Welcome back.

It’s time to kick off Daily Faceoff’s second annual NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown, looking at the best all 32 teams have to offer. We’re highlighting the top 10 prospects for every franchise, their biggest strengths and weaknesses and so much more.

The criteria for being labeled a “prospect” are simple: players generally have to have played in 50 or fewer NHL games or spent more time outside of the NHL than in it last year. Skaters over 23 years old are not included, with goaltenders needing to be 25 or under.

Today, we’re looking at the Montreal Canadiens.

It’s been a rough few years since the Montreal Canadiens made the Stanley Cup Final in 2021 – but better days are coming.

The Habs have been in full rebuild mode ever since they selected Juraj Slafkovsky first overall in 2022. This helped spark an exciting new era for a proud franchise that has dealt with mediocrity – with the odd close call – for three decades now.

And now the Canadiens have one of the best pipelines in hockey. It’s seriously an exciting time to be a fan of this group, especially with all the young talent they’ve got on the roster already. Slafkovsky, Kirby Dach, Cole Caufield, Alex Newhook, Kaiden Guhle and Arber Xhekaj are all 23 or younger, and captain Nick Suzuki is just 24. With a group that young, and so skilled already, it’s only a matter of time until everything starts to click.

And, hopefully, that’s soon. The Canadiens have selected in the top five in each of the past three drafts, but it’s time to start getting to work and chasing the playoffs again. I’m not expecting that to be this year, but there’s enough talent to get this group to the next level if everything clicks right for them.

Biggest Strengths

To keep it simple: the pure depth is exciting. I think most of the top 10 listed below will play a significant number of NHL games. They’ve got two high-end defensive prospects in Hutson and Reinbacher, a potential Carey Price replacement in Jacob Fowler and one of the best prospects in the game in Ivan Demidov. Match it all together, and there’s so much to love about the talent in this group. There are even a few players outside the top 10 I could see playing in the NHL, such as Florian Xhekaj, Filip Mesar, Aatos Koivu, and Bogdan Konyushkov, among others. If you’re in the Quebec area, get yourself to a Laval Rocket game sooner rather than later. If there’s any specific area of strength, I’d say on defense, especially given they already have some key young pieces already with the big club.

Biggest Weakness

I think Montreal is struggling on the left wing for all the depth they have. I can see Sean Farrell and Xhekaj carving out careers, but mostly in lesser roles. I’m not sold on anyone else at that position. They already have Juraj Slafkovsky and Brendan Gallagher with the big club, but I’d like to see them target the left side in future drafts. But that’s just being nit-picky.

Fast Facts:
NHL GM: Kent Hughes
Dir. Amateur Scouting: Martin Lapointe and Nick Bobrov
Dir. of Player Development: Rob Ramage
AHL Affiliate: Laval Rocket
ECHL Affiliate: Lions de Trois-Rivières

*Ivan Demidov (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

1. Ivan Demidov, RW (SKA St. Petersburg, KHL)

Acquired: Drafted fifth overall, first round in 2024

After passing on Matvei Michkov (among others) last year, the Canadiens went and snagged Demidov with the fifth pick in 2024. And, seriously, we’re talking about the team’s next top star here. Demidov was the most skilled player in this past draft and was Daily Faceoff’s No. 2 prospect behind Macklin Celebrini. The Russian winger finished the MHL regular season second in league scoring despite missing 24 games due to injury. At a 2.00 point-per-game average, no U-19 player has ever had a more productive season in MHL history, including Nikita Kucherov back in 2011-12. Demidov then dominated in the playoffs before getting injured, but it was a highly successful season. From a pure talent perspective, we’re seeing one of the most creative, speedy, and offensively dominant forwards in quite some time.

2. Lane Hutson, LHD (Montreal Canadiens)

Acquired: Drafted 62nd overall, second round in 2022

Habs fans are so pumped about Hutson, and for good reason. He finished his sophomore campaign with the NCAA’s Boston University Terriers with 15 goals and 49 points in 38 games, a single point more than his freshman total last year. Since 2019-20, only two defensemen have more points than Hutson’s 97 – Zach Metsa’s 117 and Jackson LaCombe’s 99. The difference? They played double the games, and nobody came in spitting distance of Hutson’s 1.28 point-per-game average. From an early age, his offensive instincts were top of the class. You won’t find defensemen with Hutson’s creativity often – he’s so slick, often taking the puck from a standstill and creating a chance in close, a la Cale Makar. Hutson is a human highlight reel – he spins with ease, and with quick footwork, he’s so difficult to stop. He’s incredibly deceptive, using head fakes to lure you in before making a high-impact move. His first few NHL games were a good start, and now I’m excited to see what happens to him in 2024-25. If he goes to Laval, that won’t be a bad thing – smaller defenders rarely go straight to the NHL out of college.

3. David Reinbacher, RHD (Laval, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted fifth overall, first round in 2023

*David Reinbacher (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

To say it was a difficult season for Reinbacher is an understatement – and a lot of it was out of his control. After playing heavy minutes for EHC Kloten in the top league in Switzerland in 2022-23 – something you rarely see in any European pro league from an 18-year-old – injuries and a lack of quality support in the team’s lineup hindered the Austrian defender’s campaign. He saw his offense cut in half, but his ice time never wavered, often sitting between 18-20 minutes most nights. No Kloten defenseman was used more in 5-on-5. Reinbacher looked a lot more comfortable with the puck once he returned from his knee injury midway through the NL season, but those are two valid issues still to this day. At 6-foot-4, he’s got the size all NHL teams crave. And we’ve seen enough great moves with the puck to suggest he can put up points at the pro game – he just needs to break out of his shell and play with a bit more urgency. He has top-pairing potential, but adjusting to life in Laval will be crucial.

4. Michael Hage, C (University of Michigan, NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 21st overall, first round in 2024

I liked that the Canadiens moved up to take Hage because they snagged a forward with some second-line potential after already selecting one of the top forwards in the class. Hage had a huge first full season with the Steel, scoring 33 goals and 75 points in 54 games. It’s exactly what we expected from him after his great U-16 season with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens, and it helped him solidify his status as a first-round pick. Hage was one of the USHL’s best pure forwards with a combination of size, great skating, and tremendous puckhandling. As far as centers go, Hage is one of the best available this past year. I’m excited to see him at college.

5. Jacob Fowler, G, 20 (Boston College, NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 69th overall, third round in 2023

Fowler is one of the top goaltending prospects in the game right now, and his great season at Boston College is a big reason why. BC had a fantastic lineup, but Fowler was one of the primary reasons why they were so dangerous from the get-go. He went 32-6-1 with three shutouts and a .926 save percentage and also had a perfect 3-0 record at the World Juniors en route to gold. Speaking of winning, Fowler was named to the Hockey East all-tournament team this year after winning the regular season title, one year after taking home the USHL title, the league’s top goaltender award and gold at the World Junior A Challenge. It’s hard not to boast an immense amount of confidence when you’re as successful as Fowler at a young age, and he packs that all into a 6-foot-2, mobile frame.

6. Joshua Roy, LW/C, 20 (Montreal Canadiens)

Acquired: Drafted 150th overall, fifth round in 2021

*Joshua Roy (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

The Canadiens built a reputation for finding crucial players late in drafts during the late ’90s and early 2000s. Andrei Markov (sixth round in 1998), Michael Ryder (eighth round in 1998), Jaroslav Halak (ninth round in 2003), Mark Streit (ninth round in 2004) and Brendan Gallagher (fifth round in 2010) are just a few of the players who went on to play more than 500 NHL games after getting taken quite late. Could Roy, selected 150th in 2021, be next? Roy had 32 points in 41 games as a rookie in the AHL this past year and another nine points in 23 NHL games. Roy was a high-end producer in the QMJHL, so it’s good to see him carry it over to the big leagues. Roy’s skating was a concern early on, but his talent trumps his flaws here. He’s not a lock to make the Canadiens on a full-time basis next year and there’s an argument to be made that some more time in Laval wouldn’t hurt, but he’s got as good of a shot as anyone to make it happen.

7. Logan Mailloux, RHD, 21 (Laval, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 31st overall, first round in 2021

Mailloux would be the top defenseman on many teams’ pipelines, but that just shows you what the Canadiens have near the top of the crop here. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound defender had a monster AHL rookie season, registering 47 points in 72 games before also getting a point in his first NHL game. He’s very difficult to contain because of his pure power and his confidence in carrying the puck, which is one of the things that I truly love about his game. I tend to rate defensemen with translatable physical and offensive tools quite highly, and I do think he’s going to be a solid NHLer. But for now, I still want to see him work on being more defensively responsible and also limit how many times he makes a bad read with and without the puck. Now that he has proven what he could do in Laval as a high-end producer, I want to see him work on shoring up his own-zone play before pushing for full-time duty with the big club.

8. Owen Beck, C, 20 (Laval, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 33rd overall, second round in 2022

You need players who can do multiple different jobs deeper down the lineup, and I think that’s what makes Beck so good. He had a great second half with Saginaw, helping them win the Memorial Cup on home ice. Beck had 18 goals and 51 points in 32 regular season games and was a point-per-game player at his second Memorial Cup, which is a great sign for a 20-year-old. While he is an excellent playmaker who can also make smart moves around the net, it’s his defensive play that makes him more valuable. I expect him to be a bottom-six forward who plays a reliable two-way game while killing penalties and working hard along the boards. Anything he does with the puck is a nice bonus.

9. Sean Farrell, C/LW, 22 (Laval, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 124th overall, fourth round in 2020

*Sean Farrell (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

A lot of people were excited to see how Farrell would adjust to pro after a wicked sophomore year at Harvard that saw him finish as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. He had some struggles in Laval, with a pair of injuries hampering his potential. Even though he’s on the smaller side at 5-foot-9, I like how shifty he can be, helping ensure he stays with the puck and doesn’t end up laying on the ice from a big hit. Farrell also loves to drive the play, something that made him so dangerous in college. I think he’s got some excellent skill that allows him to win 1-on-1 situations and he has a solid shot, although I wish he used it a bit more in the AHL.

10. Oliver Kapanen, C, 20 (Timra IK, SHL)

Acquired: Drafted 64th overall, second round in 2021

Kapanen signed his ELC just a few weeks after playing a leading role on Finland’s World Championship team. He had six goals in seven games, making himself difficult to move in front of the opposing team’s net. In fact, he was outplaying many NHLers despite one of the younger players in the tournament. Since being drafted by Montreal, the 20-year-old has flourished in Liiga, the top league in Finland, playing for KalPa. This past season, Kapanen scored a career-high 14 goals and 20 assists for 34 points in 51 games, scoring another 14 points in the playoffs. He helped KalPa reach the semifinals, where Tappara, the eventual league champions, ultimately eliminated them. Kapanen is set to move to Timra next year, but it’ll be interesting to see what the Canadiens do with his development after that because I know they’d love to get him to Laval sooner rather than later. I see bottom-six potential here.

Other notables: Filip Mesar, RW (20), Emil Heineman, LW (22), Jacob Perreault, RW (22), Florian Xhekaj, LW (20), Luke Tuch, LW (22), Jared Davidson, C (22), Xavier Simoneau, LW (23), Riley Kidney, C (21), Makar Khanin, LW (19), Aatos Koivu, C (18), Ben Merrill, C (18), Logan Sawyer, C (18), Tyler Thorpe, RW (18), Filip Eriksson, C (19), Sam Harris, LW (20), Vinzenz Rohrer, RW (19), Alexander Gordin, C (22), Jack Smith, RW (22), Rhett Pitlick, LW (23), Daniil Sobolev, RHD (21), Dmitri Kostenko, RHD (21), Luke Mittelstadt, LHD (21), Bogdan Konyushkov, RHD (21), Owen Protz, LHD (18), Rasmus Berqvist, LHD (19), William Trudeau, LHD (21), Jayden Struble, LHD (22), Adam Engstrom, LHD (20), Jakub Dobes, G (23), Mikus Vecvanags, G (18), Quentin Miller, G (19), Evgeni Volokhin, G (19), Emmett Croteau, G (20), Joe Vrbetic, G (21)

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