Why the Montreal Canadiens could select forward Daniil But with the the 31st overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday night.

The Hockey News mock draft projects that the Montreal Canadiens will select Daniil But of Loko Yaroslavl (MHL) with the 31st overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Why pick him? But is a fascinating combination of skill and size in a way that will challenge your assumptions. Firstly, he is a skilled player who can confidently make his way up the ice nimbly working around defenders. But can protect the puck using his size and reach and effectively distribute the puck to his linemates.

He has a very good shot, but lacks the ability to finish at times. His accuracy is an issue causing some scouts to compare his shot to Juraj Slafkovsky. Moreso than accuracy, it is But's hesitation to release his shot that is a detriment to him becoming a high-end goal scorer.

Then there's his size. At the height of 6-foot-5, combined with his offensive toolkit, one may label But as a budding power forward. At this point, the physical side to his game is very underdeveloped. 

But is good on the forecheck and retrieves more than his share of pucks. However, he hasn't yet learned to use his imposing size to make himself more dominant in this part of his game. In his own zone, But takes his commitment to defensive play seriously, but has been a little overzealous taking a few too many stick infractions.

What do scouts say? "He's not very physical, but he will go in first for a 50-50 puck," said one scout to The Hockey News. "He has good moves, good hands and a really good understanding of the game."

Given that But is very raw at this stage of his development and will require considerable patience, scouts are varied in where they see him ranked. "I see this guy as a middle-of-the-first-round guy, but I know that's not a majority opinion," said another scout.

Who are other options? If the Canadiens choose a forward with the fifth overall pick, they could choose to add to the back end at the end of the first round with two-way defenseman Tom Willander (Rogle Jr.) or an offensive-minded defenseman like Etienne Morin (Moncton). If Montreal chooses David Reinbacher early in round one, they may wish to consider wingers like Bradly Nadeau (Penticton) or Ethan Gauthier (Sherbrooke.)

Undoubtedly, But is a project, who is physically raw with an intriguing set of attributes. With the right development plan, he could turn out to be a dominant power forward in the NHL.