Bryce Pickford: a modern-day record that gives pause for thought

Mathis Therrien
Bryce Pickford: a modern-day record that gives pause for thought
Credit: Twitter screenshot

We're all aware of the extraordinary seasons enjoyed by Michael Hage and Alexander Zharovsky, the Canadiens' two top-tier forward prospects.

And on defense, we're still pinning our hopes on David Reinbacher, and we've had a glimpse of Adam Engstrom's potential.

However, the prospect who is currently topping everyone in terms of performance is, without a shadow of a doubt, Bryce Pickford.

The 19-year-old defenseman, drafted by the Habs in the third round (81st overall) at the last auction, has simply been extraterrestrial this season.

He's scoring goals and producing like he's one of the WHL's top forwards, when in fact he's a defenseman.

And last night, he scored his 33rd goal (!!!) of the season, which is a modern-day record for a WHL defenseman.

33 goals and 61 points in 40 games puts Pickford first among WHL scorers and third among all scorers.

That's more than impressive, and it's starting to raise some serious questions for the Canadiens about their future.

There's no doubt that Pickford is extremely talented, and above all, he represents a rare commodity, given that he's a right-handed defenseman.

The Habs therefore have the most productive defenseman in the junior leagues, and will have to decide what to do with him in the coming months.

Given that there's already a large cohort of defensemen in Montreal, space is limited, and will be even more so if Reinbacher and Engstrom end up graduating.

So is Pickford's value in Montreal or in a trade?

This is where Kent Hughes will have to be extremely careful, as he will have to maximize Pickford's value whatever he decides to do.

At present, Pickford will finish his season in the WHL, and then join the Laval Rocket for the next two seasons, as indicated in the contract he has signed.

We'll see if the Habs give him a chance to prove himself in the pros before making a decision.

Because it's clear that on the trade market, Pickford would be a very interesting addition to a trade to improve the club right now.

But this kind of decision will have to be made in the hope of not regretting it, because Pickford is showing great potential right now.

In short, this is a big file to follow very closely.


Overtime

– A very interesting case to follow.

– Whew.

– To be continued by the Oilers.

– Really cool.

– To be continued.

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