The last time The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler published his Top 100 Drafted Prospects list, Ivan Demidov was in first place, and the Montreal Canadiens had five players on the list: Demidov, David Reinbacher (24), Michael Hage (35), Logan Mailloux (58), and Joshua Roy (82).
This time around, the Habs only have three players on the list. Logan Mailloux is still there, but he’s now in 70th position and a member of the St. Louis Blues. Joshua Roy has unsurprisingly fallen off the list.
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Who remains on there for Montreal? Well, Demidov is the first member of the organization on the list, but he has now dropped to third place. Wheeler has put first-overall pick from the last draft, Matthew Schaefer, in first place and Michael Misa, the second-overall pick, in second place. While this is sure to ruffle some feathers with Canadiens fans, both players came with a certain level of hype, and it’s not a surprising move from Wheeler.
He describes Demidov as “a skill-first playmaking forward” who finished second in points with SKA St. Petersburg despite averaging just 13:45 of time on ice. He also defines him as “a true play creator,” the man you want to control the puck to create opportunities for everyone on the ice. This reminds me of Lane Hutson, who also likes to hold on to the puck to create opportunities, especially when a big goal is needed.
The Russian winger has impressed Wheeler with his ability to move along the boards and get to the middle in traffic while protecting the puck. He even adds that he’s the most dynamic and skilled prospect to come out of Russia in recent memory. He puts him ahead of Philadelphia Flyers’ Matvei Michkov because “his game has more of a pro style, competitiveness, and roundness to it” at the same age.
David Reinbacher is the second Canadiens on the list, but he has now dropped to number 39. Considering he lost most of last season to a knee injury sustained in his first preseason game last year, that was unavoidable. Still, he praises his” pro size, desired handedness, and a really strong foundation of skill that all guaranteed he’ll become a good NHLer.”
Wheeler sees him as a reliable two-way defenseman and believes he’ll be a good 3rd or 4th blueliner in the NHL. Given the fact that the Canadiens can now count on Noah Dobson as their top-pairing right-shot rearguard, the Habs would be just fine if that’s what he turns out to be.
It will be interesting to see how Reibacher does at camp. We’ve not seen him play much last season because of the injury, but for the Canadiens to send Mailloux off to St. Louis, they must have been pleased with what they saw in the Austrian, and that’s the opinion that truly matters. Even with Mailloux’s departure, there will be a lot of blueliners battling for a spot at camp, and making the lineup will be no easy task.
The final Canadiens’ prospect to make the list is Michael Hage, who ranks at number 51, a significant drop from last year’s 39th place. Perhaps that can be explained by the fact that Wheeler is not convinced Hage is NHL center material. He mentions that Hage must be suitable for a winger role in the big league, a bit like Blues’ Jordan Kyrou (interesting comparison since we’re still seeing Kyrou’s name all over the place lately).
It might be a bit early to make that assessment. Hage is still developing, and he still has time to bulk up. After a second season in the NCAA, a stay with the Laval Rocket probably wouldn’t hurt, and we’ll have a better idea then of what he projects as. Yes, the jump from the NCAA to the AHL is a big one, but both the opponents and the teammates will be better as well, which should help him reach a higher level.
The writer acknowledges that he spent the last season playing for a diminished Michigan team in the NCAA. As a result, he often had to take matters into his own hands, and he rose to the challenge. This year, he will be joined by former Eire Otters’ star Malcolm Spence, who has confirmed he will be leaving the CHL to enter Michigan.
Even though Wheeler doesn’t believe Hage is likely to be a top-six center for the Canadiens, he still expects him to be a top-six player in the NHL, which is not a given for a 21st overall pick.
Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
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