MAJOR: Here is the player Jeff Gorton wanted to draft, and it's not David Reinbacher
We learned some interesting things in the documentary about the Montreal Canadiens' 2023 draft.
One of the standout elements, which caused quite a stir on social media, is undoubtedly the opinion on the selection to make with the 5th overall pick by the Vice President of Hockey Operations, Jeff Gorton.
First of all, since the names of players not belonging to the Canadiens are censored in the recording, you have to read between the lines to understand the flow of discussions.
One thing seems quite clear, the organization did not dismiss the enigmatic case of Matvei Michkov. He was part of the thought process and was there throughout.
Moreover, by listening to a section of the documentary, it is quite easy to understand that Gorton was heavily leaning towards selecting the Russian forward at the 5th spot, rather than David Reinbacher.
In essence, he says you have to draft high-level talent and seize the opportunity when it presents itself because it's very hard to do it through free agents that you have to pay a lot of money to get.
In the segment in question, he clearly says that you have to take chances sometimes, which directly refers to the complex situation of Michkov. He concludes his speech by mentioning that the room, full of the club's scouts, says no to taking a chance with the talent of the Russian phenom. Gorton wants to make sure everyone is aware of the situation and that the organization is making the right decision.
Although the Canadiens' scouting staff seems very happy with what they will get with the addition of Reinbacher, it's clear that it wasn't necessarily the unanimously envisioned option from the start, as was the case for the first four picks of the 2023 batch
However, the final sprint wasn't just between Reinbacher and Michkov, as forward Ryan Leonard was also in the picture according to several analysts.
In short, for those disappointed that the Canadiens still overlooked a high-level talent like Michkov, it's still interesting to learn that it wasn't a decision taken lightly, and the team really studied his case and analyzed his selection.
In the end, they opted for a defenseman with excellent potential, who probably won't become a future star in the NHL, but they might have added a top-pairing defenseman who can act as a pillar for over a decade for the club.
Time will tell if this choice proves wise or not by the Canadiens' management.
| POLL | ||
Did you watch the 2023 draft documentary of the Canadiens? | ||
| Yes | 59 | 54.1 % |
| No, and I'm not going to watch it | 26 | 23.9 % |
| No, but I'll listen to it soon | 24 | 22 % |
| List of polls | ||
