One of the top prospects for the upcoming draft would like to be selected by the Canadiens

PUBLICATION

Elias Edmonson
June 6, 2023 (9:13 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

The NHL Draft is just three weeks away and fans are highly eager to know which player the Montreal Canadiens will select. One thing is for sure, the organization will have a chance to pick up an extremely talented young prospect.

Among the players that seem to be attracting fan interest, the names Matvei Michkov and Will Smith come up repeatedly. Technically, one of these two players should be available when Kent Hughes steps up to announce his selection on the upcoming June 28th.

Although Matvei Michkov is considered a generational talent, who would undoubtedly be the second player drafted if he were Canadian or American, his situation is very complicated and seems to scare off many NHL general managers. Of course, we would love to see the Habs take a chance on selecting him, but it wouldn't be surprising if the CH's upper management set their sights on another forward.

Moreover, this forward could very well be the 18-year-old center Will Smith. The American had an absolutely exceptional season with the American development program, scoring 51 goals and 76 assists in 60 matches. He was also the best player at the U18 World Championship, tallying 20 points in 7 games, thus enabling the American team to win the gold medal.

The Canadiens have been looking for a top-line center for several years, and the addition of Will Smith, paired with Nick Suzuki, would mean that the Habs would finally have an electrifying top-6. The forward will undoubtedly become an elite player in the Bettman circuit, and Kent Hughes simply can't afford not to select him if he's still available at the fifth pick.

Furthermore, the CH's general manager has an excellent relationship with the forward, as he was his coach for three seasons in Boston. This connection between the two men has led to a lot of speculation about the possibility of seeing Will Smith in a Canadiens uniform in the coming years. The main party involved has not hidden the fact that he has already thought about this scenario.

"Maybe I think about it a little in my head, but no matter where I end up, I'll be happy." - Will Smith

The Lexington-born forward also mentioned that he was impressed by the passion of the Canadiens fans at last year's draft, adding that he was aware of the rebuilding process initiated by the Montreal organization, which is beginning to have a very interesting core of young players.

"The passion of the fans is what comes to mind (when I think about this team)," he emphasized."I was at the Bell Centre for the draft and the atmosphere was quite incredible. (Cole) Caufield just also signed this long contract. He's from the development program, too, so that's pretty cool."

Sources : LNH