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The Habs entered the second day of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft with ten picks on hand and ultimately made nine. As is tradition, here’s a rundown of their selections with scouting reports on most of their newest prospects.

Scouting reports are posted as they appeared in their write-ups; typos were not corrected.

34th – RW Alexander Zharovsky, Tolpar (MHL)

Montreal opened up the day with a trade, sending picks 41 and 49 to Carolina for picks 34 and 189, using the 34th pick on winger Alexander Zharovsky.  He is signed in Russia for the next two seasons and made his KHL debut this season in the playoffs.

Bio

Right Wing
Shoots: Left
DOB: February 22, 2007 – Klin, Russia
Height: 6’1
Weight: 163 lbs

Scouting Reports

Corey Pronman, The Athletic: He has some obvious tools, though, between his size, speed and skill. Zharovsky can create a lot of entries and chances with the pace in his game. He’s a creative offensive player who can beat defenders one-on-one and hit seams in the O-zone. He’s not overly physical, but he gets to the net for chances and has a game that could translate to higher levels.

Recrutes: Scouts like to see an improvement curve in a prospect’s draft year. Few players in recent years have seen a bigger rise than Zharovsky, who played in the NMHL last season and started this season with Tolpar in a limited role as a pure MHL rookie.

McKeen’s: Zharovsky has some of the best hands in this draft class, able to quickly adapt to coverage and escape from difficult situations with ease. His reaction times and control are well above average. Very few players can navigate themselves out of the most difficult situations as gracefully as he can, executing each play in the most nonchalant way possible. Every stickhandle seems perfectly mapped out, moving at the right time to avoid checks and slip through multiple opponents into space to make a play.

Hockey Prospect: He’s dynamic with the puck on his stick, he’s dangerous one on one and a dual threat as he can beat you with his shot or passing plays. There’s some power forward elements to his game, he can be tough to handle one on one, along the boards and also can be quite the play driver at times. There’s still some inconsistency in his game and his skating is not the best which made him lose a few spots in our ranking, but overall we think he’s one of the best pure talents in this draft and this the type of pick that might look like a genius pick in 4-5 years.

Jake Janso, Future Considerations: The player who impressed me the most this season is Alexander Zharovsky. I’ve been a big fan of his for a while; the skill and ability to weave through traffic is very impressive, and his offensive creativity is unmatched in this region. He’s the only player from Russia this year that I’d say has legit game-changing skill. The tools are definitely raw, and he’s going to need some time to fill out, but he consistently looks like the best player on the ice when he’s out there. I would bet on the upside he’s shown but know he’ll need time to mature.

Elite Prospects: With Zharovsky, the selling point is the pure, unadulterated skill that is impossible to teach. He’s the single-most skilled puckhandler from Europe in this year’s class, and it’s not particularly close. He’s daring, often to a fault, but it helped him to create some of the best highlights we saw from any draft-eligible skater this season.

Scott Wheeler, The Athletic: He’s lean and needs to add some weight but he’s a slick puck carrier with a knack for taking pucks to dangerous areas and beating his man one-on-one. He’s got great hands. He’s got poise on the puck. Despite lacking strength, he’s a decent skater and will play through bumps to get to his spots. He can drift in games and can lack focus at times, but when he gets the puck, his eyes light up and he’s got the skill to execute and make things happen. He’s going to take some time but has the gifts.

Jason Bukala, Sportsnet: I’ve tracked Zharovsky closely this season and believe he has top-six NHL upside in time. If he was playing in North America, and producing offence, he would very likely have landed higher up on my list. There’s always some risk drafting highly skilled Russian prospects like Zharovsky. He will, no doubt, be offered an enticing contract to remain in Russia, but he’s a gifted offensive talent who only lacks strength at this stage of his development. He has elite vision and goal scoring upside.

Upside Hockey: Zharovsky is not a burner by any means, but his speed is above-average, and with increased strength to his lower-body, and repairs to his mechanics, he might make his mobility a standout strength. On the forecheck, he brings intensity and physicality to push pace, and separate man from puck. He is inside-driven, and will explode off the boards to attack the slot with the puck, or beat opponents to the middle off the rush- he sniffs out space in coverage to fill, and is focused on getting pucks to high-danger via pass or carry.

Dobber Prospects: Zharovsky is a magician in tight spaces, blending dynamic puck handling ability with high end playmaking vision to generate offense. Though his skating lacks an explosive first step, his edgework and top-speed separation are better than he is given credit for. While he occasionally overhandles the puck, his handling and offensive instincts offers the type of projectable, high-end talent rarely found outside the first round. For teams picking in the 40-60 range, Zharovsky represents a home-run swing on a player whose ceiling outweighs many of his peers.

Smaht Scouting: He’s electrifyingly skilled, and I think on draft day, he pretty quickly becomes one of the most dynamic and creative players left on the board. He brings quick-thinking and creative problem-solving under pressure, with a quick and fluid dynamic range of movement in his handling, impressive playmaking, and a dangerous shot release that he could stand to use more often. He has the mentality of a superstar forward, and that’s an extremely enticing quality. Imagine where he could be five years down the road; given time to work on his skating, to work on his strength, to nurture his skill and creativity and just become more and more dangerous; that’s what you’re drafting him for.

Recruit Scouting: Zharovsky is far from elegant. I don’t like his skating mechanics, puckhandling, or pivots all too much. But he’s mighty effective, and really excelled at getting over both blue lines this year. He gets all he can out of a lanky frame, and really understands how to challenge opponents with the puck and win space in the circles. His wrister is a slingshot, and he can tee it up on a one-timer. There is a lot of refining to go here – and I think that’ll take longer than a few years – but it’s easy to picture this hockey mind+talent in a pro role.

Statistics

Rankings

TSN (McKenzie): 35
TSN (Button): 36
McKeen’s: 43
Flo Hockey: 46
Future Considerations: 41
Elite Prospects: 42
Daily Faceoff: 48
Central Scouting: 5 (Intl Skaters)
Recruit Scouting: 32
Recrutes: 24
Dobber: 27

69th – C Hayden Paupanekis, Kelowna (WHL)

The Habs once again traded up, dealing the 79th and 108th picks to Boston to pick centre Hayden Paupanekis.

Bio

Centre
Shoots: Left
DOB: February 4, 2007 – Winnipeg, Manitoba
Height: 6’5
Weight: 202 lbs

Scouting Reports

Recruit Scouting: Paupanekis is an interesting one. He’s much more of a project than others in this range, but offers a lot of tangible projection with his lanky skating and ability to fill the middle lane. Paupanekis is smart and constantly aware in the middle lane, and works with his wingers to facilitate quick movements up the ice. He’s at his best on the backend of the forecheck, but can just as easily use his long reach and quick side-to-side movements to fill the role of first or second man in. Either way, Paupanekis pulls in loose pucks and moves through traffic surprisingly well for a player his size. His shot can be long and intentional – but he’s got just as quick of a snapshot and uses it to good effect when he’s gained the high slot. Becuase of his instinct, smarts, and slot-to-slot ability – there’s a solid, top-nine projection to be gleaned with a little more training and luck over the next few years.

Scott Wheeler, The Athletic: Paupanekis started his draft year in Spokane and was the central piece in the Andrew Cristall trade going back to Kelowna. With the Rockets, he featured prominently on both the power play and the penalty kill, excelling on the PK with his length and instincts. He’s a big center with legit pro qualities and athletic traits who will be a big part of what Kelowna builds as next year’s Memorial Cup hosts. He skates well and can get down the ice in transition (he’s also quite coordinated for his size and is comfortable opening up his hips and going heel-to-heel). He handles it well and beat some goalies in all alone this year. He’s really strong. He supports the play well defensively but will also get after guys, track and finish checks and battles on the forecheck. He’s got a good stick on lifts and wins back a lot of pucks. He’ll work. I think he’s got a chance to be an effective bottom-six C in the NHL someday and expect him to take a step next season.

Elite Prospects: A defensively sound centre with details, pace, and physicality, Paupanekis often negates the opposition’s best players. He ties up sticks proactively, kills plays on the backcheck, and excels at supporting and winning battles down low. Add in physicality and flashes of meanness, and it’s clear he has the potential to be a special role player in the NHL.

Kareem Elshafey, Future Considerations: Among secondary WHL prospects trending toward 2025 draft relevance, Hayden Paupanekis stands out. A big center with an intriguing skill set, Paupanekis hasn’t fully put it all together yet but brings mobility, physicality and flashes of offensive talent. Since joining Kelowna, his skill with the puck has become more evident, highlighted by his ability to protect possession while driving the net and create chances through poise and control. As he matures into his frame, there’s a realistic offensive ceiling that could make him a strong bet moving forward.

Hockey Prospect: One of the more underrated players in this class. A right-shot 6’4 center who is a good shooter and playmaker will be sought after and off the board quickly in this year’s draft class. Paupanekis does not have the consistency as of yet offensively, however his game has consistently grown throughout the year, and he has gained more confidence to try more creative offensive plays.

McKeen’s: There are already some fleeting moments of real brilliance with him, where he will explode into space or undress a defender with a great sweeping deke or rifle an unstoppable shot. At the same time, there are also a lot of moments where his skating and puck handling look clumsy, and he fails with whatever he was trying to pull off. What’s most important is that the right ideas and materials are there, and there’s still lots of time left for him to keep honing the execution. If a team is really feeling bold, Paupanekis could be one of the first prospects to hear their name get called on day two of draft weekend.

Upside Hockey: Paupanekis is still quite raw, and will need some runway to develop. He needs to bulk up and get stronger, work on his skating, and learn to play with a more consistent level of pace. He’s certainly not perfect or mistake-free, as he makes his share of forced plays and fumbles- he could stand to upgrade his puck-skills. His floor is that of a bottom-6 defensive C in the NHL, but he promises a lot more- especially since he’s been with Kelowna.

Corey Pronman, The Athletic: Paupanekis has a lot of traits that will appeal to NHL teams. He’s a big center who skates well for his size and has some offensive abilities. He can make nifty small-area plays with the puck. Paupanekis doesn’t shy away from using his big body, and while I wouldn’t call his off-puck play great, it’s good enough. I would like to see him be more consistent. He plays on the outside too much, and his decisions with the puck aren’t the best. The tools are highly intriguing from a pro upside perspective and he could provide useful depth to an NHL team.

Statistics

Rankings

TSN (McKenzie): 72
McKeen’s: 56
Flo Hockey: 67
Future Considerations: 74
Elite Prospects: 43
Daily Faceoff: 115
Central Scouting: 38 (NA Skaters)
Recruit Scouting: 87
Dobber: 34

81st – D Bryce Pickford, Medicine Hat (WHL)

No trade this time from the Habs, who used this pick on Pickford, a second-year draft-eligible player.  He had 13 goals in the playoffs, the most in modern WHL history.

Bio

Defence
Shoots: Right
DOB: April 2, 2006 – Edmonton, Alberta
Height: 6’1
Weight: 183 lbs

Scouting Reports

Recrutes: Why is a player who was passed over last year going to get drafted this year? Quick answer – 35 goals in 70 games this season. Quite a jump after scoring just two goals in his “draft year” with Seattle. The change of scenery did him wonders, and scouts took notice on a Memorial Cup finalist. His shot is a weapon, and his defensive game has improved along with his skating.

McKeen’s: Pickford is a smart, confident, opportunistic defender who can do a little bit of everything at the junior level. He doesn’t drive much play by himself but knows how to complement teammates who have more talent. He does his best work at the offensive blueline, as he’s adept at seeing and analyzing what’s unfolding in front of him. Possesses a good shot that he’s always eager to utilize. He’s likely learned a lot from being around elite prospects on championship-winning teams, first with Seattle and now Medicine Hat. However, he is held back by average size and skating ability, which will limit his long-term upside. If Pickford makes the NHL he would likely max out as a third-pair defender.

Elite Prospects: It’s hard to overstate how much Bryce Pickford improved this past season. The biggest change is Pickford’s game might not even be shooting improvement, but his activation game. In Medicine Hat’s free-flowing high cycle offence, he’s lethal. He proactively fills gaps in the defensive zone coverage, many of which he creates with give-and-gos. Using the weak side, middle, and lateral space, he’s constantly open for one-timers and especially walk-in wristers. When a pass comes near, he gets in motion, catches it straight into his shooting pocket, conceals his release, and snipes.

Recruit Scouting: Pickford has become a favorite of mine this year. He’s had a sharp physical edge for a few years, but really found how to fold it into a strong impact in all three zones this season. He commands space in the slot and bullies opponents around the defensive end. He jumps on loose pucks and has the smart puck-handling to win space and drive downhill. He keeps his head up on the rush and makes hard passes. When he can’t, he knows how to cut into space and control possession on the blue-line. All of those attributes, gut-punch drive, and a killer shot, helped Pickford acheive some fantastic scoring totals this year — an impressive feat for a defender who’s physical presence and all-three-zones control headlines his game.

Corey Pronman, The Athletic: Pickford’s shot is his best trait, with a bomb that projects to beat NHL goalies. The rest of his game is decent but lacks true standout traits. He’s mobile enough, although for an average-sized defender, his mobility or skill doesn’t truly pop like you’d want. Pickford has a chance because he defends well, shows a good motor and doesn’t back down from physical play.

Daily Faceoff: Now projected to be a third-rounder, Pickford had 20 goals and 47 points while not sacrificing any physicality. He also had another 13 goals and 24 points in 18 playoff games – incredible numbers to help the Tigers win the WHL title. In fact, he arguably had the most dominant end to the season of any CHLer this year. Pickford isn’t a great skater and that has plagued his career to date. But the overall skill and activation here should allow Pickford to earn some serious NHL love.

Statistics

Rankings

TSN (Button): 66
McKeen’s: 244
Flo Hockey: 98
Future Considerations: 262
Elite Prospects: 95
Daily Faceoff: 94
Central Scouting: 100 (NA Skaters)
Recruit Scouting: 44

82nd – G Arseni Radkov, Tyumenski (MHL)

It felt like the Canadiens would take a goalie at some point in the draft.  They did so with their final selection in the third round, taking another longer-term project netminder in Radkov.  Coincidentally, this is the pick acquired from New Jersey last year for goalie Jake Allen.  He is committed to UMass for the 2026-27 season.

Bio

Goaltender
Catches: Left
DOB: August 5, 2007 – Mogilev, Belarus
Height: 6’4
Weight: 194 lbs

Scouting Reports

Elite Prospects: One NHL goalie scout recently highlighted Arseni Radkov as one of his goalies to watch in this draft as a sneaky-good late-round pick. Radkov also has a smoothness to his game that comes across in his skating and how he moves from side to side, especially when tracking passes or players carrying the puck. The issue, which will be interesting to watch when he reaches the NCAA, is how some of that smoothness gets replaced by a panicky over-reliance on his athleticism after the shot is released and on rebounds. There are times Radkov creates problems for  himself because of this.

Hockey Prospect: Radkov is a large, raw, athletically gifted goalie with some of the best reflexes out of any of the draft eligible goalies. For such a big goalie, he has fantastic kicking reflexes. They are the base of his game. He has spring-loaded legs and he uses them to come away with clean recovery saves after giving up rebounds, and on lateral kick-out saves where he can shut down lateral set-ups. He’s also a battler. He’s big, and he’s reflexive, but when forwards come bearing down on him, he loses his ground to a fault, and gives them more space and much better shooting angles than he should, depending on the game and play. Regardless of him having technical short-comings, average hands, and being mentally inconsistent, the reflexive and large base and his battle level makes him an enticing, yet underdeveloped package to mold.

McKeen’s: Radkov is an intriguing prospect. He frames his 6-foot-4 size very efficiently and has impressive joint mobility and flexibility, especially given his size. He’s shown flashes of good positioning and save selection, as well. Yet his explosiveness is lacking, and his skating isn’t powerful or fluid. Given his size and his athletic capabilities, it’s likely that he could improve his skating and explosiveness with time. Being an unpolished backup on a weak silver division MHL team, Radkov is a risky project that may be more of someone to watch for the future, however, teams who think they can unlock his athleticism further may consider him later in the draft.

Statistics

Rankings

McKeen’s: 294
Hockey Prospect: 7 (among goalies)
Central Scouting: 12 (International goalies)

113th – RW L.J. Mooney, US NTDP (USHL)

After trading their first fourth rounder to move up to get Paupanekis, the Habs used their other on L.J. Mooney, a skilled but very undersized forward.  He’s the cousin of Mammonth forward Logan Cooley.

Bio

Right Wing
Shoots: Right
DOB: March 8, 2007 – West Mifflin, Pennsylvania
Height: 5’8
Weight: 160 lbs

Scouting Reports

Scott Wheeler, The Athletic: I love the player. He’s got lightning-quick hands in traffic/one-on-one, quick feet, a quick release, a quick processing of the game and a unique ability to make plays. That combination of skating ability (he’s got natural acceleration and tremendous edges and can put defenders on their heels from a standstill and spin off them with ease) and skill is complemented by a willing work ethic and attention to detail defensively. He supports play well. He positions himself well off the puck. He doesn’t cheat for offense.

Recrutes: Led the development team in assists with 41, but only notched ten goals. Had an outstanding performance at the 2025 U18 Worlds, and moved himself into consideration for the mid rounds of the draft. Speedy, smart, competitive, and shifty.

McKeen’s: One of the smallest players in this draft, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more electrifying player than Mooney. His skating immediately separates him from most of his peers, allowing him to dart by defenders at full speed or cut ‘n chase to open ice as he sees fit, almost always with the puck in tow. That’s also why a knee-on-knee check suffered last fall against Notre Dame had the prospect world gasping and questioning how susceptible Mooney will be to such abuse at higher levels. Fortunately, little could be detected of the injury by the time the U18 Worlds rolled around, where he reinforced the belief that he’s the best pure stickhandler the USNTDP had to offer this season. Crisp passes, smooth dekes, thread-the-needle playmaking, and impressive goal-rushing gumption combine with a constantly running motor.

Hockey Prospect: LJ Mooney came into the season with high hopes as the lone player to get promoted play in the u18s from the NTDP u17 team last season. However, the season did not go as anticipated as Mooney took a bad hit early on that caused him to miss time. He struggled upon returning but found his game down the stretch. Mooney is undersized but a dynamic skater with good burst and quick hands. He is creative offensively and has good vision to make plays. He has a good release in isolation but the lack of finishing this year was a concern. He can also try to do too much with the puck and given his size, can put himself into bad spots to take contact.

Future Considerations: Mooney contributes off the puck with a relentless motor, often inserting himself into board battles and showing a willingness to take contact to maintain pressure. Despite being undersized and sometimes boxed out in physical engagements, he repeatedly demonstrates competitiveness by initiating contact and supporting defensive coverage low in the zone. His forechecking is another strength, as he creates turnovers with quick stick pressure and smart angles. However, concerns persist about his decision-making, as he sometimes forces plays through traffic or overrelies on his skating in dangerous areas, especially during transitions and defensive breakouts. He is arguably the most debated prospect available in this pool.

Elite Prospects: With infectious energy and a never-quit style of play, L.J. Mooney has – rightfully – cultivated a large fanbase. Though he didn’t quite reach the heights many expected this season following his incredible youth hockey career and second half of his draft-minus-one season, he remains one of the most entertaining players in the draft class. Mooney will have to become a more precise passer and deceptive player to take his offence to the next level. His path to the NHL is a narrow one, given his size, but his fearless style, pace, and physical side could make him a Conor Garland-type player.

Smaht Scouting: While undersized, he reads pressure well and makes quick, decisive plays under duress. His shot selection includes effective use of delays from the perimeter, and he’s been credited with both primary and secondary assists from smart reads and quick puck movement. If Mooney continues to adjust well against higher levels of defensive pressure, there’s a chance he could stick at center. His upside may resemble a Tyler Johnson-type—skilled, competitive, and effective despite size limitations.

Upside Hockey: He’s a high-end skater, one of the best in this draft class, with explosiveness and the ability to separate from checkers in open ice; he can go end to end with the biscuit at times without barely getting touched. His edges are fantastic, and he can execute stops and changes of pace and direction on a dime. Though he is light on his feet, his low center of gravity makes him hard to knock off stride.

Recruit Scouting: Mooney is among the most technically gifted players in the draft class. He has star-grade stickhandling and explosive skating that he uses to make defenders look silly on the rush. Even better, he finds the slot with determination, and shows clear respect to the fact that the majority of goals come tight to the net. But Mooney is also among the frailest players in this draft. He gets bullied by heavy opponents, and missed a good chunk of time this year after a (dirty) open-ice hit from college opposition.

Corey Pronman, The Athletic: Mooney is an elite skating forward who buzzes around the ice. His top speed and edge work are clearly NHL caliber. He has a very good skill level and is very dangerous attacking off the rush due to his skill/speed combination. He was a highly touted player for years, but he just never grew. He’s barely 5-foot-7 and was injury-prone this year, which didn’t help his case. He competes hard enough and doesn’t shy away from physical play. In his best games, he looks like he has a legit chance to play NHL games despite his frame, but that player showed up inconsistently this season.

Daily Faceoff: Mooney has first-round talent – he’s one of the most energetic, skilled wingers you’ll find in this draft class. But at 5-foot-7, there’s an obvious concern about his size. At the very least, he’s so much fun to watch. An injury early in the season limited his output, but he was arguably USA’s most important playmaker at the U-18 level. The Univ. of Minnesota commit was the most productive USNTDP U-18 player in USHL play, too. Nobody will ever question his skill, but is he simply too small?

Statistics

Rankings

TSN (McKenzie): 80
McKeen’s: 105
Flo Hockey: 77
Future Considerations: 85
Elite Prospects: 73
Daily Faceoff: 72
Central Scouting: 206 (NA Skaters)
Recruit Scouting: 163
Recrutes: 95
Dobber: 92
Smaht Scouting: 33

145th – G Alexis Cournoyer, Cape Breton (QMJHL)

Montreal opted for a second goalie after taking Radkov two rounds earlier, selecting Alexis Cournoyer as their second pick from the major junior ranks.  He only spent part of the year in the QMJHL, however, and is already committed to Cornell for next season.

Bio

Goaltender
Catches: Left
DOB: December 13, 2005 – Trois-Rivieres, Quebec
Height: 6’3
Weight: 195 lbs

Scouting Reports

McKeen’s: While there is righteous concern in drafting a 2005-born goalie with average athleticism who was a mid-season QMJHL call-up, in this case, there is also major upside. While most goalies who will get drafted this year will have better athleticism than Alexis Cournoyer, it is exceedingly rare to find a draft-eligible with his technique, poise, and smarts, even when accounting for his age. In his short but dominant QMJHL tenure, he exemplified exceptional footwork, perfect positioning, great save selection, and active anticipation of the play. In that stretch, he managed to outplay his goalie partner, recent Predators fourth-round pick Jakub Milota, in the regular season before ultimately losing the battle in the playoffs. There’s real value in a goalie of his style. Guys like Anthony Stolarz or Jakub Dobes, too, lack speed and athleticism, but have a combination of frame, technique, and smarts that cannot be developed. Cournoyer is fairly unproven with just 25 games of Major Junior experience as a 19-year-old, but with him being primed to be Cornell’s starter next year, his development path has gone from questionable to fantastic.

Hockey Prospect: Cournoyer is a late blooming, cerebral, blocking style goalie who still features plus athletic tools and has a fantastic feel, which led to him having the best slot save percentage on high-danger shots out of any goalie we scouted this season. Sometimes players emerge out of nowhere, and that’s exactly what happened with Cournoyer after he got an opportunity to get called up from the MJAHL. There are some issues with Alexis that give us pause. For starters, his rate of recovery is below most of the other big goalies in this class; although, his absorption rate counteracts this issue to a degree. Mentally, sometimes the flood-gates open up after allowing an initial goal.

Elite Prospects: At 6-foot-4, Cournoyer is one of the bigger goalies in a smaller class, and uses his pads to seal the ice better than most junior goalies. He also uses his length as an advantage and is patient on plays coming off the post. Cournoyer also rarely got beaten from distance, and because of his play reading and tracking, it often took traffic or chances crossing the royal road to beat him, especially in the QMJHL regular season. You’d like to see some more explosiveness in his feet, although with his frame and size, just being smooth and reading plays well will be enough to at least get Cournoyer a chance at the next level.

Statistics

Rankings

McKeen’s: 195
Hockey Prospect: 10 (among goalies)
Central Scouting: 16 (International goalies)

177th – D Carlos Handel, Halifax (QMJHL)

The Habs looked to the QMJHL for the second straight selection with Carlos Handel, who played for Germany at the World Juniors earlier this year.  He led all QMJHL rookie blueliners in assists, points, and shots on goal in 2024-25.

Bio

Defence
Shoots: Right
DOB: March 31, 2007 – Erlangen, Germany
Height: 6’1
Weight: 174 lbs

Scouting Reports

Elite Prospects: The faster QMJHL forecheck challenged him for most of the season, however. It cut down the time he had to make plays, forced him to make many of them with his back turned, and on his first or second touch of the puck. Händel also struggled with the physical part of defensive zone play, like boxing out the opposition and winning back pucks on the wall, but his willingness to battle. The defenceman has the mobility and passing talent needed to become an effective professional distributor. To cement his status as an NHL prospect, he will have to develop his defensive zone plays, from his retrieval to his net-front defence.

Future Considerations: Overall, Handel is not a high-end skater nor an elite playmaker, but he is a reliable, low-risk player whose all-around skill set, leadership, and ability to contribute in all phases make him a valuable asset to any blue line. While he may not possess a singular standout trait, his versatility, effort, and composure provide a strong foundation for growth. Handel projects as a steady, minute-eating blueliner with value in special teams roles and defensive assignments, offering a well-rounded toolset that could translate well to higher levels.

Hockey Prospect: We like his playmaking ability from the point as he is able to use a multitude of head fakes and fake passes in order to manipulate opposing players and create passing lanes for himself. That being said, his shot is below average and improving on power and accuracy would make him less predictable, particularly on the PP. His skating needs to improve as his first couple strides are a bit slow and choppy. Defensively we find that he lacks poise on puck retrievals and can be prone to pretty bad giveaways from time to time. We feel he’s still pretty raw physically and we think that he has some more room to grow.

McKeen’s: What we now have is a player who, on his best days, is terribly efficient in warding off attacks, can dangle with the puck, then find solid first-pass options or rush it up ice without hesitation. Händel mans the point on the power play, where he makes solid decisions, rarely giving the impression of feeling pressured. Sure, it leads to mistakes and turnovers at times but his confidence in his abilities seems endless and he never ceases to call upon them. He needs to gain weight, but there are tools, sound instincts, and mental fortitude in this package.

Recrutes: His passing skills are decent, but he only had 23 assists on the Halifax blueline this season, albeit as a QMJHL rookie defenceman. He was the captain of Germany’s U18 team at the U18 World Championships and played well, contributing two goals and four points. A smoothskating blueliner who occasionally throws a heavy hit. He needs to play more consistently and smarter.

Scott Wheeler, The Athletic: Handel is smart, keeps his head and eyes up, puts pucks through, moves them effectively and has good edges. He does a good job at the junior level of steering play to the outside and keeping play out of high-danger areas with his good stick, timing and skating. When he’s on, he showed this season that he’s capable of involving himself in all three zones and driving offense on a low-scoring Mooseheads team. The worry is that he doesn’t have a defining offensive or defensive quality. He’s probably working toward being a third-pairing D.

Recruit Scouting: Handel plays a mature and responsible game. He doesn’t push outside the dots, stays down and ready to make a play, and knows not to step up too far as a defender. He’s the rigid-and-trained commander of his lines, perfectly content to end a shift with no action rather than a big mistake. Handel looks to have all of the diligence and control over movement in both directions to track into a solid, depth role one day – but he’ll probably need to become a bit more physically imposing before he’s fully there.

Upside Hockey: andel is an excellent skater with above-average speed and is fluid on his edges, although he is limited somewhat by a stiff, upright posture. Even still, he exerts lateral quickness to surf across the ice, and completes fast turns, tight pivots, and smooth transitions. He carries the puck up-ice with confidence and poise, and will spearhead the rush while weaving through traffic; he is not afraid to attack the middle, and will activate in to the play, all the way to the net. He is a calm, smooth puck-mover and passer, but employs a relatively smart and simple approach to limit mistakes and turnovers. When his team is installed in the offensive zone (and it doesn’t seem to happen often) he stays extremely active and aggressive- he reads the ice well and is blessed with plus-level spatial awareness to locate soft spots in coverage that he uses to pinch in from the blueline to attack, or to keep the play in the zone alive.

Jason Bukala, Sportsnet: Handel is a raw prospect who benefited from suiting up for Germany at the world juniors and U18s, in addition to his time in Halifax. He was deployed in all situations for the Mooseheads and contributed 3G-23A. Handel is a strong skater who competes every shift. As he continues to mature he has to make some adjustments and process things a shade quicker at times, but his foundation is a strong one to build upon.

Daily Faceoff: After shining at the World Juniors for Germany, I loved him at the U-18 World Championship. In fact, I’d argue he was Germany’s best defender at every international tournament he skated in this year, no matter the situation. He’s not afraid to get engaged on the rush and is capable of leading a power play, too. Händel produced at half a point per game with Halifax, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him double that output a year from now. He’s a good project guy to keep track of.

Statistics

Rankings

McKeen’s: 67
Flo Hockey: 92
Future Considerations: 61
Elite Prospects: 104
Daily Faceoff: 59
Central Scouting: 73 (NA Skaters)
Recruit Scouting: 62
Recrutes: 108

189th – D Andrew MacNiel, Kitchener (OHL)

The Habs stuck with a blueliner for their second pick of the sixth round, selecting Andrew MacNiel from Kitchener.  With a very limited showing for the Rangers this season, he was not in any ranking lists or draft guides.

Bio

Defence
Shoots: Right
DOB: July 25, 2007 – Cobourg, Ontario
Height: 6’3
Weight: 196 lbs

Statistics

209th – D Maxon Vig, Cedar Rapids (USHL)

The third second-time-eligible player selected by the Habs, Vig is Montreal’s only left-shot blueliner in their draft class.  He’s already committed to Bemidji State next season.  Like MacNiel, he isn’t ranked or in any draft guides.

Bio

Defence
Shoots: Left
DOB: November 17, 2005 – Bismarck, North Dakota
Height: 6’2
Weight: 212 lbs

Statistics