There are many things to look forward to with the recent Montreal Canadiens draft picks. However, the big question is this- will they lead the team to a Stanley Cup? As Stu Cowan wrote for The Gazette, with a young defense the playoffs will be a “long shot at best […]”. However, this is not to say it’s out of the realm of possibilities. Let’s take a look at some of the draft picks and what this talent means for the team.
Michael Hage
At 6ft tall and 185 lbs, 18-year-old Michael Hage from Mississauga, ON was the 21st pick overall. He has 33 goals and 42 assists for 75 points in 54 games with USHL’s Chicago Steel. His parents, who grew up in Montreal, had let him decide about the NCAA route. His Father tragically passed away last Summer in a pool accident. However, before his passing, it was clear that both parents were thrilled about playing for Montreal.
Some say he will need to gain weight and strength before he’s even ready to play in the NHL. However, he has his stickhandling skills, smooth skating style, and vision to his advantage. He constantly keeps his head up which, is a similar trait of Petr Svoboda from the 1984 draft.
His skills are not the only thing that makes him stand out. Executive VP, Jeff Gorton and General Manager Kent Hughes say there is an emphasis on two things this year. 1) Intelligence and 2) Character. When Nick Suzuki and Brendan Gallagher spoke with the players, Hage learned something impactful. Which is, that having success in the game is all about consistency. It’s competitive and it’s important to remain focused off of the rink as well.
Ivan Demidov and David Reinbacher
For Demidov and Reinbacher, what they can bring to the team is being met with mixed feelings. Demidov is playing the final season of his contract in Russia with the St Petersburg SKA club in the KHL.
On top of this, keeping tabs on him is difficult due to everything happening in the world. Which, makes for a slightly more complicated situation. Supposedly, the last we heard, Demidov doesn’t have a Visa yet. However, it is believed that he can become a “game-breaker”. The Habs are desperate to add more offense from their forwards and Demidov may be the person to accomplish this.
Reinbacher, who has 1 goal and 10 assists in 35 games, was visited by the director of player development Rob Ramage. Afterward, when it was clear that Rainbacher was struggling, Ramage said, “The guys can really overthink and that will translate right into their hands and their feet”. While this doesn’t sound like a very comforting statement, we have to look at it from a different standpoint. At least the issues are known and can be tackled one step at a time.
Owen Beck
Beck was selected in the second round and 33rd overall in the 2022 draft. His previous season with the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Mississauga Steelheads consisted of 21 goals and 30 assists. This makes for a total of 51 points in 68 games. To summarize his talent, he got a 3-year NHL entry-level contract with a US$95,000 signing bonus before returning to the Juniors.
At 6ft and 194 lbs, he’s expected to start next season with the AHL’s Laval Rocket team. Succeeding both on and off the ice, he was awarded CHL’s scholastic player of the year. And, he had a 94% grade average in Grade 12. Even so, he has decided to put University on hold (perhaps permanently) to focus on hockey.
Former Habs player Paul Byron, who officially retired last September following hip surgery, put in a lot of video work with Beck. Byron was, in fact, hired the same day as his retirement announcement. Now, he has a key role in player development as a consultant.
From what Beck has stated, playing in Saginaw was also a big learning experience. It has helped to bring him to where he is today. He said he learned more about different rotations and patterns in the offensive zone. All the while, studying different ways to create offense to become a more multi-dimensional player.
Jacob Fowler and Sam Harris
Sam Harris, born in San Diego, is currently in his freshman season at the University of Denver. It’s highly plausible that he got his knack for competition due to his Dad. He had been a reserve for the Canadian show-jumping team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Harris currently has stats of 14-7-21 in 42 games.
He was an Honour Roll student at St Mary’s Prep School in Minnesota with a GPA of 3.8/4. The same school has quite a collection of hockey players coming out of its doors! This includes Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, and Nathan MacKinnon. According to Ramage, Harris has “[…] a little swagger, too. He’s a champion”.
Meanwhile, Jacob Fowler is a leading candidate to be the “goalie of the future”. He was selected in the third round (133rd overall). While attending Boston College, he had a 32-6-1 record with a 2.14 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage.
Fowler and Harris were teammates at the 2022 World Junior A Challenge in Cornwall, ON. During this, they helped Team USA to win the gold medal, beating Canada East 5-2 in the final.
Samuel Montembeault
Last but not least, we have Sam Montembeault, a Quebec native from Becancour. Since Jake Allen was traded to the New Jersey Devils, Montembeault’s time in nets may increase. And, Cayden Primeau will most likely be his backup. We’re certain that this increase would be welcomed. (Montembeault only made 40 starts last season due to the 3-goalie rotation with Primeau and Allen).
Remember the Stu Cowan quote from the beginning of this article about the playoffs being a “long shot at best”? He continued, “Montembeault will help to give them a chance to win most nights.” Cowan even stated that Montembeault has what it takes to be a number one goalie for the Canadiens.
Is The Stanley Cup Within Montreal’s Grasp?
All Montreal hockey fans have been waiting for what feels like forever for the Habs to win another Stanley Cup. With the regular season scheduled to start in early October, it’s hard for us not to get excited by the prospect of bringing the cup home.
While these draft picks are getting mixed reviews, it may still be too early to tell how the next season will play out. However, the future looks promising and, so far, there seems to be more excitement than dread. At the very least, we should all be in for an interesting season!
Are you excited for hockey to start again? How do you feel about Montreal’s draft picks? Get in on the conversation on our Facebook page or Instagram and let us know your thoughts!
