Canadiens Clean Up At Draft

It started soundly enough. Day one saw the Canadiens avoid the lure of the #3 defencemen on offer and took an offensive center instead.

Though he's already being touted as a solution to the Habs undersized centre stable, he's only an inch taller than the guys they are calling small at this draft and on the Habs. Maybe he plays big? We'll have to see if he does in the NHL.

So with Galchenyuk, the Habs at least grab a a forward. My choice would have been to ignore the sudden pessimism and take Grigorenko anyway. He's bigger and can play with speed and size. The worry justified his drop. But then the Habs could have dropped into lower position with a barometer on the situation and pulled another steal on a day they were fleecing the other GMs (Day 2).

If we say I was warm on Galchenyuk, I was downright delighted when the picks started rolling in on Saturday.

Sebastien Collberg is the kind of player I'd have touted if the Habs were picking in their traditional 14-20 spot. He is a natural goalscorer with that Swedish background. This is no Minnesota High School flash in the pan. He has shown his stripes at major international tournaments already. It's a risk like all forwards are, but a much better one than one would have expected at #33 in a weak draft.

Tim Bozon is another coup on my books. The Habs get a French-speaking, high-flying WHL scorer in the early third round. 36 goals in the WHL is rare enough, but rarer as a rookie. The WHL, being the tough league it is, gives a good sense of the potential of a scorer and I think Bozon has a chance to succeed in his quest for NHL hockey. A great find at the position he was taken.

Dalton Thrower was a high scoring WHL defenceman in a year where that was the vogue. A second rounder in the end, with his stats, he could have looked just as natural as a mid first rounder. He's labelled a small player at 5'11", but again, he is only being towered over by Matthew Dumba by an inch and a couple of points. The highly touted Pouliot outscored Dalton by 5 points and did so with an NHL first round blueline partner. Another thing to like is that Thrower already plays with Darren Dietz, a Canadiens prospect from the last go around, and one that looks to be showing enough progress to make it one day himself.


Those are the big 4. But the Habs add a little icing on the cake with their final two picks as well.

Charles Hudon was ranked as the 5th best prospect from the QMJHL for the 2012 draft by Hockey's Future and the first originating from La Belle Province. What a coup for the Canadiens to nab this guy when they did considering the factors at play. He is small, but are we honestly still writing off all small players? Good thing for Habs most GMs are stuck in that mindset. Hope they enjoy their giant 6'1" players.

Brady Vail is a stout OHLer with a good defensive game from a top franchise. A fourth round pick with those credentials is par for the course. He projects currently as a bottom six forward, but one can't ask for top liners throughout. At least this Chipchura-like resume didn't cost an 18th overall pick.

Finally, Erik Nystrom. I have asked over and over that Montreal take care of the Swedish scouting situation and it's a pick like this that shows some confidence that they are moving in the right direction. Nystrom is an off the charts player and one still in the lower ranks of Swedish hockey. But guess what? To get your true steals (Zetterberg, Datsyuk), one has to dig deeper, else the player is know by everyone and reserved for the Oilers in June. The limited info we have on this guy is that he plays offensive hockey (check), with skill (check) and speed (check). He's a bit of a shot in the dark, but with a dazzling end of year p0layoff campaign, the Habs must have seen something they liked. And without risking too much they have loaded up on more intrigue.


Overall, a good haul indeed.

By my count, 3 well-proven goalscorers, a good offensive defenceman, a homegrown prospect, an all-rounder from a good club and a big swing on something they think they spotted. This is the kind of draft that can reignite the fires of skeptics. Worked for me.

What do the 2007/8 Canadiens need?

In looking at what we need, I think it is useful to look at what we have, what we have coming and what we don't and where we want to get to.

In my opinion, we have goaltenders to take us to the playoffs. Huet is very good, so is Halak and I think Danis is capable. Price, while obviously on the cusp of something, should be given time to mature a bit.

Our defense has been sub-par in my opinion for a very long time. We depend on the goalie too much. Markov is great. Komisarek can hit, but shouldn't be depended on to carry too much of the load yet – so keeping him with Markov is a good idea. That's 1 pairing. Beyond that there's plenty of room for improvement. We could cobble together a 3rd pairing from the guys we have now and those in Hamilton easily, but I would like some 2nd/3rd type defensemen added. Bouillon with the right player could be very effective, so could Streit. So really one big number 2 type guy (or number 1 if we're allowed to dream).

Personally, I would let Souray go. He has that shot, but he doesn't answer the need on defense. Paying him big money would mean lots of ice time. I would prefere not to witness that experiment again. If he were replaced by someone who could skate, pass and defend better than he does, I think his shot could be replaced by a forward, or possibly by a new strategy on the PP.

Our forwards look better than the defense. I like Koivu and Higgins together. I even like Ryder with them. But if it's a question of Ryder or Kovalev running on "all" cylinders, I would choose Kovalev – on the top line. Plekanec is not quite a second center (not with wingers just below the grade as well), but he could be if he found chemistry with some younger guys.

Again, personally, I think Latendresse needs some time. There will be a place for him on the PP, but I think it's second line or fourth at the moment. Kostitsyn, to me, is a more intriguing prospect. He showed determination and skill at points. If he could reproduce that form, I'd see Ryder's place in jeopardy.

3rd and 4th lines look great to me. We have lots of pieces that just fit right in there. Plekanec slides back into this position nicely. Chipchura would fit for me as a 4th line center until he learns the NHL (which I don't think would take long), at which point he's the 3rd line center for years to come. Begin and Lapierre could play together or one on each line. Lapierre showed maturity in the Hamilton run. I went from very sceptical on him to thoroughly impressed. Milroy has shown good progression, though am not sold. Could be another Ryder though. Garth Murray will never be more than he is now, but he is serviceable on the 4th line. Some Bulldogs could fit in easily here too.


The way I see it, that adds up to needing a defenseman to replace (and improve upon) Souray, and a forward for the top two lines. If we obtain a top winger, I'd like to see him or Kovalev with Koivu. If it's a center (and I hope it is), then we can keep Higgins on Koivu's wing, and play the new addition with either Kovalev or Ryder and Kostitsyn or Latendresse.


So who? Among the free agents I would pick Timonen and Forsberg. But since money is an object. I might take a downgrade on either. Possibly Hamrlik on defense. Possibly Handzus or Nylander on C.

If it's a trade, I really like Marleau for one of our wingers, then signing Nagy. On D, maybe someone like Sydor from Dallas.


Looking forward to seeing how it develops. Draft should be fun...