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The Montreal Canadiens have the fifth overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, marking the second consecutive season they will pick at that position – they selected defenseman David Reinbacher fifth overall last year.
With several enticing prospects like Ivan Demidov, Cayden Lindstrom, or Tij Iginla likely available at their selection, the team is poised to select an extremely promising player to add to an already-deep prospect pool. In addition to their fifth-overall pick, they acquired the Winnipeg Jets’ first-round pick in exchange for Sean Monahan in February in a terrific display of asset management from General Manager (GM) Kent Hughes.
Their second first-round pick is slated to be 27th overall. The last time the Canadiens boasted two first-round picks was in 2022 when they drafted Juraj Slafkovsky first overall and added fellow Slovak Filip Mesar at pick no. 26. Slafkovsky has developed into one of the NHL’s best young players, and Mesar looks promising, scoring 103 points in 97 games with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).
This season’s draft class is talented, highlighted by Hobey Baker Award-winning Macklin Celebrini, who will presumably be selected by the San Jose Sharks with the first overall pick. An array of talent exists in the range of the Habs’ later first-round pick, though there may be a couple of maneuvers Hughes and company have up their sleeves to bolster their roster.
Option 1: Trading Up for Sennecke/Others
Despite being ranked much lower across the bulk of draft rankings, the Canadiens have expressed interest in Oshawa Generals forward Beckett Sennecke with their fifth-overall pick. The 18-year-old forward recorded 68 points in 63 OHL games during the regular season and has added ten goals and 22 points in 16 playoff games.
While he is an enticing prospect, he ranks 20th in THW May Draft Rankings and is expected to be selected in that range. TSN’s Bob McKenzie has him ranked 14th. The best thing Hughes, President of Hockey Operations Jeff Gorton and company can do in this situation is to use the Jets’ first-rounder to trade up to that range. There will be more enticing prospects available at fifth overall than a player who barely cracked point-per-game production in his draft-eligible season.
However, progression is never linear (as evidenced by Slafkovsky’s development), and management may see something in Sennecke that others have not. Ultimately, Hughes and Gorton are knowledgeable, and if they do indeed select Sennecke at fifth overall, the fanbase will have to be patient and trust that management is making the right decision for the team.
Other options in Sennecke’s pick range include Trevor Connolly, Cole Eiserman, and Carter Yakemchuk.
Option 2: Draft Andrew Basha
A scenario where the Canadiens draft Medicine Hat Tigers forward Andrew Basha likely relies on their confidence that fellow Tigers forward Cayden Lindstrom will be available with their first pick. Should they draft the Western Hockey League (WHL) teammates, it will follow a similar narrative to their 2022 first-round selections when they drafted Slafkovsky and Mesar — two countrymen who have experience playing together.
Lindstrom’s availability at fifth overall is a bit fuzzy — he’s projected to go fifth by McKenzie and ranks as high as fourth across other draft rankings. Should the Habs select Lindstrom (who scored 27 goals in 32 WHL games before he got injured) at fifth, they will be thrilled to pick Basha later in the first round.
Basha recorded 30 goals and 85 points in 63 regular-season games, which topped Sennecke’s production. Having established chemistry with a blue-chip prospect like Lindstrom is an added bonus to his impressive draft-season production.
While Hughes and company will surely have their work cut out for them in a highly unpredictable and deep draft class, they are almost guaranteed to select an extremely talented player at fifth overall. What they do with their late first-round pick poses further question marks. Management will likely utilize this extra pick to move the needle as the team enters a new phase of their rebuild as expectations have begun to grow.
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