We’ve often heard that drafting is a bit of a crap shot, you can do your due diligence and scout those prospects until you’re blue in the face, but nobody has a crystal ball. That’s even more true as you get deeper and deeper in the draft; the earlier you pick, the better your odds of landing a good player, and it makes sense.
This time around, the Montreal Canadiens will be drafting twice in the first round, unless, of course, they make a trade between then and now. If Kent Hughes doesn’t manage to swing a deal, however, what kind of player could the Habs draft speaking 16th and 17th overall? Let’s have a look at the last five drafts…
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Unsurprisingly, at those ranks, the players picked in recent drafts have yet to make any impact, but we’ll still have a look at them, just to be thorough.
2024 Draft
The St.Louis Blues used the 16th selection at last year’s draft to grab Adam Jiricek, a 6-foot-3 and 180-pound right-shot defenseman. Following his drafting, the Czech prospect came over to this side of the ocean and spent the season with the Brantford Bulldogs in the OHL, putting up 12 points in 27 games. He was stopped in his tracks when he suffered a lacerated spleen.
The Washington Capitals selected right winger Terik Parascak with the 17th overall pick, a WHL prospect who had put up 105 points in 68 games with the Prince George's Cougars in his draft year. Parascak spent the last year there as well, but managed only 82 points in 59 games this time around. He signed his entry-level contract (ELC) at the end of the season and joined the Hershey Bears in the American Hockey League (AHL) to complete the season.
2023 Draft
The Calgary Flames had the 16th overall pick in 2023 and used it to select left winger Samuel Honzek. After spending another year in the WHL, he made the jump to pro hockey this season, dressing in five Flames games and being held off the scoresheet. In the AHL, he played 52 games with the Calgary Wranglers and put up 21 points.
The Detroit Red Wings used the 17th overall pick on Axel Sandin-Pellikka and signed him to an ELC deal a year later. He attended camp and earned a point in two games with Grand Rapids in the AHL before being loaned back to his Swedish team, Skelleftea AIK, where the right-shot defenseman put up 29 points in 46 games.
2022 Draft
In Montreal, it was the Buffalo Sabres who were picking 16th overall, and they used the pick on left-shot center Noah Ostlund. The Swede played two more years back home before making the jump to the North American pro leagues. In 45 games with the Rochester Americans this season, he recorded 36 points, but was held off the scoresheet in his eight games with the Sabres.
The Nashville Predators held the 17th pick that year and used it on right winger Joakim Kemell. The Finnish prospect spent one more year in Finland before making his debut in the AHL with the Milwaukee Admirals, where he has produced 13, 40, and 41 points in three seasons. He’s still a work in progress, but has a perfect shot.
2021 Draft
The New York Rangers used the 16th overall pick on Brennan Othman, a left winger who had spent the COVID-19 season in Switzerland, putting up 16 points in 34 contests. After being drafted, he returned to the OHL for two seasons, during which he put up 97 points (in 66 games) and 67 points (in 56 games). He made the jump to the professional leagues in 2023-24 and has split his time between the AHL and the NHL. This past year, he featured in 22 Rangers games but was limited to a pair of assists.
With the 17th overall pick, the Blues added Zach Bolduc, a right winger who had recorded 29 points in 27 games with the Rimouski Oceanic in the QMJHL before suffering a lower-body injury. The setback led to a decline in the draft, but the following year, he recorded 99 points in 65 games with the Quebec Remparts, before adding 110 points in 61 games the following year. He has split the last two seasons between the Blues and their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. In 72 NHL games this past season, he accumulated 36 points and appears poised to become an impactful player in the future.
2020 Draft
The Canadiens held the 16th pick that year, and they elected to add left-shot blueliner Kaiden Guhle, a decision they’ve had no reason to regret so far. The defenseman plays a challenging physical game and has already booked his place on Hughes’ core, becoming the first defenseman the Habs GM signed long-term. If it wasn’t for all the injuries suffered so far, it might be even better by now.
The Chicago Blackhawks had the 17th pick and selected Lukas Reichel with it. The German left winger played another year overseas before making the jump to North America and has split three seasons between the Hawks and the Rockford Ice Dogs before spending the last campaign entirely with Chicago. In 70 games, he could only muster 22 points playing on the fourth line alongside Joe Veleno and Nick Foligno.
What’s clear from the exercise is that if the Canadiens do use those two picks, they are unlikely to get a player who’ll make an impact right away. Fans will have to be patient and wait to see whether they were good picks or not.
Although there are always exceptions to every rule, if you go back to the 2015 draft, Matthew Barzal was picked 16th overall by the New York Islanders, and after two more seasons of junior hockey, he jumped into the NHL with both feet, recording 85 points in 82 games. That same year, the Winnipeg Jets selected Kyle Connor at 17th overall, and he certainly wasn’t a bad pick, either; it just took him a bit more time to mature.
Photo credit: Eric Bolte - Imagn Images
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