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3 Under-the-Radar Montreal Canadiens Prospects

Luke Mittelstadt, University of Minnesota (University of Minnesota Athletics)

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3 Under-the-Radar Montreal Canadiens Prospects

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By William Bourget | Last updated Aug 18, 2026 9:05 AM ET

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The Montreal Canadiens have built one of the deeper prospect pools in the NHL over the past few years. Names like Michael Hage, Alexander Zharovsky, Jacob Fowler and David Reinbacher naturally receive most of the attention. They are the prospects with legitimate expectations of eventually becoming important pieces of the Canadiens’ core. However, a strong prospect pool isn’t only about the players at the top.

Finding NHL contributors in the later rounds can make a massive difference for an organization, and Montreal has several lesser-known prospects who remain intriguing. They might not have star potential, but their development shouldn’t be overlooked. Here are three Canadiens prospects currently flying under the radar.

Filip Eriksson

Filip Eriksson doesn’t receive nearly as much attention as some of Montreal’s other young forwards, but his development since being selected in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft has been encouraging.

The Canadiens took Eriksson 165th overall, meaning there were never enormous expectations surrounding the Swedish forward. At that point in the draft, simply finding a player with a realistic chance of eventually reaching the NHL would represent good value.

Eriksson is slowly becoming someone worth watching. At just 21 years old, he recorded 29 points in 52 games with Luleå in the SHL last season. Those aren’t numbers that will jump off the page, but producing at that level against experienced professional competition is certainly encouraging for a player his age.

There is still a significant gap between becoming a productive SHL player and establishing yourself in the NHL, and Eriksson shouldn’t suddenly be considered one of Montreal’s premium prospects because of one good season.

Still, that’s the point. He’s flying under the radar because there aren’t massive expectations attached to his name. If he continues progressing over the next couple of seasons, the Canadiens could eventually have an interesting depth forward from a sixth-round selection.

Luke Mittelstadt

The Canadiens have so many young defensemen in their organization that it can be difficult for anyone outside the bigger names to receive much attention. Luke Mittelstadt falls into that category.

After spending four seasons at the University of Minnesota, Mittelstadt made the jump to professional hockey and immediately provided some interesting results with the Laval Rocket. The defenseman recorded five points in nine games with Laval, giving the organization a promising first look at what he could provide at the professional level.

At 5-foot-11, Mittelstadt doesn’t have the size teams traditionally look for on the blue line, especially when compared to some of Montreal’s other defensive prospects. But smaller defensemen are becoming increasingly common around the NHL, and Montreal certainly knows that size doesn’t automatically determine whether a defenseman can succeed.

Mittelstadt’s challenge will be separating himself from an incredibly crowded group. David Reinbacher and Adam Engström are already knocking on the NHL door, while Montreal has continued adding defensemen through the draft. There simply aren’t many openings available.

That doesn’t mean Mittelstadt should be forgotten. His strong start in Laval gave him something to build on, and a productive full season with the Rocket could quickly increase his standing within the organization. At 23 years old, his timeline is also different from that of a recently drafted prospect. Montreal should get a much clearer idea relatively soon of what it has in Mittelstadt.

Hayden Paupanekis

Hayden Paupanekis might be the most interesting name of the three simply because of the tools he already possesses. Selected in the third round of the 2025 NHL Draft, Paupanekis stands 6-foot-5 and weighs around 205 pounds. That alone makes him an intriguing project.

But there’s more to his game than size. Paupanekis plays a responsible two-way style and has the type of physical profile that could eventually translate nicely to a bottom-six NHL role. His offensive numbers haven’t been spectacular, which is one reason he doesn’t receive the same attention as Montreal’s more skilled prospects.

However, not every prospect needs to develop into a top-six scorer. For Paupanekis, the path to the NHL could be about becoming extremely good at the things his frame already allows him to do. If he can become stronger, improve his skating and continue developing his defensive game, there could eventually be a role waiting for him.

Any additional offensive progression would make the package even more interesting. At this stage, there is still plenty of projection involved. Paupanekis remains several steps away from becoming an NHL player, and there’s no guarantee he ever gets there. But a 6-foot-5 centre with a strong two-way foundation is certainly worth keeping an eye on.

Eriksson, Mittelstadt and Paupanekis aren’t going to generate the same excitement as Hage, Zharovsky or Fowler. They don’t have to. For a Canadiens organization hoping to become a sustainable contender, finding useful players outside the first round will be essential. None of these three prospects is guaranteed to reach Montreal. But they’ve each shown enough to make sure Canadiens fans shouldn’t completely overlook them.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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