Major: Kent Hughes hit a home run by acquiring the highly solid defenseman Bogdan Konyushkov through the draft
The draft is not an exact science, but scouts do a colossal job to uncover hidden talents.
The decision of the Canadiens to bypass Matvei Michkov and select David Reinbacher stirred a lot of discussions. Kent Hughes and his team mentioned that it's always a risk to draft players from leagues like the KHL when they have multi-season contracts, as there's no guarantee they will come to the NHL.
Wasting a 5th overall pick on a player who might never come would be a significant loss. The Canadiens weren't willing to take that risk, evidently.
However, when it comes to a 4th-round pick, 110th overall, it's a different story. In 2023, defenseman Bogdan Konyushkov was selected by the Canadiens at this spot, and it's a home run.
We're talking about a 20-year-old who, according to several experts, would have been a late first-round or early second-round pick if he had played in the NCAA. That's noteworthy!
He has accumulated 22 points in 50 KHL games and plays significant minutes. He even participated in the All-Star Game. Moreover, his presence in North America has just been confirmed.
The Torpedo's GM in the KHL confirmed to me over the phone that he has no intention of retaining the defenseman in Russia once his contract is over."
- Nicolas Cloutier, TVA Sports
This is music to my ears, especially since Konyushkov is a right-handed defenseman. He could indeed be a hidden gem for the Canadiens in the years to come.
| POLL | ||
In your opinion, will the Canadiens have the best defense in the NHL within five years? | ||
| Yes | 415 | 82.5 % |
| No | 88 | 17.5 % |
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