In the NHL, the draft is crucial to building a successful team and ensuring its long-term success. Drafting well allows teams to acquire young talent without giving anything in return.
An effective draft helps solidify all positions by integrating new players, some of whom can become stars and even pillars of the team. Furthermore, young drafted players can also be used as assets to negotiate advantageous trades or strengthen the team’s weaknesses. We saw this recently with the exchange ofAlexander Romanov to fetch Kirby Dach.
The Canadiens are in the midst of a rebuild and several of the best players they drafted in recent years are still not with the team. It will be interesting to see how guys like Ivan Demidov, David Reinbacher et Michael Hageto name just a few.
For several years the team did not draft in the top-10 unlike in recent years. In fact between the selection of Carey Price in 5th place in 2005 and that of Juraj Slafkovsky in 1st place in 2022, CH was only able to draft 3 times in the top-10
That said, here are, in our opinion, the five best picks in terms of value since 2010. That is to say, their impact in relation to their selection rank.
Only players who played in the NHL are taken into account.
Brendan Gallagher: 5th round, 147th overall in 2010
Almost 15 years after his late selection in the 5th round, Gally is still a bulldozer on the ice. He never let his size dictate his future and he forged a brilliant career as a pest and scorer in the NHL.
Artturi Lehkonen: 2nd round, 55th overall in 2013
For a late 2nd round pick, Lehkonen has an impressive career. He was one of the hardest working and reliable players in Montreal and now in Colorado his offensive game has exploded. He shows up every night and can play on any line. A perfect player for coaches.
Jake Evans: 7th round, 207th total in 2014
It’s hard to ask for better with a 207th overall pick out of 210. Evans has established himself as a perfect 4th line center player while the vast majority of 7th round picks never have the chance to play in the NHL.
Cole Caufield, 1st round, 15th overall and 2
Yes, he’s a 1st round pick, but in terms of value that year, 15th overall for Caufield is a steal. Already 91 goals in 217 games since his arrival in the NHL and he seems on track to have his first 40-goal season this year.
Lane Hutson, 2nd round, 62nd overall in 2022
You still have to pinch yourself to understand that we really drafted such a player at 62nd overall. If it wasn’t for his size on draft day, he was guaranteed to come out top-10. What he’s doing as a rookie this year is mind-blowing.
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