Montreal Canadiens Top 10 Prospects: #8-#7

Throughout his time in the OHL, Beck led the league in faceoff percentage for three years in a row. He has since been able to carry his success to both the AHL and even the NHL during his stints with the Montreal Canadiens. Last season in 15 games with the Canadiens, he won 58.7% of his draws, which is incredible for a 21-year-old in the best league in the world. 

Beck likely could have stuck with the Canadiens last season after his mid-season call-up, as he was playing really well when up in the NHL, but due to a logjam at forward, he was sent back to Laval, considering waivers were not needed. As a result, he should have an opportunity to make the Canadiens out of camp with a depth player having left in the off-season. 

Beck is one of the few prospects in this top 10 that could graduate to the NHL level full-time at some point throughout the 2026-27 season. The reason he isn’t higher on the list is that his potential is limited to a bottom-six centre role, whereas the others above him could play higher in the lineup.

#7. Bryce Pickford, Defenseman, Laval Rocket

Last year, there wasn’t a prospect that made more of a jump in the Montreal Canadiens prospect pool than defenseman Bryce Pickford. The Canadiens prospect exploded on the scene for the Medicine Hat Tigers during the 2025-26 season, where his 45 goals were the most by a defenseman in the CHL (the three Major Junior Leagues in Canada) in just over 35 years. 

When the Canadiens drafted Pickford in the third round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, he already had a reputation for being a good goal-scoring defenseman after putting up 20 goals and 47 points in 48 games with the Tigers during the 2024-25 regular season. However, it was in the playoffs that he truly reached another level, scoring 13 goals in 18 playoff games to help the Tigers make the Memorial Cup. He added two more goals in the Memorial Cup as well. With that being said, his 45 goals and 83 points in 55 games this past season were a continuation of what began during the 2025 WHL Playoffs.

Unfortunately, due to a lingering shoulder injury, Pickford wasn’t able to play the playoffs at full strength, which saw him score just six goals in 15 playoff games. He had shoulder surgery after the playoffs and will likely miss a good chunk of his first season with the Laval Rocket. It may also take a while for his wicked shot to return to normal. Therefore, the expectations heading into his first pro season are seen as lower than they would have been if he were healthy. Still, when he’s back, he should be able to serve as a good power play quarterback in the AHL.

Despite the injury, Pickford’s value on the trade market is likely higher than it will ever be, and he could be a good trade piece in a package for an established player that helps the Montreal Canadiens right away. The truth is, the Canadiens already have a defenseman that runs each power play unit for years to come in Hutson and Noah Dobson.

As great as Pickford is offensively, he leaves some more to be desired in his own end. Pickford may have some physicality, but there have been times where his defensive awareness as a whole has been questioned. This is why, as good as his shot and offensive abilities are, he can’t be any higher than the seventh-best prospect in the Canadiens organization. 

Click here to read about which prospects came in at #10 and #9 in the Montreal Canadiens pipeline.

Check out the honourable mentions by clicking here.