Defensive Player of the Year: Bryce Pickford’s value is higher than ever

Marc-Olivier Cook
Defensive Player of the Year: Bryce Pickford’s value is higher than ever
Credit: Capture d'écran Twitter

In the last draft, the Canadiens selected Bryce Pickford with the 81st overall pick.

The defenseman responded in fine form… by dominating the WHL all season long.

Pickford finished the season with an impressive 83 points in 55 games. And he scored no fewer than 45 goals…

This earned the Canadiens prospect the title of Defenseman of the Year in the Western Hockey League. He was the best player at his position last season, and now he's being rewarded for his performance.

This is, of course, a great honor for him. But for the Canadiens, perhaps it raises some questions…

Right now, Pickford's stock is higher than ever.

Sure, he was a third-round pick… but with the season he just had, he's put his name on the map. And there's no doubt that other National Hockey League teams have taken notice of his performance in '25-'26.

What I'm trying to say here is that the defenseman's season means the Canadiens need to think about what they want to do with him. Knowing that his value is higher than ever (and that it probably won't be this high again for years to come), maybe the idea of including him in a trade this summer to land a big-name player will start to gain traction…

Because, in reality, there is a scenario in which the Habs won't need him in the future. Pickford is still two or three years (at a minimum) away from being ready to establish himself full-time in the NHL, and by then, the Canadiens are likely to be among the top teams in the league.

And if the trend continues, the Habs should be able to count on the services of Noah Dobson and David Reinbacher on the right side of the defense…

Kent Hughes will have a decision to make. Because I get the feeling there will be a team that might call the Habs this summer to inquire about the right-hander's availability…


In a nutshell

– We love the coach.

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– He's been playing well lately.

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