The top eight is a spot that the Habs likely went into this season not expecting to draft in but some inconsistent play makes it a possibility. Who are the best players available in the upcoming draft class?

Last week was a tough one for Laval as their injury-riddled roster wasn’t able to take full advantage of a lighter week on the schedule in terms of their opponents. As a result, they no longer hold down the top spot in the North Division.

With Montreal sliding back in the standings as of late, it’s possible that their first-round pick might not fall in this category but a hot streak could change that in a hurry. If that happens, there are some intriguing names that could be available in the back half of the lottery at the draft.

One of Montreal’s prospects is set to make his season debut on Wednesday night.  The Habs announced that defenceman David Reinbacher has been activated off season-opening IR and has been assigned to Laval.

A beaten and banged up Laval team had a tough last few games, only managing one win out of three while losing handily to a pair of division rivals as well.

With Montreal potentially landing Calgary’s first-round pick this year (top-ten protected), they could find themselves with a draft pick that falls just outside the draft lottery. Here are some players to keep an eye on in that range.

As things stand, the Habs don’t have a pick that’s expected to fall at the back of the first round but that could change if they acquire one before the trade deadline or if they wind up with Florida’s pick from the original Sean Monahan trade.

With the NHL on an extended break for the 4 Nations Face-Off, it’s time to update our draft rankings. We begin with the players rated 33 through 64 that could go in the second round.

January wasn’t the best of months for the Habs but it was Laval’s best one of the season while many unsigned prospects had strong showings as well. Here are our three stars for the month.