For a sixth straight year, The Athletic has looked into the NHL’s incoming rookie class – which looks like it has the potential to be excellent.@harmandayal2 and @scottcwheeler have settled on a list of the top 20 players eligible for the Calder Trophy.https://t.co/hhC9paDETd
– The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 5, 2023
![The Canadiens need a forward who can win the Calder](https://cdn.buminteractif.com/2023/09/Kent-Hughes-1-2.jpg)
At the last draft, the Montreal Canadiens drafted David Reinbacher in a “forward draft”, and that angered a lot of people.
For my part, because I believe that defensemen win championships, I love what the CH does and (above all) I love the youngster’s profile, it was my choice if the club couldn’t crack the top-4. I’ve never hidden that fact.
With all the youngsters pushing the blue line, the CH has the means to have an indestructible defense in a few years’ time.
But does that mean I don’t want to see the Habs get some attacking talent? Of course not, because scoring goals is just as important to winning.
And when you see that my colleague Tony Patoine ranked Owen Beck as the second-best prospect among the Flanelle forwards, you can see that he lacks a bit of punch. I like Beck a lot, but he’s not an offensive dynamo, let’s say.
Basically, it’s a shame that the Habs don’t have that big offensive player who can win the Calder, for example. So I’d like to see the CH get their hands on a guy who can bring the trophy back to Quebec.
At this point, the Habs’ prospect bank is overflowing, and that’s a good thing. That said, there will come a time when quantity will have to give way to quality among top prospects.
Mind you, I’m not saying that the CH’s prospects aren’t quality. But what I am saying is that the CH doesn’t have a Connor Bedard, a Logan Cooley, an Adam Fantilli or a Leo Carlsson.
And don’t even get me started on Matvei Michkov. I don’t want talent at any price and I’m not a fan of the Russian.
We can add names like Alex Newhook or Joshua Roy, if we like. We could also add Lias Andersson… ah well, no.
Who is Lias Andersson? https://t.co/YXB79vdx1b
– Mathias Brunet (@mathiasbrunet) September 13, 2023
And as I said, the CH (which doesn’t necessarily want to overpay a free agent) knows that it takes talent on offense. Maybe that’s why Kent Hughes didn’t want to make a move for Yaroslav Askarov: when he does, it’ll be for a forward.
Remember that the CH tried out for Pierre-Luc Dubois and the #2 and #4 picks in the last auction, as the guys on Radio-Canada’s Tellement Hockey podcast remind us.
So I’m talking about a guy who can win the Calder, but you understand I mean a young forward. I don’t mind if it’s a guy who already has a hundred games under his belt in the Bettman circuit: as long as he’s young and can energize the top-6 up front.
If Kent Hughes finds another youngster “who’ll love the coach ” to add to the group, that’ll help. And since he has the resources to move, all he has to do is find his target and get the timing right.
In bursts
– I love seeing this.
Adam Nicholas, the Canadiens’ director of field hockey development, having a lengthy chat with defenceman Justin Barron after large group of #Habs players held an informal workout this morning in Brossard #HabsIO pic.twitter.com/cXURI4gWxY
– Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) September 13, 2023
– We need to talk about William Trudeau. [BPM Sports]
– If the Hawks hadn’t won the lottery in 2023, he might have already been named captain.
Seth Jones wants to be next Blackhawks captain:https://t.co/TM0OxDLN4l
– NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) September 13, 2023