If the Canadiens are looking for a forward with the 16th pick at the NHL Draft, Dylan Holloway would be an excellent choice. A pro-size player with very good speed, he plays a two-way style at centre and can also play left wing.
Choosing a left-shot defenceman such as Ville Heinola with the 15th pick could allow the Canadiens to fill an organizational need while still picking the best player available.
If the Canadiens opt to look at a forward with the 15th pick at the NHL Entry Draft, speedy two-way centre Alex Newhook may be just the guy.
If the Canadiens are hoping to shore up their blue line with the third overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, the odds are they would target a left shot, puck-moving defenceman, and there is a player that fits the bill perfectly in American Quinn Hughes.
If the Habs are looking to add a power forward with the third-overall pick in next week’s draft, they’ll certainly be considering Boston University’s Brady Tkachuk.
If the Canadiens are looking to add some depth at centre with the 25th pick at the draft they could take a chance on Morgan Frost, who played with a strong Sault Ste. Marie squad in the OHL last season.
An option at pick 25 could very likely be Shane Bowers, a Canadian centre going the NCAA route. He played with Waterloo in the USHL last season and has committed to powerhouse Boston University for the 2017-18 campaign.
There’s a big American kid playing for the Windsor Spitfires that has been rocketing up draft lists in the second half of the season. When I say big, I mean huge – Logan Brown is already 6’6 and may still be growing. Brown has the potential to develop into the big, dynamic center that every team in the NHL craves, including the Canadiens.
The Canadiens have a plethora of players with some NHL potential in the minors. Unfortunately, most of the prospect pool in the minors, with the possible exceptions of Charles Hudon and Nikita Scherbak, lack high end offensive ability. With the 9th pick, the Canadiens might have the opportunity to remedy that lack with Tyson Jost.