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Bryce Pickford, Medicine Hat Tigers (Larry Brunt / Spokane Chiefs)

Grading the Montreal Canadiens’ 2025 Draft Class

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By William Bourget | Last updated Jun 30, 2025 12:10 PM ET

The Montreal Canadiens didn’t wait long to make waves at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. Just hours before the first round began, general manager Kent Hughes swung a blockbuster deal, sending both of Montreal’s first-round picks (16th and 17th overall) along with winger Emil Heineman to the New York Islanders in exchange for defenceman Noah Dobson.

Dobson, just 25 years old, is already a proven top-pairing defenceman with over 300 games of NHL experience and a 70-point season. For a team already boasting Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle, Mike Matheson, and Alexandre Carrier on the blue line, Dobson adds high-end skills and stability without disrupting the team’s age curve.

But if Day 1 was about immediate impact, Day 2 was all about replenishing the pipeline. Despite lacking a first-round selection, the Canadiens remained aggressive, trading up early and selecting nine players in total. Here’s a breakdown of each pick and how they stack up in terms of value, fit, and long-term projection.

Pick 34 – Alexander Zharovsky

Grade: A

The Canadiens kicked off Day 2 by jumping up the draft board. They packaged both of their second-round picks to move up to pick 34, where they selected Alexander Zharovsky, a skilled Russian winger who many scouts had pegged as a first-round talent.

Zharovsky is a flashy, high-skill player who excels in transition and can make plays off the rush. While he still needs to bulk up and round out his defensive game, his puck handling, offensive zone vision, and scoring instincts are among the best in the draft. The Canadiens’ scouting department was reportedly adamant about moving up to grab him, and you can see why. In terms of pure upside, he may have top-six potential, exactly the kind of talent you gamble on early in the second round.

Pick 69 – Hayden Paupanekis

Grade: B+

With their first pick in the third round, Montreal selected Hayden Paupanekis, a 6-foot-4 center who split the season between the Spokane Chiefs and the Kelowna Rockets in the Western Hockey League. He posted 22 goals and 21 assists over 71 games, showing flashes of offence to go along with a responsible two-way game.

Paupanekis isn’t a burner, but he has a long stride, a strong frame, and plays a mature game. He projects more as a middle-six shutdown center than a scoring threat, but if his development continues, particularly his skating and puck skills, he could bring a valuable mix of size and utility to the lineup in a few years. This is the kind of pick that doesn’t make headlines but builds depth down the middle.

Pick 81 – Bryce Pickford

Grade: B+

A 2006-born overager, Bryce Pickford took a significant leap this past season, scoring 20 goals in 48 games as a defenceman for the Medicine Hat Tigers. His offensive explosion put him back on the radar, and Montreal clearly believes there’s untapped upside here.

Pickford’s shot is legit, and he’s confident moving the puck up ice. That said, there are questions about his decision-making under pressure and overall defensive awareness. Still, taking a swing on a mobile, right-shot defenceman who just had a breakout season makes a lot of sense in the third round. He’ll need time, but this is a solid value pick.

Pick 82 – Arseni Radkov

Grade: C+

Back-to-back third-round picks wrapped up with Arseni Radkov, a 6-foot-4 Russian goalie who played in the MHL and is set to join the University of Massachusetts in the NCAA next season. He put up a .918 save percentage (SV%) and a 3.18 goals-against average (GAA) this season.

Radkov is a raw but toolsy goalie for his size. Goaltending is always a long-term play, and Montreal already has Jacob Fowler and Jakub Dobes in the system. If Radkov clicks in the NCAA, he could rise in the ranks, but this feels like more of a project pick with a lot of wait-and-see.

Pick 113 – LJ Mooney

Grade: A

LJ Mooney is the classic “ignore the size, watch the game” pick. At just 5-foot-7, many teams likely passed due to physical profile alone, but Mooney is a dynamic skater with quick hands, excellent vision, and pure offensive flair. His agility allows him to dart into space and make high-skill plays.

The Canadiens may have struck gold here. Mooney’s upside is real. There’s always risk with undersized forwards, but the fourth round is where you take home-run swings, and this could be one of Montreal’s most exciting picks of the entire class.

Pick 145 – Alexis Cournoyer

Grade: C

Montreal’s second goalie pick of the draft, Alexis Cournoyer had stellar numbers in limited action: a 1.82 GAA and a staggering .942 SV% in just 21 games. But those numbers come with caveats, he’s 19, played on a strong team, and only has one QMJHL season under his belt.

There’s clearly raw talent here, and the Canadiens are hoping to mold it over the long term. With yet another goalie prospect in the pipeline, this pick feels more like a depth swing than a targeted addition. Still, if he continues to shine with more starts next season, the upside could start to look more real.

Pick 177 – Carlos Handel

Grade: B+

Carlos Handel, a German right-shot defenceman, was a bit of an under-the-radar selection but comes with a polished game. He was solid for the Halifax Mooseheads and showed good poise moving the puck, especially on the breakout. He’s not a flashy player, but he’s effective and efficient.

Handel could eventually grow into a reliable third-pair role. His hockey sense is already ahead of many of his peers, and if his skating continues to improve, the Habs may have found themselves a steady contributor in the late rounds.

Pick 189 – Andrew MacNiel

Grade: B-

Andrew MacNiel is a defence-first blueliner who doesn’t jump off the page offensively. He tallied just three assists in 33 games but showed solid awareness and discipline in his own end. At 6-foot-2 and 170 pounds, he has room to grow physically, which could help him become more assertive in battles and net-front play.

He likely profiles as a long-term project with a potential ceiling as a depth shutdown defender. In the sixth round, that’s reasonable; not every pick needs to be a home run to be valuable.

Pick 209 – Maxon Vig

Grade: B

Closing out the draft, Montreal added Maxon Vig, a left-shot defenceman who quietly put up 10 goals and 22 assists in 62 games in the United States Hockey League (USHL). He has good mobility and is comfortable carrying the puck, with a decent shot from the point.

Vig is set to play NCAA hockey, giving the Canadiens several years to monitor his development. He’s a prototypical seventh-round pick: skilled enough to be worth a flyer, with time and space to develop. If he continues trending up, he could eventually compete for an NHL contract.

The Canadiens may not have had a first-round pick, but that didn’t stop them from having an impactful draft. Trading for Dobson was a franchise-altering decision, signaling that Hughes believes this team is ready to start turning the corner.