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The Canadiens and their (huge) roster of young players

 David Miller
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The Canadiens and their (huge) roster of young players
Credit: Getty Images

Over the past few seasons, the Habs have been turning their attention to youth. And while it’s been going on for some time, it’s clear that it’s starting to have an effect on the club’s bank of young players.

When you look at the whole picture, you realize just how many resources the Habs have to get the club back on the road to respectability. And that’s what it takes, because not 100% of these guys will be impact players for the Flanelle.

When you look at it all, the number of good young players in town is staggering.

Among established NHL players, we see that Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky, Kirby Dach, Cole Caufield, Alex Newhook, Joshua Roy and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard are forwards who, at different levels, can help the Habs.

Defensively? Kaiden Guhle, Jordan Harris, Jayden Struble, Arber Xhekaj and Justin Barron have been in town for a year or two. And it’s not as if Samuel Montembeault and Cayden Primeau are old.

Add to that a host of hopefuls: Jacob Fowler, Jakub Dobes, David Reinbacher, Lane Hutson, Logan Mailloux, Adam Engstrom, William Trudeau, Ivan Demidov, Michael Hage, Aatos Koivu, Florian Xhekaj, Owen Beck, Filip Mesar, Emil Heineman, Sean Farrell, Riley Kidney and Jared Davidson.

It’s getting to be a big pool… and it looks even better in the last 36 hours.

As I said, not everyone is going to make it. Transactions, guys who start to get away from it a bit (a la RHP in 2023-2024 or Filip Mesar, for example) and congestion will push guys towards the exit door.

But it’s by having quantity that the Habs will be able to make their way to the elite.

What’s missing is quality at the top of the pyramid. I’ll say it again and again, but I wouldn’t say no to Zeev Buium to be the team’s #1 defenseman one day. Not at Demidov’s expense, though. #Of course

That said, the Habs have started to fix the problem at forward with the acquisition of Ivan Demidov. Even Michael Hage, who is projected as a top-6 pick by Simon Boisvert, enters the discussion.

It’s going to take more from the attack, though.

Will the Flanelle GM finally find the words to convince his Manitoba counterpart to send him Rutger McGroarty? That could solve a lot of problems…


Overtime

– What a beautiful ball club. And it’s also a fine model of reconstruction…

– Ivan Demidov wasn’t born when Carey Price was drafted.

– The Habs’ #1 prospect is good to read the game.

– The two brothers have the talent to make the name “Hutson” famous.

– Interesting.

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