Landing at No. 7 in our fan-voted Montreal Canadiens top-20 prospect rankings is one of the most productive players in junior hockey, defenceman Bryce Pickford.
N.B.: To qualify for the project, prospects must be 23 years old or younger and currently playing outside the NHL. In other words, even though Canadiens players such as Lane Hutson, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Ivan Demidov are young enough to qualify, they’ve already established themselves as NHL players and are no longer considered prospects.
Previously Published Montreal Canadiens Prospect Rankings
Canadiens Prospects Who Just Missed the Cut
Canadiens Prospects Ranked 20-16
Canadiens Prospects Ranked 15-11
No.10 – Towering Hayden Paupanekis
No. 9 – Truculent Florian Xhekaj
No.8 – Highly Skilled L.J Mooney
Bryce Pickford
7. Defenceman, Shoots Right, 19, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL), 6’1″, 185 lb. Picked 81st overall in 2025.
If you’re looking for the breakout story of the year, look no further than Medicine Hat, where Montreal Canadiens prospect Bryce Pickford has emerged as one of the most productive players in the country.
That’s not to say Pickford’s impressive production has come out of nowhere, as he managed to score 20 goals and 27 assists in 48 games prior to the Canadiens selecting him in the third round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, but it’s fair to say he’s taken his game to another level in 2025-26.
As it stands, Pickford has managed to score 33 goals and 29 assists in 42 games, placing him among the most productive Junior hockey players in the country. Of course, this feat is made even more impressive by the fact that he’s a defenceman. To put this into proper perspective, Pickford has outscored roughly 99% of all the players who took to the ice in the WHL this season.
It’s also important to note that Pickford has had to miss about 10 games with an upper-body injury. Prior to this unfortunate turn of events, he was leading the league in both goals and points.
On that note, there’s something to be said about the relative exodus of talent in the CHL this season, as several top-notch players made their way to the NCAA. Gavin McKenna, one of the top draft eligible players, was originally supposed to return to Medicine Hat, but opted to head to Penn State once the rules in the NCAA were relaxed.
However, there are some factors worth considering before we dismiss players developing in the Canadian Hockey League. Every skater is facing the same field, which suggests there would be a lot more standout seasons if the quality of competition had suddenly collapsed.
This is also Pickford’s fourth year in the league, which means he has more experience than the vast majority of his counterparts. And as we previously discussed, Pickford has always done a good job registering his name on the scoresheet with regularity.
Any way you slice it, Pickford’s production epitomizes an encouraging season for one of the organization’s top prospects, which is why the Montreal Canadiens rewarded him with an early Christmas present, signing him to an entry-level contract on December 24.
Strengths
Pickford does most of his damage in the offensive zone with two different weapons.
He loves to unleash a one-timer whenever the opportunity arises, and though it’s certainly a heavy shot, his shot mechanics are what makes it so difficult to stop. On a scale of Shea Weber to P.K. Subban, Pickford’s wind-up is somewhere in the middle, allowing him to generate a lot of force in a relatively compact release. He’s also quite accurate with his one timer, which is often the difference between a good and elite shot.
If the play calls for a less risky approach while on the power play, Pickford will use his excellent wrist shot, which is also quite accurate. More often than not, he will double-clutch the pass near the hash marks before picking the far-side corner.
With that in mind, 15 of Pickford’s 33 goals have come on the power play this season, and while that’s not uncommon for a top defenceman playing in the CHL, it’s a good reminder that the situation in which a prospect is being used tends to be the most crucial aspect of their development.
He’s not the biggest player on the ice, but Pickford rarely shies away from physical play. He won’t take himself out of position for the sole purpose of landing a big hit, but he will not hesitate to run over an opponent should the play call for it.
Weaknesses
His defensive game is far from a strength, but he’s made great strides this season when it comes to his anticipation, awareness, and positioning.
That being said, there are still concerns whether he will be able to adapt his defensive strategies to the professional level, where he’ll be facing much bigger, and much stronger opponents. He’s surviving in the defensive zone because he’s usually one of the best players on the ice, but that won’t necessarily be the case once he makes the jump to the AHL.
Pickford will also have to improve his speed of execution when retrieving pucks and starting breakouts. Yes, he’s a dominant presence in the offensive zone, but he doesn’t necessarily drive the play with the frequency you’d expect from a top defensive prospect.
What To Expect From Pickford Moving Forward
As a right-handed defenceman with a nose for the net, Pickford will be given every opportunity to succeed.
Simply put, right-handed defencemen are considered gold in the NHL, especially those who have the ability to absorb an overabundance of ice time, such as Pickford.
Before we can start to discuss the NHL, Pickford will almost assuredly have to spend a few years in the AHL, where he can focus on his defensive game with the Laval Rocket, including his gap control.
He’ll also have to work his way up to the powerplay, where he does most of his damage. In that vein, we shouldn’t expect Pickford to produce at the same rate in the AHL without the same type of usage he’s currently receiving in the WHL.
Once Pickford finds his rhythm in the AHL, he will have a perfect opportunity to become one of the most important players in the system.
Montreal Canadiens prospect statistics via Elite Prospects.
