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A Complete Mock Draft for the Montreal Canadiens

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Montreal Canadiens

A Complete Mock Draft

by Robert Rice, Senior Writer, AllHabs.net 

TORONTO, ON — With knowledge of exactly where the Montreal Canadiens will be drafting, I humbly make my offering of a potential drafting order for the Montreal in the upcoming NHL Draft. These assessments were attained using a median comparison of the draft rankings of the McKeen’s Hockey and Future Considerations Draft Guides. Any player projected within five spots of any pick in the 2nd round or later is considered ‘in play’ due to the uncertainties of any draft.

The number of each of these picks is an estimate based on the current projection at Habs Prospects, which I then compensated for because of the forfeited pick.

 

The Montreal Canadiens currently possess picks in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th rounds of the 2012 NHL Draft.

 

1st round: 3rd overall

2nd round: 33rd overall, 51st overall (Coming via the Hal Gill to Nashville trade)

3rd round: 64th overall

4th round: 94th overall

5th round: 122nd overall

6th round: 154th overall

 

 

First Round:

With the 3rd overall pick, the Montreal Canadiens are proud to select:

 

C Alexander Galchenyuk of the Sarnia Sting, OHL.

 Height: 6’1”

Weight: 190 pounds
Shoots: Left

Galchenyuk possesses elite hands that allow him to make precision passes at will or score with a deadly snap shot, but he is considered a playmaker first. Hockey sense and on-ice vision are considered major strengths, Galchenyuk arguably bows to no one in the entire draft in this category. Skating is not an issue, even with a lingering knee injury there have been no concerns in the overall mechanics of his skating since his return. Physical play is a part of Galchenyuk’s game, he will engage physically to make a play and is very good at protecting the puck when he holds it. Galchenyuk’s dedication to conditioning and on-ice work ethic offer the very enticing package of the character player who possesses elite skill to make himself that much more of a threat on the ice. Galchenyuk is potentially the most complete player in the draft and a future star.

Organizational Benefit: A blue-chip centre in the system with top-line potential. Galchenyuk fills out essentially every check mark the Canadiens, or any other NHL team might be looking for in a Number One Centre in an overall talent package.

 

Second Round:

With the 33rd overall pick, the Montreal Canadiens are proud to select:

 

LW Stefan Matteau, US National Team Development Program

 

Height: 6’-1.5”

Weight: 210 pounds
Shoots: Left

The Canadiens look to boost their forward talent crop and put a strong power forward candidate into their system for the first time in several draft years. Matteau plays more of the classic power forward, tending to put his weight behind all of his checks and playing a bit over the edge at times, taking penalties or even suspensions in the process. Has a strong shot and displays some talent as a playmaker. His skating projects well as a potential NHL forward and when mixed with his aggressive style, paints a picture of a player no one is going to like forechecking in on them.

Organizational Benefit: Adds a talented skater to the left wing position, a current depth issue in the farm system and provides a potential heir apparent to Erik Cole. Matteau’s background also grants the team an added benefit in the ‘hometown talent’ department.

 

With the 51st overall pick, the Montreal Canadiens are proud to select:

 

RW Brian Hart, Philips Exeter, US High School Hockey.

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 215 pounds
Shoots: Right

The Canadiens double up on power wingers in this draft, selecting the Harvard-bound Brian Hart. Hart brings pure force to any game he plays, taking advantage of his size to drive right to the net and does not slow down in the process. Possesses one of the hardest wrist shots in this draft and uses it with frequency while showing good possession skills. A good skater, moves faster than one would expect for a skater of his size. Questionable work in the defensive zone however is a drawback to his game at this stage. Criticisms arise that he has only dominated High School hockey, while others feel his laid-back attitude at times was because he was simply too good for his current level of competition and eased off. Until he plays at a higher level his ability to play at higher levels will be in dispute.

Organizational Benefit: Adds another power forward into the team system, this time with a right-handed shot. With both Matteau and Hart, Montreal will have two viable power forward prospects for the first time in many years.

 

3rd Round:

 

With the 64th overall pick, the Montreal Canadiens are proud to select:

 

D Dillon Fournier, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, QMJHL.

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 170 pounds
Shoots: Left

Fournier possesses attractive qualities in his offensive instincts, smooth skating and good passing ability. Primary drawbacks are present are his underdeveloped physical frame and concerns about his decision making. However, his overall size, skating and offensive talent make him a reasonable choice, if not a steal as he’s flown under the radar this season playing through a poor season by the Huskies. He will be a project player for some time however given his need to add weight to his frame.

Organizational Benefit: Adds another sized defencemen with offensive upside to the system. Like Matteau, Fournier adds to ‘hometown talent’ to the system.

 

4th Round:

With the 94th overall pick, the Montreal Canadiens are proud to select:

LW Mitchell Moroz, Edmonton Oil Kings, WHL.

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 210 pounds
Shoots: Left

Moroz is a very engaged checker, doesn’t mind being hit and will drop the gloves if he is challenged. He’s displayed an ability to protect the puck while on offence and as a penalty killer. His skating has flaws in it’s acceleration but he reaches a very good speed once he’s moving. Limited puck skills and offensive vision likely relegate him as at best, a third to fourth line checking forward.

Organizational Benefit: Left wing depth is important and Montreal adds a checking forward that will bring a physical nature to the team at the same time.

 

5th round:

 With the 122nd overall pick, The Montreal Canadiens are proud to select

 C Ryan Olsen, Kelowna Rockets, WHL

 Height: 6’2”

Weight: 180 pounds

Shoots: Right

 A project player, Olsen offers Montreal the chance to add some low-risk depth to their depth at centre. He offers good size, but needs to learn to utilize it more effectively and fill out. Possesses a good skating stride, but it could use improvement. He displays very good hockey smarts and has a decent shot. Production is below what was expected of him however considering the tools at his disposal.

 Organizational Benefit: The Canadiens are a bit light on skilled centres and Olsen lets them add a good project into their system.  

 

6th Round:

With the 154th overall pick, the Montreal Canadiens are proud to select:

 

RW Vladislav Shalimov, Val-d’Or Foreurs, QJMHL.

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 180 pounds
Shoots: Right

Shalimov represents a typical low-risk, high-reward choice of the 6th round. Shalimov is considered to have a high talent level and can play dominantly, but displays issues with consistency and arguably work ethic. At this point, teams are fortunate to find a player who can fire a puck on net with accuracy, so Shalimov is a worthy choice by benefit of having skills and potentially the ability to learn consistency.

Organizational Benefit: Scoring forwards are elusive, if Shalimov can realise his potential, they get a good-sized scoring winger for very little invested.

 

 

17 COMMENTS

  1. With these picks, no one would be able to “mock” the Canadiens. 4 out of 6 would be great assuming Galchenyuk was one of them. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

  2. So does this mean you would take Galchenyuk over Grigorenko, or do you feel Grigorenko will go #2? I sort of feel like he’ll be the better pick (between him and Galchenyuk), but don’t think Columbus will take a chance on a ‘lazy’ Russian so figure he’ll be there at #3.

    Having said that I’m not a scout, and my predictions have been wrong before. -shrug-

    • I believe Grigorenko has a higher talent ceiling, but I suspect Galchenyuk is more likely to reach his best potential and be more consistent.

      I’ve personally read too many scouting reports regarding the issues surrounding Grigorenko to put my weight behind taking him at 3rd overall.

  3. Nice choices sir and cant really argue against, but there are some good looking kids to pick and choose from in top 63 and Moroz is a dandy choice at 93rd. Dont know about Russian

    I would take Galchenyuk at 3 if available also (if not then Dumba).
    Tim Bozon at 32nd
    Lukas Sutter at 50th
    Branden Troock at 63rd
    Andreas Athanasiou at 93rd
    Jujhar Khaira at 153rd.

    But, given Timmins track record, he will likely swap picks to move up or down.
    I will guess he will trade down again and give up a 2nd rounder for 2 3rd rounders (2012, 2013).

    • I think it will depend on who’s available really. If Timmins really likes a guy available at 50, he’ll take him. Teams will trade down if they think their BPA and more can be had later.

      IMO, Shalimov is a pretty shallow risk as a 6th-rounder, not much of a chance he’s a player but if he is, easy steal!

      • Russians just scare crap out of me and if ever disgruntled, they can and do just say ‘Screw You I am going home!”
        And with so many scandinavian/chl/ncaa guys, why even bother with long shot russian like Trunev,etc, just simply pain in ass and total waste of pick.
        Grab the jumbo 6’6″ d-man from PEI or Cape Breton with late pick instead.

        • The reason nobody takes the jumbo D-man at the 6th round is b/c they can’t skate, or do anything with the puck typically. NA is generally picked clean by then and most of Scandinavia too.

          Russian talent lasts this long b/c of the risk so it’s available late in the draft. So few flip out of the 6th round, it’s time to take risks in my view.

  4. I think we will be choosing a goaltender in this year’s draft..Yea, Price is our franchise, but what else do we have in the system that even resembles a potential starting NHL tender?

    • I think we’ll see one of the bigger-name free agent goalie prospects, Brandon Maxwell or Aaron Dell signed pretty soon. Habs could take a goalie, TBH there was just no one I really liked in these listings where the Habs were selecting.

  5. serious,

    fournier is not a great pick. he can skate. yes. but that’s about it. culkin was better at 10 years old through to major junior, and culkin has a better chance of making it to the pro’s. doesn’t have the french name, but neither is fournier a mother tongue francophone. he’s a west island kid like the rest of the lions AAA players, and will not be a RDS favorite if that’s what you are thinking.

    i’m not sold on mattheau either. his father didn’t have much talent and the son is a carbon copy of the father. I think the scouts have him too high, and I would not go there in the 2nd round. In fact, your 3rd round pick is much more likely to blossom into an NHL player than mattheau.

    just my humble opinions.

    • Fournier’s still local talent and I have a few draft sources speaking very highly of the kid as a late 2nd/high 3rd pick.

      As per Matteau, again I’m working from my draft guides that hold him as a late 1st/early 2nd. They seem to like his skills well enough.

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