The Capitals reportedly want to move up, and the Canadiens could be of help with them reportedly considering a move down.
The Washington Capitals find themselves in an interesting spot going into the 2023 NHL Draft. Washington's front office is confident that the organization will get a top player on Wednesday as it drafts in the top 10 for the first time since 2007, and Matvei Michkov appears to be the primary target for D.C.
The Capitals have been said to be "seriously aimed" at taking Michkov, who is coming off a better pre-draft year than Alex Ovechkin and is arguably the second-best forward available behind Connor Bedard. However, there's a lot of uncertainty regarding who'll take him and when.
Michkov is the most enigmatic prospect going into the first round, as the 18-year-old's KHL contract with SKA St. Petersburg through 2026, alleged "character issues" and inflexibility over the course of the year when it came to meeting with NHL team representatives present some concerns that may overshadow his talent.
While that was a concern a few weeks ago that made it seem all but certain he would fall as low as eighth, it appears to be getting more likely that he'll go sooner than that. He is in the U.S. and now meeting with teams, and so far, he's made an impression, so it remains to be seen where he'll go.
And there's one particular team who could truly upset the Capitals and seem interested in taking the Russian: the Philadelphia Flyers.
In a pre-draft presser, Daniel Briere and Brent Flahr made it seem that the team could strongly consider taking Michkov at No. 7, and Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman added on 32 Thoughts that there is a team or teams willing to take Michkov despite the concerns.
After that came out, a report came out that Washington was exploring ways to move up.
Enter the Montreal Canadiens.
The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta reported on Tuesday that Montreal is listening to offers to move down from fifth overall as it gets busy ahead of draft day. The Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli followed up on that, saying that the club was weighing "as many as five offers" to move down.
Canadiens GM Kent Hughes has been working the phones going into Wednesday, as he acquired the rights to forward Alex Newhook and did make one last run at Pierre-Luc Dubois. With Hughes pondering multiple changes, general manager Brian MacLellan may be interested in giving him a call -- if he hasn't already.
With the fifth overall pick, Washington could leapfrog Philadelphia and Arizona, which would make securing Michkov more likely. Of course, the team would have to wait until the San Jose Sharks make their pick before going in on a deal like that, though No. 5 would secure a high-caliber player regardless of whether it's Michkov or not (i.e. Will Smith).
It would cost the No. 8 pick and perhaps a sweetener, especially with the Habs making quite a few changes.
The Capitals have been shopping Anthony Mantha and Evgeny Kuznetsov, though per an update from The Athletic, Mantha's not garnering a lot of interest and could stick around, and it's now a "long shot" that Kuznetsov moves this summer. Plus, Kuznetsov likely wouldn't waive his NTC to go to Arizona, which is facing a plethora of issues while remaining a non-contender.
Still, it is possible that Mantha could be a name that would interest Montreal. He's a Quebec native who's shown strong play in the past and adds size to the lineup. However, given the apparent lack of interest regarding Mantha and his inconsistency since arriving in the District, it would take a bit more to acquire a No. 5 selection.
Of course, there are other assets, but with the Hershey Bears showing promise after an inspiring Calder Cup win, shipping out top prospects that could be ready sooner rather than later not be the best move to secure a player that won't be in North America right away.
There's also draft capital that Washington can use, especially with the Canadiens missing a second-rounder following the Newhook deal. However, the Capitals do have to build for the future and face a potential rebuild in the coming years, and there are still a good amount of players available early in Round 2.
As mentioned before, these are just rumblings right now, but it's definitely worth keeping an eye on. And of course, if Michkov goes before fifth overall, it's all moot. Only the three first picks are almost completely certain: Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson. Everything after that's a mixed bag.
Draft day will surely feature a number of general managers working the phones and catching up on the draft floor, and Wednesday will be no different. But for MacLellan, Hughes may be worth staying in touch with, especially with Michkov looking more and more likely to go higher.
If Michkov does go before D.C. can get him, though, there are still plenty of high-caliber players to take in the top 10, and in the end, the club is confident it will get a major asset.
"[We'll] be able to call a player's name that we think will be a very good player for the Capitals in the future," assistant general manager Ross Mahoney said.