Jeff Marek: Zach Benson in San Jose, Will Smith in Montreal... Or the opposite

Nine little sleeps before the first round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. Nine dodos!

Excitement is already running high around the league because of all the talent in the upcoming draft. In Montreal, people are salivating at the idea of selecting a youngster with the potential to become an excellent NHL player, since the CH holds the fifth overall pick in the draft.

Right now, the Montreal organization seems to have plenty of options on the table. Which makes it all the more exciting!

With the draft fast approaching, Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek thought it would be useful to talk a little about it in the latest episode of the famous 32 Thoughts Podcast. Marek, for fun, shared his top-5 picks, and the discussion gets particularly interesting when he talks about the Sharks and the Habs.

In his eyes, the Sharks will take either Zach Benson or Will Smith, and whoever isn’t selected by the San Jose team will end up in Montreal. A scenario that appeals to me, that said.

Friedman went on to remind us how much the CH would like to get their hands on Smith, a player who is well known within the organization because of his relationship with Kent Hughes… And the Sportsnet informer, by the same token, once again linked David Reinbacher’s name to that of the Habs.

Marek on 32TP gives us his top 5 picks:

1. CHI – Bedard
2. ANA – Fantilli
3. CBJ – Carlsson
4. SJ – Benson
5. MTL – Smith

EF: “I think the Canadiens would love it if they got Smith. There is a lot of teams who think if they don’t get Smith they’re taking Reinbacher”

– NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) June 19, 2023

Will Smith, Zach Benson and David Reinbacher. We could add Ryan Leonard’s name to the discussion, but these players are very often mentioned in the discussion of the fifth overall pick in the next draft.

It’s interesting because, in the end, it all depends on the Sharks. After all, in a logical world, Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli and Leo Carlsson will no longer be available when the Sharks take to the podium to announce their pick.

And let’s not forget the Matvei Michkov file, which could also muddy the waters.

Honestly, I’ve rarely seen a draft so full of uncertainty. There’s no one who can really predict anything, other than Connor Bedard coming out on top and heading to Chicago…

And I have a good feeling that the draft will be full of surprises.

In any case, the Habs should have the luxury of acquiring an excellent player. At that point, it will be a matter of preference… And the organization will have to determine who is the best player available at No. 5.

If it’s Will Smith, it’s Will Smith.

If it’s Zach Benson, it’s Zach Benson. You can see where I’m going with this.

However, I think it would be a shame to see the CH set its sights on David Reinbacher in a draft so focused on offensive talent. I’m not saying the Habs would go absolutely wrong with the big defenseman…

It would just be a missed opportunity to add some offensive punch to the team, in my opinion. But then again, I could be wrong.

In brief

– Is it?

Hearing the @NHLFlyers are close to unveiling their new unis. Could be as early as tomorrow.

– Anthony SanFilippo (@AntSanPhilly) June 19, 2023

– The boys obviously had a lot of fun this weekend.

Big weekend for Pierre-Luc Dubois, Cole Caufield and P.K. Subban! pic.twitter.com/1wqqLxkWgp

– Maxime Truman (@MaximeTruman) June 19, 2023

– Speaking of the draft.

The most intriguing part of the 2023 NHL Draft will be when the clock starts ticking on the Canadiens at fifth overall if they decide to stay in that spot. @EricEngels looks at the options in front of GM Kent Hughes ahead of the draft in Nashville. https://t.co/HtVssk9pDI

– Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 19, 2023

– Josh Donaldson starts thinking about retirement.