The identities of the two players targeted by the Canadiens for the upcoming draft have been revealed
Journalist Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now and NBC Sports has revealed major news concerning the Canadiens' overall 5th pick. Indeed, according to his information, if Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson, and Will Smith were to be picked in the first four ranks, Kent Hughes would set his sights either on Ryan Leonard or on David Reinbacher.
Indeed, at his press conference held last Thursday, Kent Hughes was very complimentary towards the two players. He first compared the American forward to Matthew Tkachuk, who advocates a very intense style of play and has an ease in finding the back of the net. Then, the general manager of the Tricolore did not hide the fact that he thought the Austrian was the best defender of the 2023 class.
This could potentially be a huge disappointment for Canadiens fans who would greatly like to see the organization select Matvei Michkov. The young phenom is seen as the best Russian prospect since Alexander Ovechkin and some even believe he could become as dominant as Connor Bedard.
Of course, his contractual situation in the KHL, as well as the geopolitical context in Russia carry some risks, but Michkov has generational talent that is usually never available when a general manager speaks at the fifth rank. Personally, we believe it would be a serious mistake to pass up a player as talented as him, but the Tricolore's management must hold important information if they decide to select another player.
According to the same sources, the Washington Capitals would not hesitate for a second to draft Matvei Michkov if the forward were to slip to the 8th rank. Would you be disappointed to see the Canadiens ignore the Russian to select Ryan Leonard or David Reinbacher?
Sources : TVA Sports
| POLL | ||
Would you be disappointed to see the Canadiens ignore Matvei Michkov to select Ryan Leonard or David Reinbacher? | ||
| Yes | 396 | 64.1 % |
| No | 222 | 35.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
