Looking ahead: We’re at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on June 28, the first-round night of the NHL Draft. After the first four picks, the logic was relatively respected and Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson and Will Smith, in order or disorder, were the first four players selected.
• Read also – The CH and the dilemma Matvei Michkov, Russian gem whose father has just been found dead in a pond in Sochi
• Read also – Connor Bedard lottery: no consolation prize for the Canadian
The Montreal Canadiens must now make a difficult decision: choose the young Russian prodigy Matvei Michkov, despite all the risks that entails, or turn to a safer bet.
Michkov’s case has been well documented for several months. His contractual situation in the KHL, the situation in Russia with the war in Ukraine and the death of his father in nebulous circumstances make his selection difficult to predict, even if many consider him the second best hope of the vintage if we only rely on pure talent. The colleague Jean-François Chaumont has also explained it well in a paper that you can read here.
Let’s get inside the heads of Kent Hughes and his team, and assume that management feels Michkov’s selection is too risky. The Canadian has had some failures with his early selections in recent years (we salute Jesperi Kotkaniemi) and the leaders think that they cannot afford to use a fifth choice in total on a player who may never make the jump in North America.
Who are the other candidates that the organization might be interested in at this rank?
Here are some possible solutions:
Ryan Leonard
Right winger
American
6’0″, 192 lbs.
Date of birth: January 21, 2005
United States Under-18 Team (USNTDP)
94 points (51 goals, 43 assists) in 57 games
Leonard spent the season on the same line of Will Smith, which many fans would like to see end up in Montreal, with the American national under-18 development program. Leonard isn’t as creative as Smith, but he plays a north-south style that should allow him to adapt well to professional hockey. It was he who scored the winning goal in overtime against the Swedes to allow the United States to win gold at the last World Under-18 Hockey Championship.
Quote from a recruiter:I like his speed, he beats defenders out wide and he cuts in the middle. He does not stay on the periphery. He also stands out for the quality of his shooting. He’s always engaged and he’s not afraid of heavy traffic– A recruiter from the East
Dalibor Dvorsky
Photo Dale Preston/Getty Images/AFP
left-handed center
Slovak
6’1″, 201 lbs.
Date of birth: June 15, 2005
AIK (Allsvenskan, Swedish second division)
14 points (6 goals, 8 assists) in 38 games
The connection between Dvorsky and the Canadian is easy to make. The team selected fellow Slovaks Juraj Slafkovsky and Filip Mesar in the first round last year and the 17-year-old center would complete the line-up. Considered a long-time top prospect, Dvorsky saw his ratings skyrocket at the last World Under-18 Championship, a tournament in which he trailed Slovakia with 13 points in 7 games, helping them reach the bronze final they escaped against Canada.
Quote from a recruiter: A talented center offensively. His complete game surprised me, he gets physically involved – a western recruiter
David Reinbacher
Right-handed defender
Austrian
6’2″, 187 lbs.
Date of birth: October 25, 2004
EHC Kloten (National League A, Switzerland)
22 points (3 goals, 19 assists) in 46 games
There is a lot of talk about the attackers available for CH in fifth place, but David Reinbacher should not be underestimated. The Austrian defender has enjoyed a remarkable season in Switzerland’s professional league and, already, comparisons to the meteoric rise of Moritz Seider are being drawn. The great right-handed defender would fill an obvious need on the right of the defense of the Canadian which counts on many good young left-handed defenders. He will represent Austria at the World Hockey Championship and could raise his rating even further.
Quote from a recruiter:He’s not just offensive and he will play big minutes in the NHL. He can become a first pair guy. It may not be a Seider, but a possible Charlie McAvoy, a little less intense.– a western recruiter
Zach Benson
Photo courtesy, Winnipeg Ice
Left winger
Canadian
5’9″, 163 lbs.
Date of birth: May 12, 2005
Winnipeg Ice (WHL)
98 points (36 goals, 62 assists) in 60 games
Zach Benson has undeniable qualities: his sense of the game, his skill with the puck and his hard work make him a leading prospect in this vintage. However, it will be interesting to see if he can interest the Canadian considering the fact that he is 5ft 9in tall. The organization already has several small forwards and it will be interesting to see if Benson’s raw talent will make the Habs forget the fact that he is not helping to raise the team’s average height and weight. .
Quote from a recruiter:Zach Benson, it can become Brayden Point– a western recruiter