The CH is currently using Matvei Michkov to muddy the waters

The next NHL draft is fast approaching. Yet in Montreal, excitement is (already) running high.

Normal, you might say. And I have no choice but to agree with you.

After all, June 28 is a date that will undoubtedly allow the Canadiens organization to add a talented player with the fifth overall pick of the first round.

Maybe Kent Hughes will try to move up the ranks to ensure he gets his target, maybe Kent Hughes will move back a few spots to add more assets to his bank while picking a player of interest to the organization. He may also decide to keep the fifth overall pick.

That’s the beauty of it. We don’t know what to expect right now, since the Habs’ GM is playing his cards right. Marco D’Amico (Montreal Hockey Now) is right when he compares Hughes’ plan to the one he had last year, when the CH had the very first pick in the draft.

“There are rumours about who the Canadiens might be interested in, but nothing concrete,” said D’Amico in a recent article. Last year, Hughes surprised everyone by selecting Juraj Slafkovsky with the first pick of the auction, even though Shane Wright was seen as the “logical choice” at number one…

Could Hughes do it again this time by drafting Matvei Michkov? It’s a question we have to ask ourselves.

A league source told Montreal Hockey Now that Hughes is “taking advantage of the Matvei Michkov situation” to muddy the waters, just as he did with Slaf last year.

And, basically, it makes sense.

Kent Hughes isn’t going to reveal his game in front of everyone, we agree.

He simply has no interest in doing so. Because by creating doubt and uncertainty for the top-4 teams, it gives him a better chance of getting Michkov at No. 5 if that’s what he really wants .

Kent Hughes told the combine that he hadn’t yet spoken to the Russian player, for example. Why would the GM say out loud that the organization has indeed had discussions with Michkov?

Why would he give clues to other NHL general managers?

That’s the point. I think we have to stop saying that the CH doesn’t want Michkov…. Because in reality, we don’t know what’s going on in Kent Hughes’ head.

Nobody really knows.

All that to say, there really does seem to be a chance of Michkov being drafted by the CH at No. 5. Is it set in stone? Not at all, no.

After all, the GM and his group may change their minds in a couple of weeks. There may also be new information about certain players that will change the game.

Here again…

That’s the beauty of the draft.

In gusto

– Ouch.

– He does his homework.

– They have a great relationship.

Nick Suzuki on his BFF Cole Caufield & his hope for the Habs future.

👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/IBA7gNlC2C

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) June 15, 2023

– Another early exit for Bianca Andreescu.