Welcome back to another edition of the Montreal Canadiens draft class revisited, where we look at each selection and use hindsight to determine whether the team made the right choice or missed out on big-name talent. Next up is 2016, a short draft for Marc Bergevin’s regime, with six picks.
The Canadiens and second-round picks are like oil and water — they don’t mix. Montreal traded their two 2016 picks in the second round to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Andrew Shaw deal, and we’ll rip the bandaid clean off: the Blackhawks took Alex DeBrincat with the 39th pick.
Related: 2016 Draft Class Being Defined By Trades
In Bergevin’s fifth year as general manager, the Canadiens found themselves in unfamiliar waters as a non-playoff team with a top-10 pick. The team’s foundation was still on track to contend for the postseason but now was an excellent opportunity to grow their prospect pool with some high-valued selections.
1st Round, 9th Overall
Montreal Selects: Mikhail Sergachev
The Canadiens took the second defenseman of the 2016 class in Mikhail Sergachev, which was a wise decision on their behalf. A 6-foot-1 two-way defenseman who was mobile, had offensive upside, and could be physical, Sergachev had the potential to become a top-four defenseman in the NHL. In his draft year, he led all Ontario Hockey League (OHL) defensemen in goals and earned the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the OHL’s most outstanding defenseman.
We all know the drill. Sergachev played four games following his last season in the OHL, showcasing his ability to keep pace with the NHL’s speed. The Canadiens instead traded Sergachev to the Tampa Bay Lightning, a divisional rival, for forward Jonathan Drouin in the summer of 2017. The two teams included the swapping of conditional picks, but with the condition not being met, the trade became a 1-for-1 deal. It is still known today as one of the most lop-sided trades in recent Canadiens’ memory.
Hindsight Pick: Sergachev The RIGHT Pick
There are loads of defensemen the Canadiens could have landed instead of Sergachev, but it’s hard to argue against his pedigree. A two-time Stanley Cup Champion, a perennial 30-point defenseman who put up a career-best 64 points in the 2022-23 season, Sergachev is the real deal. The likes of Adam Fox, Charlie McAvoy, and Jakob Chychrun were all available; a truly rich pool of NHL defensemen who can change a team’s blue line.
3rd Round, 70th Overall
Montreal Selects: William Bitten
With their next pick, the Canadiens took the highly-talented William Bitten from the OHL. Regarded as one of the better two-way players in the draft, Bitten could skate like the wind and was a pest to deal with in all three zones. He was relentless in all three zones and a big part of the 2017-18 Hamilton Bulldogs’ run for the OHL Championship. Bitten was undersized, but made up for it with his work ethic and hockey IQ.
It was a good gamble for the third round, but it did not pay off. In Oct. 2018, the Canadiens traded Bitten to the Minnesota Wild for defensive prospect Gustav Olofsson. Bitten never got an opportunity to play for Montreal and was eventually dealt to the St. Louis Blues three years later. He appeared in four NHL games with the Blues but spent most of the year in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Hindsight Pick: Rem Pitlick
A handful of picks later, the Nashville Predators decided on Rem Pitlick from the University of Michigan. He struggled to find his place in Nashville, which can be equally said for his time in Minnesota following his trade. Ironically enough, Pitlick ended up in Montreal via waiver claim. He had an immediate impact with the Canadiens, scoring six points in seven games amidst a terrible season. He remains with the Canadiens, currently on the second year of his two-year extension.
4th Round, 100th Overall
Montreal Selects: Victor Mete
Bergevin and his scouting team went back to the defensive side, taking Victor Mete in the fourth round. Another smaller-sized player, the Canadiens were making a case for the undersized guy who could skate and push the play forward. Mete was an excellent skater who could put up offensive numbers despite the lack of a hard shot and knew how to get the puck in high-danger areas with a quick wrist shot.
Mete had more staying power than the prior two selections of the 2016 class, as he remained with the Canadiens for four seasons. He recorded 20 assists in his first 120 games while playing in and out of the lineup. In his third year, he scored his first NHL goal and ended the year with three more in 51 games; however, Mete’s struggle to hold a spot with the Habs continued. He was eventually placed on waivers in 2021 and lost to the Ottawa Senators.
Hindsight Pick: Mete The RIGHT Pick
There weren’t many options between this pick and the next one, making Mete the best choice in the draft. The only other defenseman to appear in 100 or more games at the time was Riley Stillman, who has journeyed to four different teams in five years. Mete has better offensive upside and has spent more time in the NHL, so we’ll chalk this one up to another good pick that slipped away.
5th Round, 124th Overall
Montreal Selects: Casey Staum
Next up from the class of 2016 is defenseman Casey Staum, the first player from the Minnesota high school system. A sturdy stay-at-home defenseman, Staum had the aggressiveness and physicality to be given a chance and prove his worth. He joined the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League (USHL) the following season and recorded a respectable 16 assists in 55 games.
Related: Canadiens’ Pezzetta an Important Piece to the Puzzle
While his offensive game never took off, his gap control and defensive awareness translated well against tougher competition. Unfortunately, injuries began to take a toll on Staum’s body, reducing his playing time to 32 games in the USHL in 2017-18 and then 11 games in the NCAA the following year. Sadly, Staum hasn’t appeared in hockey competitions since the conclusion of the 2019-20 season.
Hindsight Pick: Maxime Lajoie
Only two defensemen have appeared in NHL action between the Canadiens’ final two selections, and Maxime Lajoie‘s 70 games are a cut above the rest. After completing his tour in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Swift Current Broncos, he spent one year in the AHL before making it to the NHL. Lajoie appeared in 56 games during his rookie season, amassing seven goals and 15 points, and was considered as an early Calder Trophy candidate for his excellent start.
His trade to the Carolina Hurricanes for Clark Bishop stunted his playing time, as the team’s depth on the blue line was too deep to justify his chances. Lajoie dressed for eight games in the two seasons with the Hurricanes, spending the remainder of his time in the AHL and helping the Chicago Wolves to the 2022 AHL Championship. He led all defensemen in goals during the run and scored the championship-clinching goal.
6th Round, 160th Overall
Montreal Selects: Michael Pezzetta
With one of their last two picks remaining in 2016, the Canadiens took forward Michael Pezzetta from the OHL. He spent four years with the Sudbury Wolves, putting up respectable offensive numbers while being a force on the defensive side. He was a naturally good skater that pushed the play in the right direction and never gave up on plays. Pezzetta wasn’t the biggest guy out there, but he had the size to keep up with a more physical style of play.
It was a long and winding road for Pezzetta to make the NHL, but one that paid off beautifully. After spending the better parts of three seasons in the AHL, Pezzetta earned his chance to play with the Canadiens during the 2020-21 season and never looked back. His brand of hockey became contagious in the Canadiens’ locker room, and his natural hair flow was second to none on the roster. He’s been a fixture on the team’s bottom six ever since, a perfect example of how proper development pays off.
Hindsight Pick: Jesper Bratt
Let’s preface this by saying: I love Pezzetta’s game and wouldn’t change it for the world. If you expected a “but” to follow, you’d be right, as Jesper Bratt was taken two picks later by the New Jersey Devils. We won’t fault the Canadiens too hard for missing out on this chance, as their experience with drafting Swedish forwards in previous years didn’t pan out. Bratt routinely put up 30-point seasons in his first four years before exploding for back-to-back 73-point efforts with the Devils.
7th Round, 187th Overall
Montreal Selects: Arvid Henrikson
Speaking of Sweden, that’s where the Canadiens went with their final pick of the draft. Becoming the fourth defenseman to be taken by the team, Arvid Henrikson was the largest body of his class at 6-foot-5 and tipping the scale at over 200 pounds. He was a big, mean defenseman with good skating but had limited offensive upside. After leaving Sweden for the NCAA, Henrikson experienced trouble with the North American style and quickly fell in the Canadiens’ depth chart. His struggles led to the Canadiens trading him in the Nick Bonino three-team trade, where Montreal ended up with defensive prospect Tony Sund and a 2024 fifth-round pick.
Hindsight Pick: Jeremy Davies
With only 24 picks remaining in the draft, we’re scraping the barrel to find a suitable alternative, and we land on Jeremy Davies. He was taken by the Devils at pick 192 from Northeastern University. A solid puck-moving defenseman with tremendous scoring upside, Davies was a great pick at this spot despite never playing a game for New Jersey. He was involved in the P.K. Subban trade, which landed Davies and Steve Santini, along with two draft picks, in Nashville.
The Predators had good depth on their back end, enough to place Davies in limbo. He has the talent to make the NHL but not enough roster spots; he spent most of his time with the Milwaukee Admirals in the AHL. Davies earned 22 games during two seasons in Nashville, but wasn’t extended following the conclusion of the 2021-22 season. Since departing from Nashville, Davies signed with the Buffalo Sabres for two consecutive one-year deals, playing most of that time with the Rochester Americans.
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With that said, the 2016 class may be Bergevin’s best to date. Drafting a top-four, two-time Stanley Cup Champion in the top 10 is only blemished by the fact that he never had the chance to start his legacy in Montreal. Mete and Pezzetta proved to be effective role players at the NHL level, while the players they missed on with their failed picks weren’t as crippling as in previous years.
