Hockey

Organizational needs: the Canadiens have added four big right-handed defenders since yesterday
Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Organizational needs: the Canadiens have added four big right-handed defenders since yesterday
Credit: It’s the end of the draft. The Canadiens, who had 12 draft picks yesterday, ended up talking nine times. It traded its first picks to get Noah Dobson, and it took the time to step forward twice today – once without losing a pick in the process. Here’s what it looks like. So, here’s the […]

It's the end of the draft.

The Canadiens, who had 12 draft picks yesterday, ended up talking nine times. It traded its first picks to get Noah Dobson, and it took the time to step forward twice today – once without losing a pick in the process.

Here's what it looks like.

In all, of the nine guys, the Canadiens picked two guys who play in Russia, five who play in the CHL (including two QMJHL players) and two guys from U.S. junior.

In the past, there were fewer CHL guys. We can see the impact of the NCAA rule change, can't we?

The club drafted only three forwards (including one of the smallest of the auction, LJ Mooney), which I wouldn't have necessarily predicted 24 hours ago. He picked two goalies and no less than four defensemen.

All the guys (except Mooney) are at least 6'1, which is striking, but not surprising after watching the 2025 series. And an 18-19-year-old kid can still grow.

But there's another important fact we're going to talk about: right-handed defensemen.

As of yesterday, the Montréal Canadiens have added four right-handed defensemen who are at least 6'1 to their organization: Bryce Pickford, Carlos Handel, Andrew MacNiel and… Noah Dobson, of course.

Maxon Vig, today's final pick, is a left-handed defenseman.

It's worth mentioning that, in his post-draft press conference, Nick Bobrov talked about his club's organizational needs. And he cited the need to add right-handed defensemen.

Mission accomplished – but certainly not to the delight of Logan Mailloux.

With more defensemen and goalies than ever in the branches, the stage is set for the Canadiens to move on to the next challenge: finding a second NHL-calibre center to add to the core.

Will it be easy? No. Will Kent Hughes, in a saturated market, succeed in his mission to add a center to back up Ivan Demidov? We'll have to wait and see. But he's there now.

No, the GM won't be idle after acquiring Noah Dobson, which is a major coup.


overtime

– What will Sid The Kid do?

– Wow.

– Interesting.

– Don't hold your breath.

– It's not all over for them.

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