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Draft: Arpon Basu really believes the Habs will focus on a goal scorer

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Draft: Arpon Basu really believes the Habs will focus on a goal scorer
Credit: Capture d'écran / Screenshot
The Canadiens are still in with a chance of getting a good pick in the next draft.

If the draft were held tonight and everything remained intact after the lottery, the Habs would be talking about 6th place… Just after the Arizona Coyotes and just before the Ottawa Senators.

San Jose (1), Chicago (2), Anaheim (3) and Columbus (4) would draft in the top-4.

This is interesting for the Canadiens, as the team is in the process of completing its rebuilding. The 2024 draft is likely to be as good as last year’s, with many talented forwards and defensemen in the top-20 prospects.

In other words, the Habs are going to get their hands on a good no watter what hockey player.

Management will have an important choice to make: either go with the best player available, or go with what they’re looking for as a need. That said, the Habs are already well-stocked in the Blue League and will have the opportunity to get their hands on an impact forward if they don’t want to draft (another) defenseman.

The Habs will go for the second option, according to Arpon Basu (The Basu & Godin Notebook):

I’m pretty confident that even if there is a good defenseman still available, the Canadiens will go with what they probably consider the best forward still available in the draft. – Arpon Basu

We all agree that there were some damn good forwards available last year, when the Habs took to the podium to announce their pick…

But the difference is that Reinbacher was the best player available at No. 5 on the team’s scouting list:

The Habs have a good core on defense and lack punch on offense.

When you think only of that, the decision may seem easier to make… But it’s a little more complicated than that too.

What’s important is that the Habs draft a player who has the potential to help the team in the long term.

And if it’s a defenseman, there’s always a way to trade defensemen who already belong to the Montreal organization for a forward who can help the team right away.

According to Arpon Basu, the Habs have their sights set on two forwards right now.

We’re talking about Cayden Lindstrom, a big center with a style similar to Quinton Byfiled’s…

And we’re talking about Ivan Demidov, a complete player with magic hands who can do it all on the ice.

That doesn’t mean they’ll still be available when the Habs have to make their choice… But it’s interesting to know for now.

Things have time to change between now and the draft, that said.


Overtime

– Here it is.

– I love it!

– Still.

– Tonight, we’re getting rinsed. 5-1 Avalanche.

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