Like every year, the NHL amateur draft is the talk of the town, especially when the Montreal Canadiens draft in the top-5, as has been the case in the last two years.
Before the famous lottery, the Habs would have drafted fifth, but we’ll find out who will draft where next Tuesday, May 7.
We know that the Tricolore urgently needs players like Cayden Lindstrom, Tij Iginla and Ivan Demidov up front.
Macklin Celebrini is likely to come out on top, but after that, nothing is certain.
Demidov has the best chance of coming second, but his knee injury in April may scare off some scouts.
However, according to Anthony Martineau of TVA Sports, Demidov will not have to undergo surgery for this injury and should be back to full health before the draft.
This rapid rehabilitation of his injury may well enable him to get back on the skates before the draft, and that’s only beneficial for the young Russian forward.
As Martineau points out in his tweet, there will be no restrictions on his summer training sessions, which will be a great help to his development.
As recently reported, and as detailed in this article by Arpon Basu, Demidov turned down an extension in Russia, so his contract will expire at the end of the 2024-25 season.
Unfortunately, we can expect his club, SKA St-Petersburg, not to give him much playing time next year, given that he wants to make the leap to North America.
Also according to Basu’s article, the Habs are reportedly very interested in the Russian’s services, but unless he moves up in the standings, either through the lottery or a trade, there’s little chance of him moving down the Habs rankings.
Should the Habs remain in fifth place, would you make a trade involving the fifth pick and a young defenseman (and possibly a draft pick) for the second overall?
Or would the Habs have to draft the best player available at that pick?
In gusto
– Don’t miss the first duel of the second round between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Rangers. What depth the Canes have in their official line-up.
– Owen Beck is everywhere, again, in the OHL playoffs.
– Good thinking.
– Too bad for FAA.
– Can’t wait to see his performance on the mound.
– Hello, she’s gone! A grand slam that puts the Blue Jays in a good position for the second inning.
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