Three near first-round picks… This was the case in 2022 and it is likely to be the case again in 2025.
As we speak, the Montreal Canadiens are heading towards a scintillating top-4 pick as well as an appetizing top-20 pick (Flames), without forgetting the 1is second round pick, 33e in total.
I don’t know if Hughes and Gorton will be tempted to do it again in 2023 when they had traded picks #31 and #37 to get their hands on Alex Newhook, but it’s an avenue to use with great caution, because of the players better than Newhook, there are regularly a good half dozen left in the draft at the beginning of 2e ronde…
Good recruiters must be able to identify them…
That said, with the time at my disposal, it is too early to make an informed decision on potential early second round picks. It’s a difficult exercise a few days before the draft, so in November, it’s no!
However, a good reflection is already necessary in the top-4 which, without being cast in concrete, seems to want to take shape quite quickly.
If we agree to say that the CH has as many needs at the front as at the rear, in light of what we see on the horizon, what would be the optimal choice of CH in the top-4 next June?
A top-4 for all tastes
If the CH finishes last in the general ranking – which would surprise me greatly, but hey – the 5’10 center from Boston College, James Hagens, the right winger from Missisauga, Porter Martone, the defender from Erie, Matthew Schaefer and the center of Saginaw, Michael Misa, will all be available for the pleasure of its leaders.
In my opinion, none stands out that much from the other three at present and, once again this year, the first teams to draft are likely to go there with the optimal choice in their eyes, considering both the talent of the player as well as their organizational needs and culture.
And what would be this optimal choice for the CH as of today?
A left-handed center with greater talent than Nick Suzuki?
A big right-handed winger who can fill the net and distribute the puck at least as well as Slafkovsky does as a lefty? Martone even has a much better marker touch than Slavs who, however, remains bigger, stronger and a better passer than the Ontarian.
Or a left-handed defenseman #1 who would be somewhere between Miro Heiskanen and Rasmus Dahlin?
For his part, if he was in the shoes of Hughes and Gorton at the moment and he had doubts about his future defense (repeated injuries to Guhle and Reinbacher, defensive potential of Huston, Mailloux, Xhekaj, etc.), the always relevant Simon “Snake” Boisvert, would turn to defender Schaefer, probably the safest bet of the four players mentioned, all things considered.
The talent is coming out of his ears, both offensively and defensively for this Schaefer. We are talking about a skater of rare fluidity with excellent hands, a good shot and a vision of the game well above average. A guy capable of playing 25 minutes without problem, night after night. A future number 1 every day of the week and twice on Sunday.
According to Boisvert, the selection of Schaefer would even guarantee a Stanley Cup for CH within 6 years! Nothing less!
Schaefer-Reinbacher
Hutson-Guhle
In theory, it would be quite a top-4!
All that would remain was to decide between Struble, Xhekaj, Engstrom on the left side and Mailloux, Barron on the right side.
With all these beautiful people at maturity, we would have actually seen teams win the Cup with less good defenses. Let’s think, among others, of the Penguins of 2016-2017, WITHOUT Kristopher Letang!
Finally, if the CH doesn’t draft a guy like Schaefer, they will have to try to be the first team in the modern era to win the Stanley Cup with a #1 defenseman under 5’11 and 170 lbs in Lane Hutson!
BUT, we all also know that Nick Suzuki is not the ideal first center for a champion club, or at the very least, that CH needs another very high quality center to help them.
Is this center Kirby Dach?
Is he Ivan Demidov?
Is he Juraj Slafkovsky, who should at least deserve a tryout in this year…of tryouts?
For now, nothing is less certain and on that account, left-handed centers, James Hagens and Michael Misa would be hard to ignore, because in the last 40 years, we really haven’t seen many teams win the Cup without the equivalent of at least two very good center players.
I even challenge you to identify just one!
Very fluid on skates, superb playmaker, good defensively, very flexible hands, James Hagens is a kind of blend of Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes.
The American practically walked on water last year with the USNDT (102 points in 58 games) as well as at the U18 (22 points in 7 games).
Currently favorite on most lists, Hagens could however go down in the coming months. He plays well, but doesn’t throw anyone out of their chair at Boston College with his 11 points in 8 games, including only 1 goal.
Does he lack chemistry with his teammates, having played with several different wingers since the start of the season, including the talented Ryan Leonard (Washington, 8e2023) et Gabriel Perreault (NYR, 21e 2023)?
Then, there will always be completely legitimate doubts about a 5’10 number one center, especially in a playoff perspective…
This is why another left-handed center, Michael Misa, 6’1, 185 lbs, former first choice of the OHL and player of exceptional status at 15 years old, teammate of Owen Beck and champion of the Memorial Cup with Saginaw last spring, is likely to make more and more noise in the coming months.
Misa, an agile skater showing a lot of finesse in his game, has a surgical shot that he draws at lightning speed. A player who is both instinctive and intelligent, he also does very well defensively. Finally, 23 goals, 39 points in 19 games so far this season is still “something that I think…”, as the great Mario would say! Over a projected season of 68 games, we are talking about 82 goals and 139 points!
In short, even if there is no unanimous candidate for the top spot, it is difficult to see how the teams drafting in the top-4 could make a mistake next June.
For nowas far as I’m concerned, if I were HuGo, in my opinion it would be between Misa and Schaefer, with perhaps a little advantage for Misa.
But we still have to try Slavs in the center before making a decision, unless we are already certain that this is where we will play Demidov in the near future…
