Top 15 CH Prospects: Ranks 15 through 13… and a certain Sasha Pastujov

Tony Patoine
Top 15 CH Prospects: Ranks 15 through 13… and a certain Sasha Pastujov
Credit: Capture d'écran/YouTube

Ladies and Gentlemen,

After a brief one-week hiatus, an executive decision had to be made since our last meeting: to once again include Zachary Bolduc—who has 175 games of experience—in our top 15 Habs prospects for this summer. The specific reasons will be explained in due course, but, in short, it seems to us that Bolduc still has a reasonable chance of reaching the next level. And so, he remains a prospect in development at the NHL level.

The addition of Bolduc has pushed Cooper Cleaves out of our top 15, so what I had to say about Cleaves has been moved to the honorable mentions section.

The intriguing Pastujov…

However, before we begin our top 15, another addition must be made to this list, since since our last article, the Canadiens have made a minor trade that deserves some attention.

The profile of Sasha Pastujov—just 23 years old and the 66th overall pick in 2021—is still a bit more interesting than Sean Farrell's had become.

Pastujov, an American and former member of the USNDPT, had a strong season in the AHL last year—his second consecutive one. He led the San Diego Gulls in scoring with 57 points in 71 games, while posting a +3 plus/minus rating—nearly a feat in San Diego last year.

Pastujov also tallied 91 points, including 40 goals, during his draft year in 2020–2021, emerging by far as the USNDPT's top scorer among veterans that season.

But what's most interesting about acquiring this player is that he's well known to the organization. During that famous 20-21 season, he played alongside Kent Hughes' son (Jack), Martin St-Louis' son (Ryan), AND even a certain Lane Hutson!

He also excelled during his time in the OHL, recording 76- and 98-point seasons at ages 19 and 20.

Pastujov stands out for his quick, explosive one-timer and his overall creativity. He's also a very good passer with good instincts and vision. However, he isn't a strong skater and isn't very physically imposing, which means he tends to stay on the perimeter.

In that sense, I see him as something of a replacement for Joshua Roy within the organization.

If nothing major changes between now and training camp, he could get a solid opportunity to showcase his skills alongside talented players, and a little surprise isn't out of the question in his case. But he'll have to really bring it, let's be clear.

Without further ado, let's officially kick off our Top 15.


15. Logan Sawyer, SG
| 3rd round, 78th overall, 2024 | First Summer
Ranking Potential: 27/40
Reliability: 11.5/20
Usage Value: 18/30
Trade Value: 4/10
Total: 60.5/100


Potential
: While we've talked about Cooper Cleaves' progress over the past year, here's another player who hasn't been left behind in that regard. After being “decent” in his first NCAA season, Sawyer posted very respectable numbers in his second season: 28 points, including 14 goals in 35 games—one point ahead of rookie Roger McQueen, who was selected 10th overall by the Ducks in 2025.

While not a great skater or a particularly creative player, Sawyer has decent hands, plays with intensity, finishes plays, and shows up in the scoring zones at the right moments. That might be enough to one day earn a spot on a fourth line in the NHL.

Guarantee
Players like Sawyer aren't exactly rare in the lower leagues—NCAA, CHL, AHL, etc. So there's very little guarantee that these players will have long careers in the NHL.

Despite his two goals and three points playing alongside Michael Hage at the most recent development camp, Sawyer didn't impress many people that day. To make a difference, the Ontario native will need to accelerate his development even further and work tirelessly—particularly on his skating—while also making his physicality an even more prominent asset.

Value to the Organization
Players like Logan Sawyer have virtually no value until they've established themselves and made their mark in the NHL in one way or another. Could Sawyer become the kind of player who gets under the skin of opposing defensemen and goaltenders? The kind who scores big goals here and there by hanging around the net? Who sets the tone for games with his relentless forechecking, body checks, and all that sort of thing?

If so, then he'll have real value. For now, all of that is purely hypothetical in his case. At best, teams might be interested in him as a throw-in because he's already well along in his development and continues to improve at just 20 years old.


14. Parker Trottier, C
| 6th round, 189th overall, 2026 | First Summer
Ranking Potential: 28.5/40
Reliability: 12.5/20
Usage Value: 19/30
Trade Value: 3.5/10
Total: 63.5/100

Potential
I had no expectations for him, but with his hockey sense and tenacity, Trottier was clearly my favorite player at the last development camp. Bryan's grandson clearly knows how to play hockey—and plays it very well, at that. I'm obviously not the only one who noticed him.

In the “potential hard-working bottom-of-the-lineup player” category, I'd rank him ahead of Sawyer. He's faster, more intense, and possibly has better hands. The fact that he plays center doesn't hurt either… His hockey sense also impressed me.

It wasn't a great draft class for the USNTDP, and it seems that Trottier's talent—he played a fairly minor role there, more of a pest—may have flown a bit under the radar or been underestimated by many scouts.

Confidence
Every NHL player must have at least one quality that sets them apart—THE quality that will make them an NHL player. In Trottier's case, his hockey sense and professional style will likely be his calling card, but we shouldn't overlook his skating, his hands, and his confidence with the puck either.

In short, Trottier inspires quite a bit of confidence in me, and it will be interesting to follow his development with the Regina Pats in '26–'27 and at the University of Notre Dame thereafter.

The Minnesota native will therefore have to clear several hurdles before knocking on the door of the Canadiens or another NHL club. But he seems exactly the type who likes to break down doors when they come his way…

Value to the Organization
If my hunch is right, Trottier could become the smart, pesky, and versatile bottom-line player you find on good teams that go deep in the playoffs.

An improved (and left-handed) version of Jake Evans? Not out of the question. If that's the case, his bosses will be very happy.

Finally, if this profile continues to take shape, Trottier could also attract many potential suitors. The NHL is full of players like him who've earned their stripes and enjoyed successful careers thanks to their versatility and tenacity.


13. Owen Beck, C/D
| 2nd round, 33rd overall, 2022 | 2025 Summer Rankings: 14th
Potential: 29/40
Reliability: 14/20
Usage Value: 20/30
Trade Value: 5/10
Total: 68/100

Potential
Time is starting to run a bit shorter, but at 22, here's another player who could still become an improved version of Jake Evans.

While Beck is clearly faster and physically stronger than Evans, it's his offensive instincts that still raise doubts about his future in the NHL. Of course, Pascal Vincent never really gave him the most significant offensive responsibilities during his two seasons in Laval.

But Beck has also never shown us that he clearly deserved those key assignments…

In short, at best, Beck's future in the NHL now rests exclusively on the fourth line as an energetic center and penalty-kill specialist.

Assurance
After believing for some time that Beck could become an excellent third-line center in the NHL, we've now come to wonder, much more modestly, whether he'll ever become a regular center in the NHL—even though he already seems capable of holding his own there.

But to do that, he'll first need to become a truly dominant player in the AHL—a level he hasn't quite reached yet, despite his obvious athletic skills (skating, strength, shooting, etc.). Flashes of dominance aren't enough.

Among other things, he'll need to become a better passer—an essential skill for playing center. Otherwise, a move to the wing may be necessary, despite his strengths at the faceoff circle.

Value to the Organization
One thing is certain: with Suzuki, Evans, Dach, and Hage, the Canadiens have no shortage of right-handed centers capable of playing in the NHL within their organization.

Not only is he not a rare find, but the problem for Beck is that he isn't superior to any of them. Things can change quickly in hockey, but let's just say that for now, this doesn't exactly make him the most exceptional or valuable player in the Montreal system… At best, Beck is currently a backup option for the Habs.

And so, with that in mind, Beck is increasingly becoming a candidate for a minor trade—or a sort of “throw-in” in a larger deal.

The Port Hope, Ontario, native is far from being a bad hockey player; it's just that he would likely be more desirable in another organization.


Conclusion

Last year, spots 15 through 13 were occupied by Bryce Pickford, Owen Beck, and Florian Xhekaj. The fact that Pickford was ranked so low already indicated the great depth of the Habs' prospect pool.

In the same vein, even though they didn't have great seasons, Beck and Xhekaj are moving up a bit this year…

Thus, with the trade to acquire Dobson making its impact felt, the Habs' overall progress, and the promotions of Slafkovsky, Hutson, Dobes, and Kapanen in recent months, it goes without saying that the Habs' pipeline is starting to look less robust than in recent years.

It's now players with less prominent profiles—like Sawyer, Trottier, Cleaves, and Pastujov—who are likely to round out the future top 15…

In all honesty, though, Pustajov might have deserved a spot in the top 15…

Let's discuss it on Facebook!

See you next week for spots 12 through 10!


In a Nutshell

– The only boy in his family.

– Really cool to see.

– Interesting.

– Stay tuned.

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