Selecting Will Smith in the top-5 is a risk according to Grant McGagg

Slowly but surely, we’re getting closer to the fateful day.

There are only eleven more sleeps to go before the start of the National Hockey League draft.

The first round will take place on June 28 at 7 p.m., while the remaining six rounds will take place on June 29 at 11 a.m.

Of course, it’s the start of the first round that interests us most, as the Montreal Canadiens hold an excellent draft pick for the second year in a row.

After drafting first overall last year, the Tricolore will this time be talking fifth overall.

So the opportunity is there, and it’s also a great one, to draft another top young prospect who will hopefully be one of the stars of the Bleu Blanc Rouge in the future.

That’s why there’s so much debate about who the CH should draft, and who the CH will ultimately draft.

For several weeks now, a host of names have been linked to the Tricolore for the fifth pick.

However, we also know that general manager Kent Hughes and his team are not necessarily fans of their position, as they are currently trying to move up into the top-4.

So we can’t know exactly which player the Tricolore is targeting, considering all the possibilities.

What we do know is that Kent Hughes and the CH like American prospect Will Smith, and have for a long time.

But does that necessarily mean that Smith is the prospect the CH is targeting?

No, not necessarily.

Opinions really differ on Smith, with some seeing him as a lock for the top-5, while others place him further down their list, outside the top-5, and even behind compatriot Ryan Leonard.

In short, it’s hard for CH fans to know whether Smith would be a good choice or not at this point.

In any case, according to former scout Grant McGagg, selecting Will Smith in the top-5 is a risk.

McGagg explains that Smith has incredible offensive qualities when in possession of the puck, but is unfortunately not very hard-working and not very useful when he doesn’t have the puck.

The former scout also asserts that, in his eyes, there was no player with Smith’s style of play and skills on any of the teams in the NHL’s playoff Final Four.

McGagg says he had similar concerns about Shane Wright last year before the draft.

A talented guy who doesn’t compete as much when he’s not in possession of the puck.

We remember how McGagg didn’t want to see the CH draft Wright, and how he much preferred Juraj Slafkovsky, who ended up being the Tricolore’s choice.

Since then, Slafkovsky hasn’t broken anything in his rookie season, but the same goes for Wright, who has struggled mightily over the course of the season.

McGagg also adds that, in his opinion, Smith and Wright will have trouble establishing themselves as NHL centers.

You HAVE to work to be a top-2 center on a competitive NHL team.

In short, Smith is a very fine prospect, but he’s definitely not a unanimous top-5 pick in the next draft for everyone.

Stay tuned.

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