It’s always a big day for the NHL when the draft comes around; each year, there’s a frenzy in the hours leading up to it. That follows from months of anticipation, supposition, and dreams for the young men up for grabs. As for the fans, they’ve long reserved their Friday night to watch the first round and are hoping and praying for their teams to hit a grand slam.
With the 5th and 21st overall picks on the night, the Montreal Canadiens were hoping for some action. Less than half an hour before the start of the draft, general manager Kent Hughes refused to reveal what was in the cards for his team. Having the 5th pick is a world away from having the first one; you’re at the mercy of your opponents, and they call the shots.
With the 5th Overall Pick, the Canadiens Select…
After the San Jose Sharks drafted Macklin Celebrini, surprising nobody, things started to heat up. The Chicago Blackhawks were on deck and opted for Artyom Levshunov, then the Anaheim Ducks welcomed Beckett Sennecke as the new member of the organization. With only the Columbus Blue Jackets left to pick, Canadiens fans anxiously awaited to see if Ivan Demidov would still be available when their favorites took to the stage. The Blue Jackets opted for Cayden Lindstrom, meaning that the spectacular Russian winger was available for the Canadiens at five.
Hughes, Martin St. Louis, and Geoff Molson walked up to the stage before introducing Celine Dion to make the pick. The famous singer announced the Canadiens were selecting Russian winger Ivan Demidov (Quebecers can finally forgive her for announcing the lineup for the Bruins in their locker-room earlier this year).
You could almost hear the sigh of relief in the whole city of Montreal. Many feared they would go for yet another defenseman, but no, they decided to go for perhaps the most exciting pick since…I was going to say Caufield, but I’m not even sure that’s right.
In his post-draft comments, Hughes mentioned they knew about Demidov last year and that he had been on their radar for a long time, which can partly explain why they weren’t more interested in Matvei Michkov. The Canadiens’ GM also added that Demidov had been first on their list right from the start, as they didn’t even consider Celebrini since it was completely impossible for him to fall to fifth.
Related:2024 Draft Prospect Ivan Demidov Could Be Perfect Player for Canadiens’ St. Louis
Demidov is committed to playing in Russia for one more year, but the wait will be more than worth it. Even though he played in the junior league this season, the Canadiens were still comfortable picking him. As I wrote earlier this month, he will be the perfect player for St. Louis’ kind of coaching. The youngster oozes talent and confidence, can read the play, and is the best in the game. Finally, Montreal not only drafted a forward but a very talented forward who is guaranteed to be a top-six forward, and a top-line winger wouldn’t be surprising, either.
With Their Second First Round Pick, the Canadiens Select…
Insider Darren Dreger had indicated earlier in the day that the Canadiens were trying to climb the ladder again to end up with two top-10 picks. Still, the first 10 selections came and went without Gary Bettman having to say “We have a trade to announce!” It happened just before the Philadelphia Flyers spoke at 12th, but the Canadiens weren’t involved.
When the New York Islanders took to the stage, Cole Eiserman, who the Canadiens had met with this week, was still on the board, but Lou Lamoriello’s crew was merciless, picking him at number 20. Montreal then decided to go for Michael Hage, a 6-foot-1 right-handed center who racked up 75 points in 54 games with the Chicago Steel in the USHL. Hugues confirmed when interviewed by Sportsnet that when he made the trade earlier in the day to move from 26th to 21st, Hage was his target.
Hage was visibly moved being picked by Montreal. Sportsnet reported both of his parents were Canadiens fans, but the main reason why he was moved was because last July, he lost his father in a freak swimming pool accident. He looked quite vulnerable when he said his dad would have been so happy. The center has some deficiencies defensively, but he’s an explosive player at the other end of the ice. As a bonus, the Canadiens’ most recent draftee speaks fluent French since his parents were born in Quebec. I expect he will make many friends quickly in Quebec.
One thing we can say about the Canadiens’ first round is they went all out to pick up some offensive talent. Interestingly, it was believed the start of the draft would be defensemen-heavy, but it really wasn’t. Perhaps this year’s crop of blueliners was not as impressive as first thought. Could it be that Montreal made the right move by selecting a defenseman, David Reinbacher, last year and going for offensively gifted forwards this year? We won’t know that for quite some time, but we do know Hughes’ team is better tonight than it was this morning, and that’s all that should matter to the Habs’ faithful.
You’ve got to hand it to the NHL, holding the even at the Las Vegas’ Sphere was a stroke of genius. It was huge, spectacular, and, dare I say, futuristic. Thumbs down for the objectification of women taking the jackets off the draftees, but you can’t have everything, I guess. While the first four teams had either hockey legends or future hockey legends make their pick, the Canadiens thought outside the box and went for the biggest singer out of Quebec in Dion. This moment must have meant a lot to her. I don’t know if you’ve seen the documentary about her on Prime, but if you haven’t, check it out; the woman has a lot of drive and courage, and she’s been facing a frightening opponent for the last 17 years.
As for the night’s surprise, it goes to the Blue Jackets for picking Beckett Sennecke, who was projected much lower than this. This move was the key to the Canadiens being able to land Demidov, but I hope they do not thank Columbus by trading for Patrik Laine, I stand firm on the Montreal market not being with Laine needs.
