We’ve reached the top half of our final first-round draft rankings. As things stand, the Canadiens pick once in this tier while also holding the next spot after that. This means that two players on this list could be options for them on Friday night.

Our next section of draft-eligible prospects covers one of Montreal’s current draft slots. It’s quite possible that by this time next week, someone from this group will be one of their newest players.

By the time the draft rolls around to Montreal’s picks at 16 and 17, there will be a temptation to take some big swings on toolsy players.  But there are also safe and dependable players to take in that range.  Logan Hensler falls in the latter category but will merit serious consideration if he’s still on the board when the Canadiens are picking.

The next group of prospects in our final rankings are ones that Montreal would be unlikely to consider with their first-round selections but if they were to trade down or some of these players drop to the second round, they could garner consideration from the Canadiens.

There is a thought that throwback, old-school defencemen aren’t as important in today’s NHL.  But Kashawn Aitcheson is a combination of that old-school player with enough skill to be an impactful player for an NHL team down the road, warranting consideration at Montreal’s two first-round selections if he’s still on the board.

Throughout this regime’s history and a logical look at the needs of the team, it remains doubtful that the Habs use both picks they currently hold in this round. Montreal owns Picks 41 and 49 in this round at the time of publication. Here are some players that appear poised to be selected in those ranks. 

There’s a high-scoring forward in this upcoming draft, with a surname very familiar to Montreal fans. Justin Carbonneau is that highly touted player, and although he’s no relation to Canadiens legend Guy Carbonneau, he is ranked in this year’s draft around the middle of the first round.