Welcome back to another edition of the Montreal Canadiens draft class revisited, where we take a look at each selection and use hindsight to determine whether they made the right choice or missed out on big-name talent. Next up is 2014, one of the shorter classes of the decade, with just six picks in total.
Routinely making the playoffs under the helm of Marc Bergevin, the Canadiens used some of the draft picks to obtain trade deadline talent to bolster their chances of a Stanley Cup. They traded their 2014 second-round pick to the New York Islanders in a package for forward Thomas Vanek and also packaged their own third and fourth-round picks in 2014 to move up in the draft.
Related: The Montreal Canadiens: A Decade of Drafting
With that out of the way, six players joined the Canadiens’ prospect pipeline, which meant little wiggle room to miss out on future talent. The 2013 Draft class contained no defensemen, so would this become a trend that continues into 2014? Let’s take a look.
1st Round, 26th Overall
Montreal Selects: Nikita Scherbak
Nikita Scherbak had the makings of a good offensive-producing forward, indicated by his first season in the Western Hockey League (WHL). When the Canadiens drafted Scherbak, not only did he lead the Saskatoon Blades in points with 78 in 65 games, but he also led the league in every statistical category among rookies. His adjustment from Europe to North America’s brand of hockey was fluid, and his combination of great skating and excellent vision made him a safe bet at this spot.
Scherbak had three seasons to prove himself at the American Hockey League (AHL) level and had some success with the St. John IceCaps/Laval Rocket. He made his NHL debut in the 2016-17 season, playing three games and scoring one goal, but over the next two years, his offense translated poorly in Montreal. After being placed on waivers in 2018, the Los Angeles Kings swooped in and claimed him, bringing his time in Montreal to an abrupt end.
Hindsight Pick: Adrian Kempe
Speaking of the Kings, three picks later they selected Adrian Kempe, a Swedish forward with good size and raw talent. In an ironic twist, he and Scherbak played together, albeit for only eight games. Scherbak’s NHL tenure concluded after the 2018-19 season, while Kempe continues to be a regular contributor in Los Angeles and a recent 40-goal scorer. If that doesn’t sting enough, the Boston Bruins took David Pastrnak just one pick before Montreal.
3rd Round, 73rd Overall
Montreal Selects: Brett Lernout
With no second-round pick in 2014, the Canadiens had to wait until the 73rd selection before they called out Brett Lernout’s name. A big, mobile defenseman with the speed to keep up in the NHL and the size and strength to make the opposition pay. The one area that concerned most scouts was his inability to remain consistent from a competitive perspective. After five seasons in Montreal, including a few cups of coffee with the big club, Lernout signed with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Hindsight Pick: Devon Toews
Since the Canadiens had no fourth-round pick either, there were a couple of names to choose from that could have made the cut, but Devon Toews stands above the rest. Selected by the New York Islanders at 108th overall, Toews had plenty of time to develop in the AHL, playing in three seasons with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. An injury shortened his playing time in 2018, but he eventually earned his way onto the Islanders roster.
After two seasons, the Islanders traded Toews to the Colorado Avalanche for a pair of second-round picks to give their blue line some much-needed depth. The deal paid off wonderfully for the team and the player as they would go on to win the Stanley Cup one year later, cementing Toews’ name as champion, while Lernout would go on to play his final year of professional hockey.
5th Round, 125th Overall
Montreal Selects: Nikolas Koberstein
Montreal’s thirst for defensive prospects was not quenched as they selected Nikolas Koberstein from the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL). A solid defensive defenseman with good size and physicality, he may not have been the most agile or skilled guy available, but his tenacity and work ethic was enough to convince Bergevin and his team to take a chance.
After one season split between the Sioux Falls Stampede and the Bloomington Thunder of the United States Hockey League (USHL), Koberstein committed to a four-year stint in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Representing the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, his game struggled to blossom into a two-way defenseman, and confidence quickly waned from the organization. They didn’t offer him a contract, making him a free agent.
Hindsight Pick: Gustav Forsling
It’s an ongoing trend when performing a hindsight review to see the player Montreal would have been better off taking, going one pick later. The same is said for Gustav Forsling, who was taken 126th by the Vancouver Canucks. His rights were traded the following year to the Chicago Blackhawks for Adam Clendening, and he enjoyed parts of three seasons in his new home.
His journey included a brief stop with the Carolina Hurricanes before his placement on waivers didn’t go unnoticed, and the Florida Panthers claimed Forsling. He finally became a full-time regular at the NHL level, blossoming into a top-four defenseman and playing alongside Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour throughout the 2022-23 season.
5th Round, 147th Overall
Montreal Selects: Daniel Audette
Electing to go with the hometown pick, the Canadiens took Daniel Audette with their second pick in the fifth round. He showcased signs of a forward that could make some noise at the NHL level as he put up a point-per-game pace in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in his final three seasons. His success in the AHL was slightly underwhelming despite his growth from the third line to a first-line centre/winger, and the Canadiens opted not to offer him a contract after the 2018-19 season.
Hindsight Pick: Kevin Labanc
In the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), the San Jose Sharks saw what they liked in Kevin Labanc and snagged him with the 171st pick. They must have seen something nobody else did because he improved his 35-point season with the Barrie Colts into 107 points in 68 games the following year. Labanc led the OHL in points in the 2015-16 season and was the top-scoring right winger, leading up to his receiving the Leo Lalonde Trophy as the OHL’s best overage player.
Since 2016, Labanc has recorded no less than 20 points in seven of the eight seasons he’s participated in, making him one of the best unsung heroes in San Jose. He and Sammy Blais are the only two players selected in the sixth round in 2014 to have played in 100 or more games, either of which would have looked great in red, blue, and white colours.
6th Round, 177th Overall
Montreal Selects: Hayden Hawkey
With their sixth-round selection, the Canadiens chose a goaltender with possibly the best name of the draft in Hayden Hawkey. The American goaltender put up great numbers with the Omaha Lancers of the USHL in 2014 but faltered the following year before his departure to the NCAA. His time with Providence College was successful, as Hawkey posted three consecutive winning seasons.
Related: Canadiens Need to Rebuild Goaltending Depth
Following his stay in the NCAA, the Canadiens traded Hawkey to the Edmonton Oilers for a 2019 fifth-round pick, identifying the goaltender’s failure to meet expectations and subsequent fall in the depth chart. He failed to make the NHL level, struggling at the ECHL level, while Montreal selected Rhett Pitlick in 2019, who is currently playing in the NCAA.
Hindsight Pick: N/A
We’ll give Bergevin a pass for this one simply because only three goaltenders went after Hawkey in this draft, and none of them made any headway at the pro level. Sometimes, selecting a goaltender late is a good time to gamble, and if they pan out, it makes the general manager look like a genius. It didn’t work out this time, but the Canadiens have one pick left in the draft and one last opportunity to salvage their summer.
7th Round, 207th Overall
Montreal Selects: Jake Evans
With the 207th pick, the fourth-to-last selection, Montreal took Jake Evans out of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. He was of average height and slightly on the leaner side, but his numbers looked decent enough to take a flyer on the Toronto native. He was committed to the University of Notre Dame for a four-year stint and served as the team’s captain in his final season, leading them to an NCAA B1G Championship.
What about the pro level? Evans looked great with the Laval Rocket in the AHL, registering 45 points in 67 games during his rookie season and earning a 13-game stint the following season. His time came in the 2020-21 season when Evans became an NHL regular in the Canadiens’ bottom-six rotation. His work on the penalty kill and consistency each shift helped the Canadiens become a competitor in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs before an illegal hit by Mark Scheifele of the Winnipeg Jets forced him to miss the entirety of the third round against the Golden Knights.
Hindsight Pick: Evans The RIGHT Pick
Considering only three players went after Evans, one of whom was a forward who never made the NHL, it’s safe to say this was the correct choice. He blossomed into a quality role player on a team in need of hard-working individuals who can kill penalties and put their bodies on the line. His play over the last three seasons has earned him glimpses in the top six when injuries hit the Canadiens, and he recorded a career-high 13 goals and 29 points in the 2020-21 season.
Montreal had few calls to the plate and unfortunately swung and missed most of their opportunities. Had it not been for the Evans pick, their 2014 Draft would be completely unforgettable. With that draft class now in the books, we look forward to the following year’s future players. They head into the 2015 Draft with once again no second or fourth-round picks, but hopefully, this time around, they can make what they have count.
