Kent Hughes is in the midst of controversy and it's causing a stir

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David St-Jean
June 29, 2024 (9:24 PM)

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The Canadiens had a strong first-round draft, especially with the selection of Ivan Demidov.

At 21st overall, they chose Michael Hage, a Canadiens fan who speaks French fluently. He's seen as a definite favorite, a resilient and charismatic young player.

In the third round, they made another sentimental choice with Aatos Koivu, son of Saku Koivu. After these three picks, the draft looked very solid.

However, the remainder of their selections didn't sit well with everyone, primarily because no Honetown players were chosen by the organization this year.

According to Anthony Marcotte, this is unacceptable, and many agree with him.

"Being drafted by an NHL organization is a vote of confidence. You're associated with the team for at least two years before they decide whether to sign you or not.

The fact that the Canadiens invite local youngsters to their development camp every year is commendable. However, it doesn't have the same impact or pride.

Regardless of what happens in his career, the young player can always say he was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens.

A 7th-round pick has an extremely low chance of making it to the NHL, especially in his first year of eligibility. That's what disappoints me about the Canadiens. Why isn't it automatic that the last pick in a draft is a Homwtown player? In the worst case, he'll have a chance to play in Laval in a few years and maybe even play a significant role there.

But hey, I've said it before. It's not a crime, just disappointing. You can bookmark this tweet because it might happen again next year."

Anthony Marcotte

I agree that great stories can emerge from 7th-round picks, as we've seen with players like Raphaël Harvey-Pinard. However, I understand why the Canadiens might not have done so.

Players drafted from the CHL only belong to the team for two years, unlike players from other leagues. Given equal talent, it's more advantageous to pick a European or NCAA player.

Certainly, I'd like to see more local players in the organization, and I hope this happens more each year. But I can understand that sometimes it's not possible.

In any case, the Canadiens have drafted well over the past three years. We should continue to trust them and follow the plan set by the new management.