15 NHL scouts weigh in on eight young Canadiens players

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
15 NHL scouts weigh in on eight young Canadiens players
Credit: Justin Berl/Getty Images

Scott Wheeler (The Athletic) compiled a ranking of young prospects affiliated with an NHL team.

He compiled a list of U-23 players with his colleagues. He then asked 15 National Hockey League scouts to refine the list to ensure a representative ranking.

The result is quite interesting and is available here for those who are curious.

It's worth noting that the Canadiens don't have anyone in the “MVP” category of the rankings. Macklin Celebrini, Matthew Schaefer, Conor Bedard, and Leo Carlsson are all on the list.

That makes sense.

That said, the first name on the list among franchise players is Lane Hutson. He's the second defenseman on the list, behind the Islanders' star.

Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, and Porter Martone are the only other names in Category 2, which includes franchise players.

Ivan Demidov and Juraj Slafkovsky top Category 3, which consists of All-Star-caliber players. They're in Group A, the top tier of the category.

Jacob Fowler is a 3B. It seems like the ranking wasn't done by Corey Pro—ah, never mind.

Among the All-Stars, we find the names of Alexander Zharovsky and Michael Hage. David Reinbacher is in Category #5, and Bryce Pickford receives an honorable mention in the rankings, meaning he's outside the top 145.

That's a lot of names on the list. And that's a good thing.

Do you think the guys were ranked fairly? Do you see Jacob Fowler (the best goaltender in the rankings, in fact) as the Canadiens' top “prospect” pure and simple, or is he ranked too high on the list?

These are questions that should spark some discussion.


In a Nutshell

– News from practice.

– Speaking of the wolf.

– Hmm…

– A must-read.

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