Obviously, the most attention-grabbing aspect of the latest National Hockey League draft for the Montreal Canadiens was the sparkling selection of Ivan Demidov.
He’s THE name on every Habs fan’s lips right now, and rightly so.
However, in the shadow of Demidov and Michael Hage, the Habs have also selected other players in other rounds.
You’re probably thinking that we couldn’t care less about these players, but it’s quite the opposite for the Habs’ recruiting team.
Just as much time and work is put into analyzing the options at the 5ᵉ echelon as those in the seventh round.
With each of its picks, the Habs therefore try to draft the best possible player based on its observations and analysis, which can lead to excellent selections, or even steals.
One such player in Demidov’s shadow is Logan Sawyer, who was drafted 78ᵉ by the Habs in the third round.
Why am I telling you about him?
Well, because we learned in the Habs’ behind-the-scenes video of their draft that Sawyer was a prospect held in very high regard by management.
Co-Director of Recruiting Nick Brobov himself says that Sawyer has the brains and talent of a future top-6 NHL player.
Bobrov made this statement when the Habs’ draft team was discussing the team’s third-round options.
Understandably, Bobrov holds the young Sawyer in very high regard if he sees him as a potential top-6 prospect.
Sawyer is a dynamic forward capable of contributing in both directions of the rink, and according to Bobrov, he could find success in his NCAA rookie season with Providence College.
It’s also worth noting that Sawyer may be a little taller than advertised on various sites (six feet, one inch, given that Bobrov can be heard referring to Sawyer as a six-foot, two-inch center).
In short, it’s all well and good to see high expectations being placed on a prospect by senior management, but what does the main player think?
Well, Sawyer, who really expected to be selected by the Habs, says himself that he believes he’s a steal for the Habs.
And he’s looking forward to proving it next season, as he explained in an excellent interview with Gregory Hamel of ToutSurLeHockey.
I invite you to read the full interview to learn more about this interesting Habs prospect.
His development will clearly be something to keep an eye on, as he could surprise more people than we think.
