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This is likely the only area in the draft where the Habs have the assets to trade up if they had a prospect they truly coveted. However, given their recent results, I find it far more likely that they end up sacrificing their first-round selection in a move to help the current iteration of the club.

Having said that, this remains an interesting short list of players to examine for Montreal as there are definitely candidates to fall and remain available for them. This is particularly true because the bulk of this list are wingers and some of the later-ranked centre options could become favoured by teams willing to take a chance for the position. Who will remain available at 28 is anyone’s guess, and while that isn’t completely uncommon, it is intriguing to see who the Habs will target.

#17 – Oliver Suvanto

Tappara (Liiga) – C

Start of season rank: 22 Midseason rank: 16

As a 6’3 pivot, Suvanto already moves quite within his large frame. That he’s on the young end of this draft class also bodes quite well. His NHL comparable is likely Anton Lundell in that Suvanto is extremely reliable in his own end but lacks the high-end offensive flashes to make him a consistent threat in the offensive zone. He did score 11 points in 48 Liiga games, so he’s not exactly an offensive black hole either. In a draft class that is a little shallow at the centre position, it’s entirely possible that Suvanto is gone by the 17th pick. Almost impossible he makes it to the Habs.

#18 – Nikita Klepov

Saginaw Spirit (OHL) – LW

Start of season rank: 28  Midseason rank: 24

With 97 points in 67 games, Klepov was the first rookie to win the scoring title in the OHL since Patrick Kane. The skill is obvious, but his commitment on defence remains a question mark, as is his skating and physicality. There is a team that is likely to fall in love with his raw tools that will hope to be able to round out the rest of his game. But he still holds a high floor as a middle-six option which is his most likely destination. The American-born Klepov has played in the US for the last three seasons, and he’s already committed to Michigan State University in the Fall. While I’ve seen some scouts compare Klepov to Alexander Zharovsky, I find the latter to be much more of a boom-or-bust pick, so selecting Klepov at 28th if he falls might be a nice complementary pick for the Habs as opposed to more of the same.

#19 – Ilia Morozov

Miami University (NCAA) – C

Start of season rank: 45 Midseason rank: 26

Staying on topic with Russians playing in the US, the youngest player in college hockey continued to impress with his 200-foot game. At 6’3, he was also one of the largest players in college hockey which helped him amass 20 points in 36 games. While those numbers don’t jump off the page, it is worth noting that Morozov is most known for being a big, strong, and smart centre playing a very physical and responsible brand of hockey. The offence might be hard to project, but the profile is one of a high floor with a team willing to take a bet on being able to unlock the rest of his game. Should he find himself available at 28, he becomes an interesting gamble for the Canadiens who are already quite filled at the top end of their roster and would love to fill out the bottom of their roster with someone with this style and intensity.

#20 – Alexander Command 

Orebro U20 (U20 Nationell) – C

Start of season rank – 60 Midseason rank: 31

Ultra-reliable and hard-working are the most used words around Command. He lost his games at times over the season after being bounced around a bit. In the end, he scored no points in six SHL games, but 44 points in 30 U20 Nationell games. He’s a player that professional coaches will love because he’s so predictable in his efforts. He lacks a bit of the high-end flashiness, so it wouldn’t be the craziest outcome to see fall to the later-20s in selection. Like Morozov, this is a high-floor pick, maybe even a higher floor, but a lesser ceiling also.

#21 – Xavier Villeneuve

Armada de Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL) – LHD

Start of season rank: 11 Midseason rank: 12

He’s 5’11 and known to compete extremely hard and make excellent decisions with or without the puck. The size is the obvious concern on the blue line for the Boston University-committed defender. He plays with risk though and he ended up missing most of the second half of the season with an injury that is sure to explain this drop in the ranking. Raw skills and his 38 points in 27 games this season say he should be higher, but it’s unlikely that NHL scouts learn their lessons after years of seeking size and skill combination. Ironically, the size factor is why I don’t select him if I’m the Habs. As good as he might be, they can only carry so many small players and they are already flirting with that limitation in my estimation.

#22 – J.P. Hurlbert

Kamloops Blazers (WHL) – LW

Start of season rank: 25 Midseason rank: 21

Hurlbert impressed many at the combine with his demeanour, so don’t be overly surprised if a team ends up taking the risk of selecting him sooner. This American player opted for the CHL and provided major value for the Blazers with 97 points in 68 games. He’s now listed at the six-foot mark, which will also help how he is seen by many teams. He moves well and his top quality remains his intelligent play all over the ice. This is a skill play and a player profile in a sniper that could fit very well on the Habs if he is available.

#23 – Elton Hermansson

MoDo Hockey (Allsvenskan) – RW

Start of season rank: 16 Midseason rank: 15

He started the season with a strong Hlinka-Gretzky where he scored 11 points before scoring nine more points in 13 U20 games. He played the rest of the season with MoDo in Allsvenskan, where he scored 21 points in 38 games. Finally, he capped off his season with 12 points in seven games for the Gold Medal-winning Swedish team. So why the drop in ranking? Well, Hermansson is wiry as he’s listed well under 200lbs for a kid that is 6’1. His compete on the defensive side isn’t consistent and the physicality is lacking. The offensive tools appear to be intriguing so where he actually gets selected is a bit of a wild card.

#24 – Liam Ruck

Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) – RW

Start of season rank: 49 Midseason rank: 44

Absolutely no one benefitted more from the departure of Gavin McKenna and Cayden Lindstrom than the Ruck brothers and the tale of their draft rankings display that reality. Liam went from a 41-point season to 104 this season with the added ice time and responsibilities. Liam’s skill set of finding the open lane and having a great release on his shot are believed to be a bit easier to project at the next level, so he gets the jump on his brother in draft rankings, but it will be interesting to see if a team tries to position itself to keep them together. That team is unlikely to be the Habs.