Will the arrow point north, North of the Border?
Just two years after the Canadiens made the Stanley Cup Final, Montreal is sitting in the middle of a rebuild and needs to kickstart it to get back into contention. Enter the 2023 NHL Draft.
Loaded with nine draft picks — which includes pick No. 5 and four picks in the top 70 — the Habs can jumpstart their rebuild and get back to the playoff contention after missing out each of the last two years. They've especially well-positioned with their first pick: With the No. 5 overall selection, the Habs can add an impact talent, and there are two players who may fit that bill.
Russian winger Matvei Michkov is a popular mock draft pick for the Canadiens at No. 5, but his contract situation may keep teams away from the talented forward. If it's not Michkov, then right winger Ryan Leonard or defenseman David Reinbacher could be the selection.
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Here's where the Canadiens pick come the 2023 NHL Draft.
Canadiens draft picks 2023: When does Montreal pick?
The Canadiens were one of a handful of NHL teams with multiple first-round draft picks, however they traded No. 31 to the Avalanche in the deal to land forward Alex Newhook.
In total, they have nine draft picks across all seven rounds of the draft.
Here's where the Canadiens pick:
- Round 1, Pick 5: David Reinbacker, D, Kloten (Switzerland)
- Round 3, Pick 69: Jacob Fowler, G, Youngstown
- Round 4, Pick 101: Florian Xhehaj, LW, Hamilton
- Round 4, Pick 110: Bogdan Konyushkov, D, Nizhny Novgorod
- Round 4, Pick 128: Quentin Miller, G, Quebec
- Round 5, Pick 133: Sam Harris, LW, Sioux Falls
- Round 5, Pick 144: Yevgeni Volokhin, G, Khanty-Mansiysk Jr.
- Round 6, Pick 165: Filip Eriksson, C, Vaxjo Jr.
- Round 7, Pick 197: Luke Mittelstadt, D, Minnesota
Canadiens 2023 NHL Draft order
Here's how the Canadiens' selections break down entering the draft:
| Round | Pick (Overall) |
| 1 | 5 |
| 3 | 69 |
| 4 | 101 |
| 4 | 110 (from PIT) |
| 4 | 128 (from VGK) |
| 5 | 133 |
| 5 | 144 |
| 6 | 165 |
| 7 | 197 |
Canadiens biggest NHL Draft need
The Canadiens do have some young offensive talent, but what they'll need is an impact scorer at the next level. Montreal's system is flush with top-level skaters, but a bit thinner on pure top-line potential scorers.
Expect the Canadiens to add center or wing talent that can make an immediate impact as they inch closer to completing their rebuild in the coming years.
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Canadiens mock draft 2023
Here's who the Canadiens could pick in the first round Wednesday based on the final mock draft by SN's Bryan Murphy:
No. 5: Ryan Leonard, RW, USA USA U18 (NTDP): Montreal is a candidate to take Michkov, however considering where they are in their rebuild, I think they'd rather have someone who can help the club sooner. One of a number of prospects from the national program, the 18-year-old Leonard did the dirty work on a line with the skilled Smith and Perreault. He gets to the front of the net to wreak havoc in the crease and also has a strong shot that can beat goalies from distance. Montreal can use a versatile option like Leonard in its lineup.