Practice camp ended three weeks ago, and we’ve had plenty of time to see the organization’s youngsters at work in various leagues.
So it’s time for the traditional review of our summer rankings of the Canadiens’ most important prospects!
Will there be any big changes? The short answer: yes, there will!
1. Ivan Demidov (2)
We gave the top spot to Hutson out of respect a few months ago. The little #48 had just won the Calder and deserved the honor. Then, based on what he’d had time to show us when he arrived last spring, a similar order seemed a bit high for Demidov this season. Could he show us more potential than Hutson, and make a bigger impact on the club than the little American?
With Demidov’s summer of practice, the Russian has really stepped up a gear in every sense of the word. Much more solid on skates, quicker on his feet, a real magician with the puck, Demidov is already adding a truly special dimension to the Canadiens’ offense and, at 19 years of age, this is only the “beginning of the beginning”.
The new member of the first powerplay unit is showing us more and more that he has all the talent and drive to become THE Canadiens’ “concession player”, fulfilling his bold promise to management ahead of the 2024 draft. He clearly seems destined for a career worthy of the Kaprizovs and Kucherovs of this world. At least, he’s certainly not behind them at the same age. All in his own style. Needless to say, this generation of fans will be more spoiled than previous ones..
So, yes, I think Demidov will eventually have a bigger impact than Hutson on this team’s success. But it’s very close…
2. Lane Hutson (1)
Hutson may have narrowly lost his No. 1 ranking, but he too is looking even better and more solid this early in the season. He has clearly demonstrated his intention to use his shot more, and we rarely see him lose his battles for the puck. His above-average agility and use of his stick more than make up for the extra pounds he concedes to his opponents.
A hard worker who seems to live with skates on his feet, he remains the dynamo on the blue line. However, the arrival and versatility of Noah Dobson has taken away some of his importance (and impact) on the defensive brigade, not to mention the excellent and indefatigable Mike Matheson, who continues to eat up minutes as if nothing had happened. Should Matheson extend his career in Montreal, Hutson would probably become the only NHL superstar defenseman not to play shorthanded, at least not for a while… A special status, but not because he can’t do it.
3. Juraj Slafkovsky (3)
Increasingly known as “the Big Guy”, Slafkovsky remains a very special and important player for the organization. Still only 21, Slafkovsky already has over 200 NHL games under his belt, and his identity is becoming increasingly clear. The Slovak is at his best when he plays “heavy”, with rhythm and, I’d add, a little “angry”. It’s by playing this way that we’re seeing him become one of the NHL’s best power forwards, an extremely effective player defensively and in forechecking, as well as in puck retrieval, battles won along the boards and in front of the net.
It’s a bit odd to call Slaf a good passer when he’s yet to record an assist this early in the season, but he’s doing very well in that department too. That said, we don’t think he’ll ever develop a Rantanen-like scoring touch. But “the Big Guy” could certainly score between 25 and 35 rather “ugly” goals a year by positioning himself in front of the net, while becoming almost as complete over 200 feet as his compatriot Marian Hossa was.
Some will always want more from a 1st overall pick, and no doubt watch Logan Cooley’s prowess with envy. But the Habs drafted Slafkovsky to become an important piece of the puzzle with his physical presence, character and special skills. And that’s exactly what he got.
4. Alexander Zharovsky (7)
Are any clubs already regretting not “selecting” Zharovsky last June? One thing’s for sure, the man the Habs selected 34th – but had their eye on in the middle of the first round – certainly hasn’t done anything to disappoint his future bosses in North America. With 9 points in 11 games, the young Zharovsky is following in the footsteps of his compatriot Ivan Demidov in the KHL. Although he may not seem as agile and dynamic as his illustrious compatriot, the fact that he dares to be compared stylistically to #93 speaks volumes about his potential..
In addition to his excellent hands, Zharovsky has a very good feel for the game and, like Demidov, he’s not afraid to attack the pay zones. The Habs therefore appear to have another top-6 forward in their bank of prospects.
The fact that he now seems inclined to play center at UFA under Coach Kozlov’s supervision has even earned him an extra rung on the ladder at the last minute. Hage is bigger and still a much better skater. But since Zharovsky is left-handed, and his sense of play and level of competition appear to me to be higher, I now rank him ahead of Hage. The Russian would become, no more and no less, the organization’s only talented left-handed center, and could thus render the idea of acquiring a 2nd left-handed center obsolete in the long term.
5. Michael Hage (5)
Off to a spectacular start in Michigan (14 pts in 8 games, +3), Hage is physically stronger thanks to the nine pounds of muscle he’s gained. He’s also a little faster, which was already the case for him! The Canadiens’ situation at center being what it is, Michael Hage’s development at this position remains very important for the organization.
If the past is any indication of the future, we shouldn’t be surprised to see him end up in Montreal at the end of his second season in the NCAA, where he’s working on becoming a more complete player. Barring a certain surprise, I don’t think Rocket fans will have the chance to see Michael Hage’s talent and prowess at Place Bell.
6. David Reinbacher (4)
Because he remains a complete right-handed defenseman with fairly high potential, Reinbacher probably still has more trade value than Hage and Zharovsky at the time of writing. But because since acquiring Dobson, the Habs could trade him tomorrow morning without really diminishing their prospects of becoming a contending club, I believe Reinbacher’s usage value has dropped considerably in Montreal.
Dobson will finally be the top-2 defenseman the Canadiens were probably hoping for in Reinbacher when they selected him5th overall in 2023. If Matheson does indeed pursue his career path in Montreal, that would leave a4th defenseman’s chair open for the Austrian alongside Hutson, giving the Habs the opportunity to play Guhle on a third pairing with Carrier. Big luxury! But since Hutson excels on the right, it’s also a luxury the organization can afford to sacrifice. So, Reinbacher or Guhle for reinforcement in another position, such as2nd center?
I’m not saying that’s what’s going to happen, but I’m opening up the possibility.
7. Jakub Dobes (11)
It’s currently too early to say that Dobes has passed Montembault, but let’s just say that if the trend continues, the Czech will give himself a good argument. And if he overtakes Montembault in the next few months, if not weeks, he too will be in the conversation for the Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year.
Regardless of Fowler’s tantalizing potential, since goalies are funny buggers, I’ll take the 6’4, not much older, who is already capable of dominating in the NHL before the one who is still in the “project” stage. Without having lost his gamer edge and gentle arrogance, Dobes is much more in control in front of the net this season and gives away almost no returns. It remains to be seen whether his current sequence will be more durable than that of last December and January…
8. Zachary Bolduc (6)
The fact that a forward on a 40-plus-goal streak over 82 games since the 4 Nations Tournament is so low on this list can only mean one of two things: either I’m in the ballpark, or the CH’s pipeline of young prospects is awfully impressive!
Bolduc, 106 games into his NHL career, still hasn’t reached his full potential, and we still don’t know which line he’ll play on in Montreal when all the pieces fall into place. His 5-on-5 game still seems a little inconsistent. Strong as he is, he could develop his power forward side even further. What we do know, however, is that he has a better shot than Slafkovsky as a left-handed shooter, and that the latter, recently placed in the bumper role in place of Bolduc on the 1st unit, had better put some in pretty quickly…
9. Jacob Fowler (8)
Young Fowler remains a top prospect in goal, and not just in Montreal, but throughout the NHL. All the goalkeeping experts rank him among the top five prospects at his position, some even putting him 2nd behind Yaroslav Askarov… It’s entirely possible that he’ll regain his place ahead of Dobes in our next rankings, but he’ll have to start by having a dominant season in Laval and hope that Dobes cools down a bit for that to happen.
10. Oliver Kapanen (honorable mention)
Put this in the “one is better than two” category, but Kapanen – ranked just outside our top 15 this summer – must now be placed in front of players who now have a lot more to prove than he does. We don’t think he’ll maintain his current goal-scoring pace, nor that he’ll be Demidov’s full-time center for much longer, but Kapanen is now actualizing the optimal potential we saw in him, that of a quality third center on a good team or fourth center on a champion club.
A very intelligent player with impeccable positioning all over the ice, the Finn has considerably increased his usage value in recent months, but also his trade value… Could he be the Heineman of 25-26 and be included in a trade for a bigger fish? In the meantime, with Dach in fragile health, Kapanen is providing excellent services to the team, and perhaps others will be sacrificed before him…
11. L. J. Mooney (9)
“Little John” is off to a good start in his first season at the University of Minnesota and can take his time to develop. A small, ultra-dynamic and creative center/right-winger without being a perimeter player, it will be interesting to see if he can stay close to a point-per-game production while remaining effective defensively. That’s a “stinger” that could pay off in the 4th round. Mooney clearly has the talent of a first-round player, and I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t make it to the NHL. In “style”, he’s much more dynamic, fast and physically strong than Farrell and Mesar at the same age. His style may even recall that of his cousin, Logan Cooley…
12. Hayden Paupanekis (10)
It would have been interesting to see Paupanekis at the real camp. Unfortunately, a bout of mononucleosis forced him into inactivity for a month. We’ll have to give this force of nature some time to find his rhythm in the WHL to get a better idea of his progress. But, for the moment, the acceleration given by Kapanen, one of the players the Manitoban will have to overtake in the hierarchy, has cost him a few places… That said, “Big Paupi”, 6’5, 205 lbs, fast and rather agile, remains a very nice project. A well-stocked toolbox, let’s say.
13. Florian Xhekaj (13)
Some would rightly place Florian a little higher on this list. The organization’s most truculent forward prospect retains an importance easily worthy of the top-15. A big, intimidating and courageous left-handed center, he brings unique ingredients that will undoubtedly come in handy in the NHL when the game gets more virile. But even if we recognize his offensive qualities and good sense of the game, we must remember that the Habs’ identity will never revolve around him, and that he will at best be a good4th line forward who plays about ten minutes a game.
14. Bryce Pickford (15)
Slightly injured during camp, Pickford is another one we’d have liked to see in action with and against his peers. But the Albertan wasted no time in continuing his work of demolishing the WHL when he returned to action as captain of the Medicine Hat Tigers. The undisputed leader of a club that has lost the services of Gavin McKenna, Cayden Lindstrom, Ryder Ritchie, Andrew Basha and Oasis Wiesblatt, Pickford looks set to hold down the fort with 7 goals and 11 points in 11 games..
Will the rugged, solid and talented fullback with the devastating shot receive a last-minute invitation to the WJC? To be continued… Having said that, let’s obviously not get carried away with the 19-year-old WHL defensemen who produce en masse in this league with its slightly more open game… But the fact that he’s right-handed gives him a slight advantage over the one who will close this top-15…
15. Adam Engstrom (12)
He’s had his moments here and there, and hasn’t played bad hockey for the Rocket since the start of the season, but Engstrom hasn’t exactly carried his playoff momentum into the Canadiens camp. We’ve seen a bit more of the timid defenseman with an uncertain identity who can’t quite impose himself on a consistent basis. At nearly 22 in a few weeks’ time, no one has yet thrown in the towel in his case, but let’s just say he really needs to take advantage of his enviable status in Laval and Reinbacher’s absence to break the mould and earn himself a recall to Montreal this season. Otherwise, with Matheson’s contract extension looking likely, Engstrom remains a pretty good trade chip.
Honorable mentions
Owen Beck (14th, supplanted by Kapanen in a comparable style)
Owen Protz (keep an eye on this train with evil intentions! I love him!)
Joshua Roy (probable trade chip, no real future for him in Montreal)
Filp Mesar (he’s improved, but same situation as Roy)
Conclusion
So, do we project or do we say “two is better than two”?
That’s often the question when it comes to comparing young players already established in the NHL, with others who have been there for less time, and others still in the lower ranks.
So, if we look ahead, Demidov is likely to be a little more important to the Habs’ success than Hutson, and Hutson a little more important than Slafkovsky.
Let’s just say that just about everyone else in the NHL would take this 21-and-under line ahead of their own!
We’re also betting that Hage, Zharovsky and Reinbacher will have bigger roles than Bolduc.
But, in other cases, the projection is much less certain and we slightly prefer what Dobes and Kapanen already bring us if we compare them to Fowler, Paupanekis, Xhekaj and Beck.
Still, it’s mind-boggling to think that at least 11 of these players will have long NHL careers, and I wouldn’t bet against the chances of Mooney, Paupanekis, Pickford and Engstrom…
Meilleur Rookie scorer (9 pts)
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Poehling 
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(@JeremyFilosa) 
