The NHL draft is now less than two weeks away, and we’ve covered a lot of the prospects likely to go in the first round, but there is more to a draft than its first round. Sure, the big guns tend to go early, but it’s still possible to uncover some hidden (or not-so-secret) gems on day two of the event.
It was clear in the Stanley Cup Playoffs that the Montreal Canadiens were not big enough. They got roughed up by the Washington Capitals and tormentor in chief Tom Wilson in every one of the five games their first-round series lasted.
Taking that into consideration, it’s likely the Canadiens will enter the upcoming draft with a note to keep an eye on the talented, supersized prospects that could fall into their lap, even though they are picking halfway through the draft order.
One such prospect may be six-foot-six, 215-pound right winger Mason West. In addition to his impressive frame, the 17-year-old possesses exceptional athletic abilities and has only recently decided to focus on a hockey career, even though he will finish his high school football career before turning in his cleats. Until a few days ago, he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to follow the path of the NFL or pursue another path.
An accomplished athlete, West spent most of the last season playing both hockey and football for Edina High School, where he also appeared on the radars of collegiate football scouts. In 31 games for his high school, the tall forward got 49 points (including 27 goals). He then moved to the USHL with the Fargo Force, where he skated in 10 regular-season games and gathered nine points.
Despite his size, West skates fluidly and has a very good shot. His size allows him to have incredible reach, and he possesses the skills to make impressive plays. Even though he's huge, he hasn’t yet fully learned how to utilize his size to his advantage, but it will come. The fact that he was on the radar of collegiate football scouts may make some teams hesitate to pick West, but if he sticks with hockey, he may turn out to be a home run of a pick.
The Centre Scouting Final Rankings of North American skaters have him in 27th place, McKeen Hockey ranks him 49th overall, TSN Craig Button has him at 54th overall, and Bob McKenzie at 59th. As things stand, the Canadiens have picks 16, 17, 41, 49, 79, 81, 82, 108, 113, 145, 177, and 209.
Given his attributes and potential, I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Canadiens take a swing on him in the second round if no one else has.
