Looking Back At The 2019 Draft: Irrefutable Proof That The Canadiens Are Headed Towards A Promising Future

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Joe El-Khoury
August 1, 2023 (6:04 PM)

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Several experts mentioned at the time that the 2019 draft was seen as one of the drafts with the most raw talent in many years. The Montreal Canadiens, who held the 15th pick that year, had the chance to get their hands on a prolific goal scorer in Cole Caufield.

A few years later, the Habs' general manager, Kent Hughes, notably acquired two former first-round picks in Kirby Dach (#3) and Alex Newhook (#16), thus adding two very promising forwards to Martin St-Louis' lineup.

However, now that four seasons have passed since that famous draft, it's easier to assess the impact the selected players will be able to have in the NHL in the coming years.

In this regard, TVA Sports has just shared a new ranking involving the 2019 draft players. To the delight of Habs fans, three of the Canadiens' forwards are in the top 10 of the best players drafted that year.

Here is the new ranking of the players selected in 2019:

1st rank: Jack Hughes (-)
2nd rank: Mortiz Seider (+4)
3rd rank: Cole Caufield (+12)
4th rank: Trevor Zegras (+5)
5th rank: Matthew Boldy (+7)
6th rank: Dylan Cozens (+1)
7th rank: Bowen Byram (-3)
8th rank: Kirby Dach (-5)
9th rank: Spencer Knight (+4)
10th rank: Alex Newhook (+6)
[...]
25th rank: Rafaël Harvey-Pinard (+176)

Wow! This means that by adding Rafaël Harvey-Pinard to Cole Caufield, Kirby Dach, and Alex Newhook, Martin St-Louis' lineup can now count on the equivalent of four first-round picks from the 2019 draft.

Besides RHP who is now 24 years old, the other three Canadiens forwards are only 22 years old and they have already shown that they have enormous potential. Cole Caufield could easily become a 40-goal scorer per season, Kirby Dach has the talent to establish himself as an excellent second-line center capable of reaching the 60-point mark, while Alex Newhook will undoubtedly become a forward on the team's top three lines, and perhaps even on the top 6.

One thing is certain, although the rebuilding process is not over and Kent Hughes will have to find a way to bring other top-notch forwards to Montreal, the future of the Canadiens seems to be going in the right direction. We are greatly looking forward to seeing the progress of the young CH players in the next season.