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As part of our prospect rankings series, we asked our readers to vote for their top-10 prospects.  The ballots have been cast and today we bring you the results.  There are some differences between the fan vote and our own rankings; as three players that our readers put in their top-10 failed to crack ours.

Our top-10 was determined by total points percentage [each players’ points divided by total available points].  Points were awarded in inverse fashion (1st place vote gets 10, 2nd gets 9, down to 10th getting 1). Voting was done before the start of the regular season.

Just Missed the Cut

11) Joni Ikonen (15.92%)
12) Alexander Romanov (14.56%)
13) Cale Fleury (12.15%)
14) Jake Evans (10.39%)
15) Michael McNiven (3.07%)

#10 – Jacob Olofsson (17.50%)

Montreal’s final pick of the second round is having a fairly quiet year in his first SHL campaign but he is holding down a regular spot in Timra’s lineup.  It’s notable that although he went 18 spots later than Alexander Romanov, the fan vote just months after the draft has Olofsson ahead.

Player % of #10 votes Player % of #10 votes
Fleury 13.16% Vejdemo 2.19%
Romanov 12.28% McShane 2.19%
Olofsson 10.53% Fonstad 2.19%
Ikonen 10.53% Tyszka 1.75%
Brook 6.58% Walford 1.32%
Ylonen 6.58% Lernout 0.88%
Primeau 6.14% Harris 0.88%
Hillis 5.26% Gorniak 0.44%
Evans 4.82% Moravcik 0.44%
Scherbak 4.39% Shinkaruk 0.44%
Lindgren 3.51% Audette 0.44%
McNiven 3.07%  

#9 – Cayden Primeau (18.55%)

Considering the year he just had, it’s no surprise that he went from being a pick at the back of the seventh round to inside the top-ten in Montreal’s prospect rankings this quickly.  Even though his numbers are down a bit this season, he earned himself a spot on the World Junior team for the US, something that didn’t seem remotely possible when he was first drafted.

Player % of #9 votes Player % of #9 votes
Ylonen 23.25% Juulsen 1.75%
Fleury 10.53% McShane 1.32%
Romanov 9.21% Teasdale 0.88%
Olofsson 7.46% McNiven 0.88%
Primeau 7.46% Hillis 0.88%
Evans 6.58% Tyszka 0.44%
Scherbak 6.14% Suzuki 0.44%
Lindgren 6.14% Gorniak 0.44%
Ikonen 5.70% Addison 0.44%
Brook 3.51% Shinkaruk 0.44%
Vejdemo 3.51% Alain 0.44%
Lernout 1.75% Houde 0.44%

#8 – Jesse Ylonen (23.29%)

A skilled right winger with a scoring touch?  The Habs certainly determined that they needed someone like that as they took him early in the second round and the fan base felt the same way.  He has made some nice improvements over his first few months in the Finnish SM-liiga.

Player % of #8 votes Player % of #8 votes
Brook 18.42% Poehling 1.32%
Olofsson 13.16% McShane 0.88%
Primeau 12.28% Juulsen 0.88%
Romanov 10.96% McNiven 0.88%
Ylonen 8.33% Suzuki 0.88%
Scherbak 7.89% Teasdale 0.44%
Fleury 5.70% Fonstad 0.44%
Ikonen 5.26% Gorniak 0.44%
Lindgren 4.82% Harris 0.44%
Evans 4.39% Moravcik 0.44%
Vejdemo 1.75%

#7 – Nikita Scherbak (28.95%)

This was one where there was a big difference between our readers and our writers as the staff vote had him 15th overall.  Things haven’t gone well for him this year as after being a scratch with the Habs for the longest time, he has worked his way out of the lineup in Los Angeles already.

Player % of #7 votes Player % of #7 votes
Scherbak 14.91% McNiven 2.19%
Brook 10.96% Vejdemo 1.32%
Olofsson 10.09% Teasdale 1.32%
Ylonen 9.65% Juulsen 0.88%
Ikonen 9.21% McShane 0.88%
Primeau 8.33% Suzuki 0.44%
Fleury 7.02% Harris 0.44%
Lindgren 5.70% Hillis 0.44%
Romanov 5.26% Alain 0.44%
Evans 4.39% Walford 0.44%
Lernout 3.07% Pezzetta 0.44%
Poehling 2.19%  

#6 – Charlie Lindgren (32.46%)

Last year was a bit of a roller coaster for Lindgren.  He didn’t play well in Laval and while he played quite well early on with Montreal, he struggled as the season went on.  However, he has shown enough flashes to make him a safe bet as a backup for Carey Price in the near future which garnered him lots of support here.

Player % of #6 votes Player % of #6 votes
Brook 14.47% Juulsen 4.39%
Scherbak 12.72% Suzuki 2.19%
Ikonen 12.28% Poehling 1.75%
Ylonen 9.21% Lernout 0.88%
Lindgren 9.21% McNiven 0.88%
Primeau 9.21% Vejdemo 0.44%
Olofsson 7.46% Fonstad 0.44%
Romanov 4.82% Walford 0.44%
Fleury 4.39% Tyszka 0.44%
Evans 4.39%  

#5 – Josh Brook (39.52%)

Brook is the type of player who is a lot better suited to thrive in the modern NHL compared to even a few years ago as his skating and puck-handling skills are quite strong.  That was enough to convince enough of our readers to overlook his low goal total from last season and hand him a spot in the top five.  (Remember, the vote was done before he got off to his blistering start to this season.)

Player % of #5 votes Player % of #5 votes
Lindgren 21.49% Primeau 4.82%
Brook 15.79% Romanov 3.51%
Scherbak 11.84% Olofsson 2.63%
Ylonen 8.33% Evans 2.63%
Juulsen 8.33% Ikonen 2.19%
Suzuki 8.33% Fleury 2.19%
Poehling 7.46% Lernout 0.44%

#4 – Noah Juulsen (70.44%)

As you can tell from the jump in points percentage, there was a pretty distinct top four in the voting.  Juulsen didn’t look out of place in his time with the Habs last season even though he got a late start due to injury and while his overall upside may be somewhat limited, he’s a pretty safe bet to make it as a full-timer in Montreal in the near future.

Player % of #4 votes Player % of #4 votes
Poehling 22.81% Olofsson 1.32%
Suzuki 22.37% Ylonen 0.88%
Juulsen 21.93% Ikonen 0.88%
Brook 12.72% Evans 0.44%
Lindgren 6.58% McNiven 0.44%
Scherbak 5.26% Vejdemo 0.44%
Primeau 1.75% Addison 0.44%
Romanov 1.75%  

#3 – Ryan Poehling (75.79%)

Interestingly enough, Poehling actually appeared on the second most ballots at just over 98.6% but that wasn’t enough to move him into the top two.  He’s not off to a great start this season but like Juulsen, he’s a safe bet to fill a notable roster spot before too long.

Player % of #3 votes Player % of #3 votes
Poehling 38.60% Evans 1.32%
Suzuki 21.93% Primeau 0.88%
Juulsen 21.05% McNiven 0.88%
Lindgren 4.82% Fleury 0.88%
Kotkaniemi 3.51% Romanov 0.44%
Scherbak 1.75% Olofsson 0.44%
Ylonen 1.75% Fonstad 0.44%
Brook 1.32%  

#2 – Nick Suzuki (76.36%)

Suzuki wasn’t on quite as many ballots as Poehling (96.9%) but the extra second place votes earn him this spot by a tiny margin.  He was deemed not quite ready for NHL action this season but many expect he’ll play a role with the Canadiens in 2019-20.

Player % of #2 votes Player % of #2 votes
Suzuki 38.16% Evans 0.44%
Juulsen 32.46% Scherbak 0.44%
Poehling 22.37% Olofsson 0.44%
Brook 1.75% Ikonen 0.44%
Kotkaniemi 1.75% Vejdemo 0.44%
Lindgren 1.32%  

#1 – Jesperi Kotkaniemi (99.12%)

A top-three pick that’s projected to be a long-term player down the middle, Montreal’s biggest weakness over the past several years?  Yeah, that’ll set a new record for points percentage in our fan vote (Mikhail Sergachev had 97.84% back in 2016).  It will take some time to reach that ceiling but he looks like he’ll be part of the core for a long time.

Player % of #1 votes Player % of #1 votes
Kotkaniemi 94.74% Poehling 2.19%
Suzuki 2.19% Juulsen 0.88%