The Montreal Canadiens will have a few options leading up to the 2023 NHL Draft, and it appears that trading up could be high on their wishlist.
On a recent segment for TSN 690, NHL Insider Darren Dreger spoke about the Montreal Canadiens’ situation with the 5th overall pick and what their appetite would be to move the pick leading up to the 2023 NHL Draft.
“This isn’t hard news, but I think they’re interested in moving. I think they’re more interested in moving up rather than moving down,” said Dreger regarding the Canadiens’ potential draft strategy. “But things have been quiet in Montreal so far. You have a coveted pick in 5th overall, so you have to lean on your amateur scouts and figure out who the best possible player is that’s likely to be available. If you’re comfortable, then you don’t want to have to spend assets to move up. It’s the kind of thing that you don’t know until you get to Nashville and you start grinding it out.”
It’s no secret that the Montreal Canadiens are in a unique position at 5th overall, with an established group of five players sitting at the top of this impressive draft class.
With the speculation around Matvei Michkov‘s situation, and the possibility that he could slide to Montreal due to concerns over his development or ability to come to North America, the Canadiens could try to avoid the headache altogether by trading up to select one of Leo Carlsson or Will Smith.
The San Jose Sharks, who have said they would strongly consider Michkov with their selection at 4th overall, also traded back at the 2022 NHL Draft in order to recoup some assets and add more names to their barren prospect pool.
Should the Sharks settle on Michkov, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them look to trade down and create a bidding war to extract another high draft pick from teams like the Montreal Canadiens, Arizona Coyotes, or Philadelphia Flyers for the coveted 4th overall selection.
It would be extremely unlikely that the Canadiens could jump into the top-3 of this draft without giving up a significant asset, as the Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets seem to be locked in at those spots; outside of a massive overpay.
That being said, it’s not something that the Montreal Canadiens have confirmed on their end yet, as they are just starting to create their draft board.
But, the feeling is that their initial draft meetings will begin to set the stage for their 2023 NHL Draft strategy, and much of it will hinge on their evaluation of the top five prospects of this draft, Michkov’s situation and whether it’s worth paying a premium to control their fate on June 28.
Needless to say, for the Canadiens, they want to come out of this draft with a star; one way or another.
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