New names raised for Canadiens’ #26 pick

Will the Habs draft twice in the first round of the next draft? Who knows?

And if they do draft twice, there’s a world in which it’s not necessarily with pick #26, but with a higher pick. A transaction is definitely not impossible for pick #26.

But until proven otherwise, the Habs still hold the Jets’ pick. So we can try to see who will be the lucky one, even if the possibilities are (much) more numerous than on the heels of the fifth pick.

In the past, we’ve often seen Sacha Boisvert-type center players in the sights of the various analysts who take part in the mock draft of the next auction.

But is this an absolute truth? Not necessarily, no.

In fact, in the last few hours, two other names have been raised for the Canadiens by people in the industry. And in both cases, they’re not big centers.

First, Arpon Basu, who represented the Habs on the heels of a mock draft by The Athletic, took Andrew Basha with the 26th pick.

. @TheAthleticNHL staff projects the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft https://t.co/K1Rtdp5LRm

– Corey Pronman (@coreypronman) June 12, 2024

Basha is a WHL teammate of Cayden Lindstrom, but the two players are reportedly not together following The Athletic’s draft. Lindstrom was taken by Columbus, leaving Ivan Demidov with the Flanelle.

Basha is a 5’11 left winger, but he’s got talent. He scored 85 points, including 30 goals, in 63 games in Medicine Hat last year. The Habs like him because of his speed and competitiveness.

The Habs met Basha five times this season, even after his line-mate Cayden Lindstrom was injured, and they see him in the NHL. – Arpon Basu

What’s interesting is that in the same article, Basu mentions, in the block on pick #5, that the Habs are that kind of club that wants playoff greatness.

Drafting Demidov and Basha isn’t in that spirit. But talent is talent.

There’s another name to keep in mind for the future in Montreal. This time, the lead comes from Simon Snake Boisvert in the latest episode of the Processus podcast.

Teddy Stigma (whom Snake has at #23 on his list, just ahead of Anton Silayev), is a player who could be drafted at #26, if Le Serpent’s little finger is anything to go by.

This New England player plays for the American national program – 18 goals and 20 assists in 27 games – and was recommended by the Snake to the Foreurs de Val-d’Or back in the day. As you can see, he didn’t end up in Quebec.

This 5’10 center packs quite a punch (177 lbs., according to Hockey DB), could play on a third line in the NHL in Boisvert’s eyes, and he skates like the wind. He’s said to be tenacious in battle for the puck.

Guillaume Lefrançois recently wrote about him in La Presse, mentioning that Kent Hughes managed him with the Eagles juniors in 2021-2022. So he knows the Habs GM well.

Could this weigh in the balance? Surely, yes… but how much?

Overtime

– Aleksander Barkov practices with his team.

Per @GeorgeRichards and @JamesonCoop

Aleksander Barkov is practising today with the Panthers. They fly to Edmonton this afternoon

– Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 12, 2024