The Montreal Canadiens have an enviable prospect pool filled with talented young players, and that pool doesn’t include all the 23 years of age and under players already graduated to the NHL lineup. Players such as Kaiden Guhle headline that list, there is even rookie Jayden Struble who is making decisions for management very difficult.
Related: Montreal Canadiens Midseason Prospect Report: 10 to 6
General manager (GM) Kent Hughes and his scouting staff are poised to add significantly to the team’s prospects with the 2024 NHL Entry Draft as the Canadiens are loaded with 11 picks, four of which are in the top 90 and one may even be in the top 10 in a draft that could provide them with a quality offensive player. This article is part two of the top 10 Canadiens prospects, this part, listing the top five ranked players.
Definition of a Prospect
For this exercise, I will keep the definition of a prospect simple. It is a player under 23 years old, who has played less than one full NHL season or is playing in a lower league, professional or amateur. For goaltenders, they must not have played 50 NHL games. Also, they must be 25 years of age or younger. Using established NHL players would only act to artificially inflate the values or rankings of the prospect pool and for this list, Juraj Slafkovsky will be considered an NHL player as he was drafted first overall and was immediately added to the roster.
5. Logan Mailloux – Right-Handed Defence (Laval Rocket, AHL)
Drafted: 31st Overall, 2021
Logan Mailloux is a purely offensive defenceman who only played 100 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) games due to injuries and off-ice issues. This season is his first full season at the professional level, and so far, he is showing that despite being somewhat raw in his overall game, he is highly effective, earning himself an American Hockey League (AHL) All-Star nomination as a rookie. Offensively, he has all the tools to be an impact player at the NHL level. He’s supremely confident in his ability to carry and control the puck, especially in transition, and his offensive instincts make him highly capable of keeping offensive zone pressure as well as making a play that leads to a scoring chance, all in one smooth movement. He also boasts a hard and accurate point shot that helps him be a power-play weapon.
His issue is on defence, which is a problem as the 6-foot-3, 212-pounder is a defenceman. At times, he makes poor reads, places himself incorrectly in coverage, and can over-pursue the puck carrier, leaving the front of the net undefended. That being said, his defensive game has grown by leaps and bounds as the season has worn on. He needs more time to develop that side of his game, but the massive leap forward in his development does point to him becoming a reliable offensive defenceman at the NHL level in the near future.
4. Owen Beck – Center (Saginaw Spirit, OHL)
Drafted: 33rd Overall, 2022
Since being drafted, Owen Beck has climbed up the prospect list and made himself a well-known name among the fanbase. He impressed in his first training camp in 2022-23, so much so that the Canadiens signed him to an entry-level contract (ELC). He followed that up by being a call-up for Team Canada for the 2023 World Junior Championship (WJC) as an injury replacement and winning a gold medal. He even got called up on an emergency basis to play one NHL game and looked like he belonged.
He then went on to be a more than point-per-game player in the OHL that season and became a key contributor offensively as well as in a shutdown role, leading the Peterborough Petes to an OHL championship. Now, he is with the Saginaw Spirit, who are hosting the 2024 Memorial Cup tournament, and he is looking to add to his trophy case.
Beck’s athleticism and ability to attack the center of the ice at top speed have made him a Habs fan favourite. He displays an unimpeachable work ethic and the hockey IQ necessary to play effectively at a high pace against top competition. He is a very strong skater with great vision who is effective offensively but is also a highly effective defensive player. He excels in playing in transition, providing his team with a high percentage of controlled zone exits and entries. He can also be trusted to play heavy minutes in any situation in a manner Canadiens fans may feel looks similar to the style of play that Tomas Plekanec provided for many years. Beck’s excellent faceoff skills and two-way game make him a very strong center, one with a middle-six upside in the NHL.
3. Lane Hutson – Left Defense (Boston University, NCAA)
Drafted: 62nd Overall, 2022
The second-round pick used to select Lane Hutson was acquired in the Brett Kulak trade with the Edmonton Oilers and was a classic boom-or-bust pick. Either he falls to the wayside, never to be seen in the NHL or he becomes a core piece of the Canadiens’ rebuild, and it looks more and more as though Hutson will be a cornerstone of Montreal’s roster when it becomes a contender.
His elite hockey sense, sublime edge control, and puck-handling skills allow him to be a highly agile, deceptive playmaker with superb vision. This allowed him to overcome his lack of size and become one of the most productive defencemen seen coming out of the United States National Training and Development Program (USNTDP), and most productive defenders in NCAA history. Then, as a member of Team USA at the 2024 WJC, he ended up being the most pivotal player on that Team USA blue line as their number one defenceman and was named to the WJC All-Star team.
Before the tournament, his defensive play was in question. But it was answered quickly, leaving no doubts for the American head coach, David Carle, who had this to say when asked after the gold medal game about the impact Hutson has on a team, “His decision-making with and without the puck impacts the game.” The fact that he played 27:20 in the gold medal game, and regularly played over 25 minutes per game in the tournament, underscores his potential to become a top-four NHL defenceman.
He returned from the WJC and continued playing a dominant offensive game in the NCAA. After 19 games, he has scored 10 goals and 28 points, which puts him at a 1.47 points per game rate. If he remains at that pace, he will finish the season with 57 points, nearly 10 more points than he had in his freshman season when he was having the best under-19 season by any defender from Hockey East. This season he sits second on the team in points behind only Macklin Celebrini, a center, who is expected to go first overall at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Looking ahead to a possible NHL fit for the Canadiens, Hutson has the potential to become a middle-pairing defender who can become their long-sought-after power-play quarterback, feeding pucks on a tee for Cole Caufield one-timers.
2. David Reinbacher – Right-Handed Defenceman (EHC Kloken, NL)
Drafted: 5th overall, 2023
David Reinbacher, the now highest-drafted Austrian-born player in NHL history, is a right-shot defenceman who’s listed at 6-foot-2 and 194 pounds. He’s from a hockey family as well, with his father and brother both with professional playing experience. The 19-year-old checks many boxes. He is an elite skater who plays a highly mobile style of defence and a controlled zone entry and exit machine that has untapped offensive skills. There is no “flash” to his game, he won’t generate nightly highlights for fans to share on their social media accounts, but he will provide an intelligent, no-nonsense approach that will help win games. Beyond that, it is his work ethic and character that put him over the top.
“He (Reinbacher) can accomplish things that just can’t be taught. He has never ceased to handle himself like a top tier prospect. We’re talking here about a defenseman who has played against grown men in a professional league. He was given lots of ice time and even played on the top pair.”
– Paul Boutilier
His only real flaw, in the eyes of some in the fanbase, is that he was selected instead of Matvei Michkov. Reinbacher has an incredibly high defensive IQ. He always finds the open man and eliminates the threat in his zone. He is strong in front of his net and aggressively moves opponents out of that high-danger area. Reinbacher makes great defensive reads and is rarely caught scrambling because he was out of position. He engages physically with opposing players but does not chase hits that would compromise his defensive positioning.
Reinbacher has good offensive instincts which has led to him being given powerplay time for EHC Kloten in addition to his top pairing responsibilities. Beyond his passing ability, one of the strengths of his offensive game is his shot. It is powerful and accurate and he can get it through traffic and on the net, generating rebounds and tip-ins. His consistency in his approach to the game will help his development as it is his work ethic that will allow him to battle through adversity. This season, he had to deal with a knee injury that may have slowed him down at the start of the season. His offensive numbers are down from his draft year, having scored only one goal and eight points in 22 games, but that has more to do with his EHC Kloten club having its worst season in years and in a battle against relegation. Montreal has their potential top-pairing all-around two-way defenceman that contending teams are built with.
1. Joshua Roy – Left Wing (Laval Rocket, AHL)
Drafted: 150th Overall, 2021
So far this season, Joshua Roy has been an offensive leader for the Laval Rocket scoring 12 goals and 30 points in 34 games played. He has also received an emergency call-up to Montreal and has been playing beyond expectations with a goal and an assist in three games played, all while doing so in the Canadiens’ top six.
His play at the WJC, winning two gold medals for Canada, gave a glimpse at the type of player that could be expected in the NHL. A solid, two-way winger with offensive skills and an ability to win possession and retain it. His defensive play has been consistently improving, allowing him to be a reliable two-way player that coaches can trust in any situation. He has been used in penalty-killing situations at the AHL level, allowing for an offensive threat to add a different look to their defensive structure.
At five-on-five, Roy has been the bane of opposing defenders when he is on the forecheck, using his foot speed to close quickly and pressure the enemy, and using his 6-foot, 190-pound frame to close off the wall, eliminating options. Once he has the puck, he almost always makes the right play, using his vision and instincts to augment his ability to play at a very high pace. Montreal has added another late-round gem to their stable of players, this one could become a long-term solution to filling a need for top-six offensive talent.
This is a snapshot of the Canadiens’ prospect rankings as of mid-season 2023-24. As the season rolls on, it is possible to have a player who is currently not listed to move up the list. There are even some who are in their last season for making a case for earning their entry-level contracts. For a franchise already two years into a rebuild, there is still a need for an elite offensive player. But this list clearly shows the Canadiens have no shortage of high-quality prospects who all can become impactful players on an NHL roster.