Here’s what could determine the outcome of the Montreal-Boston series starting Thursday. #PWHL https://t.co/yWxcCtH1Lh
– TVA Sports (@TVASports) May 9, 2024
Draft: Here are the needs of the three clubs before the Habs (in addition to the Sharks)
Auteur: Sarah JonesEveryone agrees that Macklin Celebrini will be selected at the very top, but as for the rest, there’s nothing certain.
Here’s a look at the needs of the three other clubs (excluding the Sharks) who are talking before the Tricolore. TVA Sports, via journalist Benoît Rioux, and Mathias Brunet (La Presse) also had a word to say earlier today.
Here’s our analysis of the needs of the three teams that will draft before the Habshttps://t.co/63QOGdyL7l
– TVA Sports (@TVASports) May 8, 2024
Bedard… And the Hawks
Let’s start first with the Chicago Blackhawks.
They have some very good young players in the organization, including Connor Bedard, of course, but there’s also Kevin Korchinski on defense and Frank Nazar on offense.
Aside from these three high-quality prospects, there aren’t really any of this calibre.
That’s fortunate, because there’s a certain Artyom Levshunov who meets all these criteria.
On the other hand, selecting a winger of Ivan Demidov’s calibre could be a perfect “fit” to complement Connor Bedard.
The Ducks’ needs
Next up, it’s the Anaheim Ducks’ turn in the third spot.
Quebecer Tristan Luneau comes to mind on the right, but we mustn’t forget Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger, who are left-handed.
We shouldn’t rule out Quebecers Tyson Hinds (left-handed) and Noah Warren (right-handed), but personally, I don’t see them becoming very good top-4 defenders.
Assuming the Hawks draft Levshunov and the best right-handed defense prospect is Zayne Parekh, it would be very surprising if they didn’t pick Demidov.
Anton Silayev, a 6’7″ left-handed giant on the blue line, could also help stabilize the defensive side.
Should Chicago select Demidov, Levshunov should be the Ducks’ third overall pick.
Blue Jackets
Fantilli and Johnson have the best chance of being so, but we shouldn’t rule out the others.
On the other hand, it’s important to remember that we can’t go overboard when it comes to top-5 needs, as we often miss out on some real gems.
It’s pretty much carte blanche on the Columbus side, and depending on who is chosen by Chicago and Anaheim, we’ll know more about the Blue Jackets’ first-choice prospect.
You’re better off with more centers than not enough.
Sillinger and Johnson have already been used on the wing, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the latter officially transferred to the wing.
In short, there are a number of options open to the clubs, but there’s nothing to prevent one of them from swapping their choice to speed up the rebuild and become more competitive.
One thing’s for sure: we can’t predict anything in this draft other than Celebrini.
We’ll have to wait for the other teams’ picks before knowing more about who the Habs will select at No. 5.
Breaking news
– Read more.
Messi in Montreal and the Celebrini impacthttps://t.co/dDjagirzLA
– L’Antichambre (@Antichambre) May 9, 2024
– To find out more about Montreal’s showdown with Boston in the LPHF, click here.
– A classic Brad Marchand move.
Marchand whacks Rodrigues’s stick into the air pic.twitter.com/KBHTFJilJi
– Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 9, 2024