During Montreal’s run to the Eastern Conference Final, a lack of size and grit started to become more noticeable as the series went on. As a result, they could be looking to address that at the draft next week. If so, winger Casey Mutryn could be one to watch for at 28th overall.
Bio
Right Wing
Shoots: Right
DOB: July 5th, 2008
Height: 6′3
Weight: 206 lbs
Rankings
Elite Prospects: 31
Daily Faceoff: 35
The Hockey News (Ferrari): 21
TSN (Craig Button): 43
NHL Central Scouting (N. American): 24
Sportsnet (Bukala): 40
Smaht Scouting: 23
McKeen’s Hockey: 55
Statistics
Scouting Report
It should be noted that last year, the Habs took a swing for top-six skill when they took Alexander Zharovsky, more of a boom-or-bust player. Mutryn is on the opposite end of the scale. Whereas Zharovsky was a high-ceiling player, Mutryn is a high-floor one. But the attributes that he has are ones the Canadiens could certainly use.
Simply put, he has the makings of a power forward. He’s physical and uses his size to his advantage in both puck and board battles. Mutryn is more than conscientious defensively. He’s viewed as a leader and one of the harder workers in this draft class as well. These are all elements that are useful at all times but are especially useful in the postseason.
You probably all remember one of the quotes former GM Marc Bergevin was known for with the Habs which was along the lines of: There are players who get you to the playoffs and players who get you through them. Mutryn is one of the players in the latter category.
But there’s a reason he’s rated as a late first-round pick or an early second-round selection by many publications. To this point in his development, his offensive skillset is somewhat limited. He gets a lot of points on the power play while standing in front of the net which is nice but he’s not a great shooter by any stretch. In terms of playmaking, he showed some strides there this season, providing a bit of cause for optimism on that front.
If Mutryn developed according to plan, he’d probably be a high-end third liner who could move up in the lineup in a pinch when injuries arise or lines need to be shuffled. But, as Josh Anderson has shown the last couple of years, someone with a limited offensive ceiling can still make their mark when the games matter most. Mutryn has a lot of similar attributes (minus the quick skating stride) and could plausibly fill a similar role. And the Habs are hoping to have a lot of those types of competitive playoff games in the years to come.
Timeline
Mutryn is committed to Boston College although it’s unclear if he’ll debut there next season or in 2027-28, which was the original plan. If it’s the former, he’ll probably need two years there and potentially one in the minors before being ready for regular NHL duty. If it’s the latter, add a year to that. If things went perfectly to plan, Mutryn could be one who plays two college seasons and makes the jump to the pros in April of that second year. That’s the more optimistic outlook but as someone who profiles as a key playoff player, he could get that opportunity.