Now that the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery is in the rearview mirror, we can focus on the players the Montreal Canadiens will target once they take to the podium on Friday, June 28, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Habs will officially pick 5th overall in the upcoming draft.
It’s impossible to know the team’s true intentions, as a trade leading up to the draft weekend is likely, and there’s always the possibility a very talented defenceman will drop, but for now, all signs point to Kent Hughes and Co. drafting a forward. The Canadiens have an incredibly strong defensive prospect pool, while they lack elite talent among their forwards.
But it’s not just a matter of deduction, as Hughes confirmed the team aims to draft a forward in his post-lottery media availability.
2024 NHL Draft Options – Forwards
By using Bob McKenzie’s recent draft rankings list, we can determine which players are likely to be in the mix once we remove the top defencemen.
We can safely assume Macklin Celebrini will be a member of the San Jose Sharks, but beyond the top pick, all bets are off.
That leaves Ivan Demidov, Cayden Lindstrom, Kostas Helenius, Tij Iginla, Berkly Catton, Cole Eiserman, Beckett Sennecke, and Trevor Connolly as the remaining forwards in the top 15.
Defencemen Impact
The Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks, and Columbus Blue Jackets may end up dictating how the Habs navigate the early parts of the first round.
Once the run on defencemen starts, it tends to pressure teams hoping to land a blue-chip defensive prospect. Depending on where top defencemen such as Anton Silayev, Artyom Levshunov, Sam Dickinson, Zeev Buium, and Zayne Parekh are drafted, there is a possibility one of the top forwards could end up in a Montreal Canadiens uniform.
Demidov is unlikely to drop to fifth, but there’s a non-zero chance Lindstrom will be available. Those two represent the second tier of forward prospects available, with a significant drop in talent thereafter.
That’s not to say players such as Helenius, Iginla, Catton, and Eiserman would be a disappointment, but if the team does reach the point where Celebrini, Demidov, and Lindstrom are off the board, they can also consider a trade to move down, which would allow them to pick a talented player while also acquiring an additional asset in the process.
And though Hughes has suggested he is intent on drafting a forward, they also have to consider drafting a top defenceman if he’s truly the best player available.
Given all the variables, one thing is for certain, the Montreal Canadiens should have plenty of interesting options in the lead-up to the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
