Major hint about the Canadiens' next acquisition, who will be an elite player
It's no secret that the Canadiens have a glaring need for quality forwards in their prospect pool. While the pipeline is strong on defense and in goal, there is currently a deficiency up front.
Therefore, it is expected that Kent Hughes will acquire one or more good forwards, whether through trades, free agency, or the draft.
The Canadiens' Co-Director of Scouting, Martin Lapointe, provided insider information on the team's draft plan. Unless there's a surprise, the Canadiens are poised to have a top-10 pick in the 2024 draft.
- They think there are only 5 elite players in this draft
- The amount of good defenders may cause some forwards to slip
- after the first round, the quality tails off" - JJ Gab
These five elite players, according to us, could be:
Macklin Celebrini, Ivan Demidov, Cole Eiserman, Cayden Lindstrom, and Artyom Levshunov.
The hints are quite significant, as Lapointe's comments clearly suggest that the Canadiens intend to select a forward. They have a good chance of drafting a future star, and there's a possibility they might trade either the Jets' first-round pick or their own second and third-round picks.
Indeed, Lapointe mentions that talent drops off quickly after the first round, and the Canadiens have a lot of picks. Now, it remains to be seen what Kent Hughes will do with these picks, but don't be surprised if he decides to make some trades during the draft in June.
| POLL | ||
Does the Canadiens absolutely need to draft a forward in the first round this year? | ||
| Yes | 506 | 89.4 % |
| No | 60 | 10.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
