If the Montreal Canadiens are looking to address their big organizational need, they’ll need to be willing to part with enticing young assets, and one of their prospects really fits that bill. 20-year-old right-shot defenseman Bryce Pickford just had a season for the ages in the WHL.
In 55 games with the Medicine Hat Tigers, the blueliner put up 83 points, including 45 goals. His numbers were so impressive that he has been nominated for both CHL defenseman of the year and player of the year. That’s not at all surprising given the fact that he won both awards in the WHL, but it still shows how exceptional a season he’s had. A third-round pick by the Canadiens at the latest draft, Pickford had impressed them so much by Christmas that they already signed him to an ELC.
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Of course, success in the WHL doesn’t always translate to success in the NHL, but his stock is still quite high right now, and a rebuilding team that lacks a pure offensive defenseman may well be interested in his profile. The Canadiens themselves need a right-shot defenseman, but in an ideal world, they’d need one who’d be able to step in the NHL right now, and that’s not Pickford.
Dominating in the OHL, against younger players is one thing, but making the jump to the pro level is quite another. Generally speaking, defensemen need more time than forwards to reach their full potential, and as we’ve seen in these playoffs, the Canadiens’ window of contention has already started opening.
However, Kent Hughes has always been clear that he wants to build a perennial contender, not just a team that will have a great shot at winning the Cup once and then be taken apart. The contracts he’s been able to sign his players to reflect that reality. Hughes is not just about the now; he’s about the long-term as well. There’s a balance he’ll have to strike between getting the pieces that will move the needle in the right direction for his team now and planning for the future as well. He won’t make trades that will leave his prospect cupboard bare, but he won’t overly stockpile either.
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