Eric Engels: CH more likely to go down than up in the draft

Right now, the possibilities are endless when it comes to the NHL draft.

We know that Connor Bedard will go first, and that’s probably all we’ll know between now and June 28.

No, it isn’t.

We also know that in Montreal, Kent Hughes is active with his phone. He’s done his homework by contacting the Ducks and the Sharks to see what it would take to move up in the draft… But that doesn’t mean he’ll be able to move up a few rungs.

It really doesn’t. In fact, odds are the opposite will happen if the Habs trade his pick, according to recent reports from Eric Engels and Sportsnet.

We’re told it’s just as conceivable, if not more so, that they’ll move down in the draft. – Eric Engels

Well, it’s a little hard to imagine anything because it all depends on the first four selections in the next draft.

Right now, it just looks like Kent Hughes is using Matvei Michkov to muddy the waters. Just like he did with Juraj Slafkovsky last year, basically.

If there’s a team that’s really, really interested in the Russian player and he hasn’t yet been selected before the CH, Hughes could use Michkov to go after a return that could still benefit the team.

That’s if Michkov is still available in the CH line-up. If he isn’t, I don’t see why Kent Hughes would decide to back out of the draft unless he received an offer he simply couldn’t refuse.

There it is again…

But it’s the four teams ahead of the Habs who have the Montreal team’s fate in their hands.

Prolongation

Matvei Michkov did not take part in the combine and has not yet spoken to any NHL teams.

Things may be different when he arrives at the draft, where he should have the chance to meet some of the league’s teams.

The star of the show this year isn’t Connor Bedard. It’s Matvei Michkov.