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On top of trying to fill a longstanding need in the form of a second offensive centre, the Habs are also trying to find a winger to fill a role as well. Their prospect pool provides hope that eventually, the answer could come from within.
We’re going to try something a little different this year. Rather than do five-player segments, we’re going to go position by position and then do a full 1-49 prospect ranking at the end. Knowing how Martin St. Louis views his winger positioning as interchangeable, we’ll do the same here and cover the wingers by handedness only.
Overview
Here are the criteria that each player had to meet to be eligible to be in these rankings:
1) The player must be 24 years old or younger as of October 1, 2026
2) The player must have no greater than 50 games of NHL experience (including regular season and playoffs)
3) The player cannot be signed to an AHL contract
Left-Shot Wingers
1) Alexander Zharovsky, Salavat Yulaev (KHL)
Drafted 34th overall in 2025.
The Habs paid a high price to move up in the second round to get Zharovsky with the hopes that he could be a legitimate top-six winger. There is still a long way to go before determining that but so far, it’s fair to say he’s on the right track.
His first full KHL season saw him set the league record for most points by an under-19 player. That earned him three Rookie of the Month honours and Rookie of the Year. Not too shabby.
But this isn’t the second version of Ivan Demidov either. Zharovsky’s game isn’t as polished and his defensive attention to detail needs some work. It’s also worth noting his level of play tapered off toward the end of last season. He was playing more games in a tougher league so that’s perfectly understandable. But that perspective matters.
Zharovsky has one year left on his contract and at that point, he might be ready to join the Habs for a possible playoff run or come to North America next season. I’d like to think he could jump into the lineup right away but a top-six spot at that time is probably unlikely. Some patience will be required but he has become one of Montreal’s top prospects for a reason.
2) Gleb Pugachyov, Torpedo (KHL)
Drafted 26th overall in 2026.
Last year, Montreal’s scouts were tasked with finding a potential top-six talent in terms of skill with their first pick of the draft. Pugachyov, on the other hand, isn’t exactly known for his skill. Instead, he’s known for a mentality that, for now at least, often boils down to ‘see opponent, hit opponent’.
That gives him a high floor. Even if he becomes just a crash-and-bang winger whose skating is strong for his size, Pugachyov can carve out an NHL career doing that and being a good puck protector in board battles. The risk is considerably lower from a bust perspective compared to someone like Zharovsky, for example.
The Habs clearly envision Pugachyov being able to do more than that. Once he has a chance to get established full-time in the KHL (something that hasn’t happened yet) and then given a chance to move up the lineup, we’ll find out if there’s top-six upside offensively. If that happens, then he could become one of Montreal’s most valuable prospects in a hurry.
In the meantime, the Canadiens will need to start prioritizing penalty killing even more. Once Pugachyov makes it to the NHL, there’s a good chance he’s going to be a penalty magnet for a while as he learns what he can and can’t get away with. But generally speaking, even when he does, the team is going to need to be accepting of his penchant for penalties. If he can become a legitimate top-six power forward though, the tradeoff will be worth it.
3) Logan Sawyer, Providence (NCAA)
Drafted 78th overall in 2024.
Sawyer made the jump to college after being drafted and had a fairly quiet freshman year while making the jump from the BCHL, a level that’s a little below the WHL. Given that, the limited production was reasonable.
He was much better for the Friars last season, however. After an offseason that allowed him to fill out his frame a little better, he finished tied for second in the team in scoring with 28 points in 35 games on a lower-scoring team. The physicality was more prevalent as well while there were skating improvements. All of a sudden, he went from a project player to someone on the cusp of being a top-ten prospect in this system.
The best-case scenario is that Sawyer is a second-line player in the pros. I think he’s more of a third-liner realistically but could move up at times when injuries arise. That would be a solid return on a third-round pick. Halfway through his college career now, a strong showing next season could have Sawyer in consideration for a pro contract late in the spring.
4) Brett Berard, Laval (AHL)
Acquired in trade with NY Rangers in 2026.
In terms of the overall ranking, Berard is slotted a little higher than you might think at first glance. For someone whose spot slipped on New York’s depth chart last season, his stock is down a bit at the moment.
But there’s a reason he already has 48 NHL games under his belt, just narrowly qualifying for this prospect list. Berard may be undersized but he is quick and feisty with a willingness to play a physical game more befitting someone a few inches taller. There is a legitimate bottom-six profile, even if he’s more of a 12th or 13th forward overall. Waiver-eligible for the first time, he’d be my early pick to break camp as Montreal’s 13th forward as things stand.
There are players in this system with more potential. Heck, the one who comes next fits that bill. But given how close he is to making it on more of a full-time basis and his waiver eligibility, Berard debuts higher than this summer’s other change-of-scenery players.
5) Sasha Pastujov (Laval, AHL)
Acquired in trade with Anaheim in 2026.
The Habs have made four separate AHL ‘change-of-scenery’ trades this summer, including Berard above. Pastujov was the most recent of the group and the one who brings probably the most intrigue out of the four.
Offensively, Pastujov is well-rounded. He’s a strong playmaker who has a quality scoring touch, going back to his junior days when he was one of the top scorers in the OHL. He led AHL San Diego in scoring last season but despite that, he never got an opportunity in Anaheim.
The reason for that might be his skating. He’s not particularly fast and it takes a bit longer than most to get up to speed. Pastujov isn’t also particularly fond of the physical game and while his defensive game has come along since being drafted, it’s still not great. As a result, he profiles as someone who might not be able to play in a top six and lacks the all-around game to fit in a bottom six.
Players like that can still have some NHL success on the right line but their ceiling could also be a strong AHL top-liner. Chances are Pastujov fits in the latter category but he could be a key piece for the Rocket for a couple of years, assuming he clears waivers in the fall.
6) Sam Harris, Denver (NCAA)
Drafted 133rd overall in 2023.
I don’t think it’s entirely fair to say that Harris’ junior season hurt his stock much but I don’t think it helped. Yes, he had 35 points for the second straight year on a championship-winning team but he wasn’t the scoring threat that he was in his sophomore year. And for someone whose finishing skill is one of his better attributes, that’s a little concerning. His development arguably has stagnated a bit as a result.
It also surprised me a bit that he didn’t turn pro this summer as I’m not sure how much he has left to do with the Pioneers. Harris should at least get a chance to be a key top-six piece again but I can’t help but wonder if he’d have been better off going pro, assuming that the Canadiens were ready to sign him.
If all goes well, Harris projects to be a third liner, someone who brings some physicality to the table with some scoring touch. But there’s also a good chance that he becomes more of a solid AHL player than anything else. For a fifth-round pick, that still wouldn’t be half-bad.
7) Parker Trottier, Regina (WHL)
Drafted 189th overall in 2026.
Offence has been hard to come by for Trottier over his two seasons with the US National Team Development Program. But what got him drafted was the edge he brings to the table each and every shift. Basically, he’s a pesky pest. There’s definitely a fourth-line NHL profile for that type of player.
For Trottier to get a chance to fill that role, the production is going to need to improve. It’s good to see that he’s moving to the WHL next season where he should get to face a higher level of competition, then making the jump to UND in 2027-28 to do it again. That means he’s a long way from being ready to turn pro.
At this point, Trottier’s ceiling appears to be limited. Basically, it’s fourth liner or bust. But Montreal doesn’t have many prospects like him, and that might give him a chance down the road if all goes well over the next few years.
8) Ty Smilanic, Inactive
Acquired in trade with Florida in 2022.
This is one of those ‘here by technicality’ rankings. Smilanic last played with ECHL Trois-Rivieres in 2023-24 but by leaving college early to do so and not signing an NHL contract, Montreal will hold his rights indefinitely. This will be his final season on the list.
Jack Smith also technically qualifies for this list. However, he’ll be released next weekend (before the October 1 eligibility date), so there’s no point in covering him here.
