Canadiens Wrap: Mock Drafts, Top 2024 NHL Draft Targets, Trades

MONTREAL — There’s always Montreal Canadiens content to absorb, but it’s not always possible to stay up to date with every breaking story. On Sundays, we recap the most exciting and relevant NHL news stories that you may have missed throughout the week so that you can stay in the Canadiens loop.

Monday

• According to a recent analysis, the Montreal Canadiens own one of the top prospect groups in the NHL, headlined by phenom Lane Hutson and fifth-overall pick David Reinbacher. There’s still room for improvement when it comes to the overall quality of the prospects, but their depth should provide them with many options moving forward.  [Montreal Canadiens Prospect Pool Among Best Ranked In NHL]

• While the NHL does reward failure with high draft picks, it has put a rule in place to avoid giving the first overall pick to the same club within a specific time frame. Fortunately, the rule was put into place after the Habs drafted Juraj Slafkovsky first overall in 2022.  [NHL Draft Lottery Rule Works To Montreal Canadiens Advantage]

• Prospect Oliver Kapanen will represent Finland at the 2024 World Championship.

Tuesday

• The 2024 NHL Draft Lottery took place on Tuesday, so MHN decided to simulate the outcome to predict what the first 16 picks could look like come June 28. [MHN Pre-Lottery 2024 NHL Mock Draft]

• Nick Suzuki’s decision to decline Team Canada’s invite to the 2024 World Championship continues to be criticized by out-of-market pundits who seem to be questioning Suzuki’s dedication to hockey. Truth be told, few players around the NHL have shown the same type of passion and commitment to their NHL team. [Canadiens Facts: Suzuki’s Dedication To Hockey Beyond Reproach]

• Bob McKenzie released his latest 2024 NHL Draft rankings, which act as a consolidated list built upon the opinions of several NHL scouts. This gives Habs fans a pretty good idea of the players that could join the team this summer. [Habs Prospects McKenzie Draft List Gives Canadiens Fans Insight To Possible Pick]

Wednesday

• It’s finally official! The 2024 NHL Draft Lottery revealed that the Montreal Canadiens will pick fifth overall at the upcoming entry draft. Statistically speaking, the Habs were more likely to drop a spot than they were to maintain the fifth pick, making this a favourable result for Kent Hughes’ team. As an aside, Chicago did not win the first overall pick, which means the rest of the NHL won on Tuesday night. [2024 NHL Draft Lottery Unveils Canadiens Draft Pick Position]

• Please welcome Cam Weitzman to the MHN team! Cam will use his solid hockey background to offer insight into specific plays, player growth, and more. His first article discusses the improvements made by Juraj Slafkovsky in 2024. [Canadiens Analysis: How Slafkovsky Improved His Overall Play]

• The Habs should be able to put their hands on three players with NHL potential this summer.

• Slafkovsky is currently in Czechia taking part in the 2024 World Championship for Team Slovakia.

Thursday

• Now that the Montreal Canadiens know exactly when they’re drafting with their first pick in 2024 we can start to narrow down the options. The Habs are likely to puck a forward, but depending on how the first round unfolds the best player available may very well be a defenceman.  [Montreal Canadiens Top 2024 NHL Draft Targets Already Unveiled]

• Speaking of the upcoming draft, the NHL ran their early mock drafts. The Habs ended up with Ivan Demidov in the first and Cayden Lindstrom in the second. A lot can change between now and the draft, but Habs fans would surely be satisfied with either result. [NHL.com]

Friday

• Montreal Canadiens prospect Oliver Kapanen signed a contract with Timra in the SHL. His father, Kimmo, is the general manager for the Swedish club. The Habs are expected to sign Kapanen this summer, which means he’ll either earn a roster spot at training camp or be loaned back to Timra, where he can be given ample ice time and opportunities. [Canadiens Prospect Signs Contract In Europe]

• The ‘State of the Rebuild’ series continues, with the focus shifting to the defensive situation in the NHL. While the young defencemen are overflowing with talent, the results haven’t quite caught up to the encouraging process. That’s to be expected in a rebuild. Fortunately, the best is yet to come.  [Montreal Canadiens State Of the Rebuild – The Defensive Situation]

• PWHL Montreal faced PWHL Boston in the first game of the first-round playoff series. Montreal outshot their opponents 54-23, but dropped the game 2-1 in overtime. Boston goaltender Aerin Frankel was flat-out dominant.

• Apparently, Juraj Slafkovsky’s bed in Czechia is not sufficient to support his 6’03” frame.

Saturday

• Our Montreal Canadiens ‘State Of the Rebuild’ series continued with a look at some of the trades made by general manager Kent Hughes. Some of the early trades were fantastic, but moves involving Artturi Lehkonen and others left a lot to be desired. [Montreal Canadiens State Of the Rebuild – Grading NHL Trades]

• Steve Dangle suggested a 3-on-3 league is coming to North America, with a team destined for Quebec. Frankly, the claims, including a $30 million salary cap per team, were rather hard to accept. On Friday, Steve walked back the claims and deleted his original post suggesting the league is set to start in a few months.  [New 3-on-3 Professional Hockey League Reportedly Coming To North America]

• Juiraj Slafkovsky was named the player of the game following Slovakia’s 6-4 loss to Germany. The 20-year-old winger earned two assists on Friday but was far from thrilled with the eventual outcome of the game.

By Marc Dumont

Marc has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for Journal Metro, The Athletic, The ... More about Marc Dumont