satisfied with the draft class but the work starts now for the nine new additions to the organization.
"We feel great, but the work starts tomorrow for the kids and they know it. We try to diversify where we're going with each pick as well. Some players that bring a certain style, certain brand are hard to get, so we felt that we accomplished the goal of diversifying the type of player that we go after," Bobrov noted.
"Hopefully all of them play. We don't know the reality but on this day, we feel good and then the work begins," said Bobrov. "One consistent theme was: are they adding to the culture that management and all of us are trying to build here."