Montreal’s prospect pool has gotten a lot deeper over the past year as a result of extra draft picks and veterans being moved out for prospects. As a result, this is the deepest we’ve gone in our rankings series. We begin with the bottom seven.
While the month of January wasn’t a successful one for the Habs, the same can’t be said for their prospects as several of them had standout performances, earning themselves a spot in our Three Stars.
The 2023 NHL Entry Draft is shaping up to be a critical one for the Habs. Accordingly, we present our first-round rankings for June’s festivities, beginning with the top eight prospects and how they might fit in with the Canadiens.
Last week was an opportunity for the Rocket as they were against teams behind them in the standings. They didn’t quite make the most of it but didn’t lose much ground either as they picked up a win and a pair of overtime losses.
When a player is sent back to junior, it is difficult for an NHL team to recall them but it’s possible if enough emergency recalls are used. That’s the case for the Habs and they’ve opted to pull someone up from the junior ranks, recalling Owen Beck from Peterborough of the OHL.
While Laval’s roster currently features many players that have spent time at the ECHL level this season, they managed to put together one of their more successful weeks, picking up five of six points to move back into the final play-in spot for the time being.
Between their own injuries and Montreal’s lengthy additions to their IR list, Laval doesn’t have the strongest of lineups right now. However, they were able to muster up enough offence to pick up a win and stay within striking distance of a play-in spot.
Getting shots on goal wasn’t a problem for Laval last week as they averaged over 45 per game. However, it didn’t result in as much success in the standings as they were hoping for as they played to a 1-1-1 record.
While the focus right now is on the prospects at the top of the draft, there’s still a reasonable chance that at least one of their selections falls to the back of the lottery. With that in mind, here’s a look at three possible picks in that range.
Unlike their NHL counterparts, Laval finished off 2022 on a high note with a pair of important victories over division-rival Syracuse. In doing so, they have pulled themselves out of the division basement for the time being.