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The Canadiens have what it takes to draft a football quarterback in the first round
Charles-Alexis Brisebois
The Canadiens have what it takes to draft a football quarterback in the first round
Credit: Getty Images
If nothing changes, the Canadiens will be drafting at #16 and #17 next week at the NHL Entry Draft.

Even if we’re not talking about the top spot like in 2022, or a top-5 pick like in 2023 and 2024, these are still game-changing picks.

After all, the Habs haven’t drafted in the top-17 twice since the new administration took over…

Because the Canadiens are “turning the corner on rebuilding” and have more and more elements to build the team that will seek to win the Stanley Cup, the club’s directors can afford to take risks at the draft.

Will this happen in the first round? We’ll have to wait and see.

But if the Habs want to take a risk in the first, they can seriously consider drafting Mason West, who is a quarterback in football and a top prospect in hockey.

We know the Habs have him in their sights, but Nicolas Cloutier (TVA Sports) has written an in-depth article on the subject. And according to some people in the industry, we shouldn’t rule out the possibility.

West keeps telling anyone who will listen that he intends to continue playing hockey and not football. But of course, there’s still a risk for any club that drafts him.

He has the toolbox to go out in the first round, and he won’t slide all the way to the club’s #41 pick because other clubs with multiple picks won’t want to let him go. A team would take a chance early in the second round, if he slipped that far.

So, barring a trade, the Canadiens have to figure that if they want to pick him, they’ll have to do so with pick #16 or #17. Is it worth the gamble? We’ll have to wait and see.

But a 6’6 center who’s had success in both football and hockey suggests the potential is there.

Since the Canadiens like to take “projects” and develop them, picking up a guy like West and turning him from athlete to hockey player could pay dividends.

Don’t dismiss the project too quickly, Habs fans.


overtime

– I don’t trust Stuart Skinner.

– Of note in the AHL.

– I’m still in shock.

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