Grant McCagg draws a connection between Gleb Pugachyov and a Canadiens legend

Vincent Larue
Grant McCagg draws a connection between Gleb Pugachyov and a Canadiens legend
Credit: Capture d'écran / YouTube

The selection of Gleb Pugachyov in the first round continues to be a topic of discussion.

At the time of the draft, many fans were hoping the Canadiens would select a different prospect. Since then, the discussions have continued, and opinions remain divided.

Grant McCagg is among those who have revised their view of the situation.

On his HabsCast podcast, the former director of amateur scouting for the Canadiens reflected on the selection of Pugachyov and explained that he now better understands why the organization decided to target the young forward.

Then, he made a comparison that's sure to catch your attention.

McCagg was careful to point out that he wasn't saying Pugachyov would become the next Bob Gainey.

However, in his view, among all the players drafted by the Habs over the past 40 years, Pugachyov is probably the one whose playing style most closely resembles Gainey's.

Wow!

That's far from a trivial comment.

The former scout did, however, offer an important caveat. In his view, Pugachyov doesn't have the same skating ability that Bob Gainey had at his peak. He points out, though, that Gainey himself still had a lot of work to do in that area when he was in his twenties.

Pugachyov, on the other hand, is only 18 years old.

So, if the young forward improves his skating ability at a rate comparable to Gainey's back then, the Canadiens could very well have an extremely promising player on their hands.

What's particularly interesting about his reasoning is that he barely mentions offensive production.

According to McCagg, by the time Michael Hage and Alexander Zharovsky eventually make it to the NHL, the Canadiens will already have several players capable of creating spectacular plays with the puck.

Pugachyov, on the other hand, would bring something completely different: physicality.

That's exactly what the Canadiens need.

Of course, no one can say for sure today that Pugachyov will follow in Bob Gainey's footsteps. That isn't the point McCagg was trying to make, anyway.

His point is rather that the Canadiens may not have selected the most spectacular player available, but possibly the one who will best complement their future core. If his development goes as McCagg hopes, this pick could be viewed in a completely different light in a few years.


In a nutshell

– Several strengths of Kirill Marchenko.

– That must be complicated.

– That sure puts a damper on the party.

– A great day for William Carrier and his friends.

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