Canadiens development camp: five prospects to keep an eye on

Of the lot, there are bound to be some more interesting (or intriguing, no disrespect to anyone) names for fans to follow. I’ve picked out five to keep an eye on.

The first is Aatos Koivu , who wasn’t present at the 2024 camp.

He didn’t break the bank in his first year after the draft, but the fact that he’s the son of one of the Canadiens’ most memorable players of the 2000s (former captain Saku Koivu) means we’ll be keeping an eye on him.

The Koivus are in town as we speak.

By necessity, Michael Hage is the big name in camp. In the absence of Ivan Demidov and David Reinbacher, he will be the only first choice to take the ice at the CN Complex in Brossard.

Without Alexander Zharovsky, he has to be the one who stands out. He’s got to burn up the competition.

We could also name the eight players drafted this weekend, but there are two in particular that catch my eye. LJ Mooney, the talented little player drafted on Saturday, is bursting with talent.

Will Le Petit Jean be as explosive as we think?

Conversely, Hayden Paupanekis is a big-name center. Will he stand out? Will he be agile? Will his skating be fluid for a youngster of his age and size? How talented is he?

As the second prospect drafted by the Habs on Saturday, he’s sure to attract a lot of attention.

And finally, goaltender Yevgeni Volokhin is one to keep in mind. He’s been practicing in Montreal for some time and we’ve been told to keep an eye on him. The Habs hold him in high esteem…

He recently trained in the environment of Quartexx, the former Kent Hughes agency. The day he leaves Russia, we’ll have to keep an eye on him.

extension

Bogdan Konyushkov is another name attracting attention in Montreal. We know he wants to play for the Habs one day, and he’s never really hidden that fact.

Will he be any good this week?