The reason Quinn Hughes wasn't drafted by the Canadiens has finally been revealed

PUBLICATION

MarcO
June 20, 2023 (0:13)

SHARE THIS STORY

In his podcast "The Athletic Support", Marc Antoine Godin revealed major information regarding the decision that was made by Marc Bergevin and company at the time. Indeed, according to his information, the Canadiens chose Kotkaniemi for a very specific reason. It was mainly because the Canadiens desperately needed a center player capable of playing in the top two lines that the forward was drafted.

Unfortunately, much more talented players such as Brady Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes, Evan Bouchard, and Noah Dobson were all selected a few ranks later, who have now established themselves as leading players in the NHL.

It's irrefutable proof that during the draft, an organization must absolutely select the prospect with the highest potential and not try to fill an immediate need in the squad.

According to Marc Antoine Godin, the Tricolor had placed Quinn Hughes very low on their draft list because the Canadiens already had a small offensive defender in Victor Mete. Needless to say, this mistake is painful for the organization today. Victor Mete is commuting between the AHL and the NHL, while Quinn Hughes has become one of the league's best offensive defenders, who scored 76 points (!!!) this season.

"The argument that the Canadiens already have Cole Caufield and adding another Top-6 attacker who would be small size with similar shortcomings could be one small scoring forward too many, it doesn't make me think any differently than when the Canadiens decided not to draft Quinn Hughes and put him further on their list because they already had Victor Mete as a small offensive defender." - Marc Antoine Godin

Ouch! What a mistake it was on the part of the Tricolor!

This statement can notably explain why the Canadiens had so much trouble drafting good players under the Bergevin era. We notably remember the selection of Michael McCarron who was selected only because the organization wanted to bulk up on the attack. We strongly hope that Kent Hughes will not make the same mistake this year by turning his back on prospects like Matvei Michkov or Zach Benson because the team is already packed with small players.

The Canadiens must absolutely draft the best player available this year, regardless of his style of play, size, or even position. We are very eager to see which player will be selected in a few days in Nashville.

Credit: HabsolumentFan