Seeing Kent Hughes go down in the draft: Eric Engels is a believer

We know what’s in store for the Canadiens at the next draft.

With the 5th overall pick, Kent Hughes and his group of assistants will have the opportunity to select an impact player, a guy who has the potential to help the club in the long term.

But even so, there are still so many questions to be answered with a month to go before the draft.

The idea of the Habs moving up or down in the first round has been discussed in the past and is still being debated.

Recently, Eric Engels was on Tony Marinaro’s podcast… And the journalist talked about the situation, saying that in his eyes, it would be surprising to see Kent Hughes move up to select a player he really likes.

But Engels believes in the scenario of the Habs going down in the draft:

I could see the validity of the idea for the Habs […] Honestly, I’m expecting something. – Eric Engels

“I’m expecting something”@EricEngels joins @tonymarinaro to discuss the #Habs potentially moving up, or even moving down in this year’s NHL draft

Full pod
Watch: https://t.co/bjJSA4FYYT
Listen: https://t.co/0dOwSfJv74#GoHabsGo #thesickpodcast pic.twitter.com/5nL7F9mBIc

– The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) May 14, 2024

For what it’s worth, it sounds like I’d be surprised to see Kent Hughes go in that direction.

The only way I’d see Hughes going down in the draft is if all four teams ahead of the Habs drafted a forward…

And that in the fifth spot, teams could call him up to ensure they get their hands on a quality defenseman.

The Habs’ goal, after all, is to add a forward to the current group. The possibility of selecting a defenseman is there and will be on the table, but from the way Kent Hughes talked about it after the lottery, it doesn’t sound like I’m buying it.

It’s going to move fast and that’s what’s interesting about this year’s draft, because we don’t know the identity of the guys who will come out in ranks 2 to 10, because there’s so much talent.

Macklin Celebrini will be drafted with the first overall pick, and there’s no doubt about that…

But it’s after that that things could get ugly. And that’s when Kent Hughes will have a choice to make.

In bursts

– It’s up to you.

Is it the right decision? pic.twitter.com/niGToeRQ8d

– DansLesCoulisses (@DLCoulisses) May 27, 2024

– Will he play?

Hintz is game-time, once again

– Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 27, 2024

– That’s if he’s still in Toronto…

“Marner is going to cry, he’s going to have his Kleenexes in his box!” – @AndreRoy36 on Craig Berube’s arrival in Toronto @belly2020 @begs22 @lapochebleue pic.twitter.com/SyfRnRGxFH

– La Poche Bleue Blanc Rouge (@lapochebbr) May 27, 2024