Canadiens Wrap-Up: Big 2023 Draft Lottery Odds, 2019 Re-Draft

MONTREAL — Happy New Year Montreal Canadiens fans!

There’s never a dull moment when it comes to the Montreal Canadiens, but many fans lead a very busy life, meaning it’s not always possible to keep up to date with every news story.

But don’t worry, we’re here to help!

Every Sunday we will recap the most exciting and relevant news stories that you may have missed throughout the week.

Monday

• It may be the NHL Trade Freeze, but that hasn’t stopped rival GMs from blowing up Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes‘ phone over the last month as they prepare their shopping lists.
• The Montreal Canadiens may not be in the basement of the NHL standings, but their unique position still gives them some of the best odds of winning the 1st overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
• The Canadiens have found themselves a diamond in the rough with Arber Xhekaj, as he’s put on a show with his physical play and electrifying fights.
• Most Montreal Canadiens fans actively follow prospects like Joshua Roy, Filip Mesar and Late Hutson, but there’s a handful of other Habs prospects that fans will have the pleasure of discovering this holiday season.
• The Canadiens have put a focus on bringing along their youngsters this year, but a handful really took the next step in 2022.

Tuesday

• Oliver Kapanen (Finland) and Adam Engstrom (Sweden) are off to a hot start in the 2023 World Junior Championship that’s taking place in Halifax and Moncton. Kapanen was named the player of the game in Finland’s second matchup, whereas Engstrom started the tournament by earning two assists.
• Montreal Canadiens prospect Justin Barron could provide the crucial missing element to the power play that may finally lead to an uptick in scoring chances.
• Take a look at the top 3 takeaways from the first half of the Canadiens’ season, including the strong play from the rookies as well as Nick Suzuki’s leadership.
• Fans of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft will like this one. Thanks to a lack of results for both the Canadiens and the Florida Panthers in recent games, the Habs’ odds of drafting first overall keep going up.

Wednesday

• The Montreal Canadiens set a franchise record by using five rookie defencemen in their matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning: Justin Barron, Arber Xhekaj, Johnathan Kovacevic, Jordan Harris and Kaiden Guhle.
• Prospect Filip Mesar scored his first goal at the World Junior Championship in Slovakia’s big win over the United States. Lane Hutson finished the game with one assist.
• The NHL’s holiday roster freeze has been lifted, allowing the Habs to make some much-needed roster adjustments.
• The Canadiens gave a medical update concerning five injured veteran players. It was a mixed bag of news, with some very encouraging developments and a few unfortunate results.
• Martin St-Louis was outcoached by a significant margin in Wednesday night’s loss to the Lightning, making a few unforced errors that cost his team a chance to win the game.

Thursday

• The Canadiens lost yet another frustrating game in Florida, but the silver lining was the impressive play of Arber Xhekaj, who continues to enjoy a great rookie season.
• The Montreal Canadiens continue to struggle when it comes to finding a player that fits alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, other than Kirby Dach. But one thing is clear, Joel Armia and Josh Anderson are not the solutions.
• Despite earning seven points in his last 10 games, New York Rangers forward Alex Lafreniere was made a healthy scratch in Wednesday’s matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Canadiens may want to take the opportunity to inquire about Lafreniere’s trade cost.
• Forward Juraj Slafkovsky was the second most researched player in 2022 according to Elite Prospects, trailing only Connor Bedard in popularity.

Friday

• Montreal Canadiens prospect Filip Mesar has found another gear at the World Junior Championship, and the timing couldn’t be better for Slovakia.
• Unfortunately the Canadiens will have to do without rookie defencemen Kaiden Guhle in their matchup against the Capitals. He did not attend practice following a collision with Sasha Barkov that left him clutching his leg.
• While the Canadiens continue to slump during a very difficult December, they are trending toward a very good Draft pick at the 2023 Draft, especially when you consider their current point pace, underlying numbers, and strength of schedule.
• Thanks to an excellent showing at the World Junior Championship, Canadiens prospect Joshua Roy leads the charge among Habs hopefuls. He’s currently third overall in tournament scoring.

Saturday

• The Canadiens have two of the top players from the 2019 NHL Draft in Cole Caufield and Kirby Dach, but 2019 was also Arber Xhekaj’s draft year. Where would Xhekaj rank in a 2019 NHL Re-Draft? See here.
• 2022 was a year to remember for the  Canadiens and their fans. Relive the best Habs moments of 2022 here.
• Canadiens Logan Mailloux has been having a stellar season in the OHL, but has just been handed a suspension after coming to his goaltender’s defence.

The Season So Far

If you’d like to go back and comb over some of the biggest news so far this season, here’s a list of each weekly Wrap-Up so far:

Dec 25th – Canadiens Wrap-Up: Popular Habs In Trade Talks, Xhekaj Fights

Dec 18th – Canadiens Wrap-Up: Habs 2023 Draft Gamble, NHL Trade Talk

Dec 11th – Habs Interest In Boeser, Prospects at WJC

Dec 4th – Caufield Extension, Montreal’s Plan For 2023 Draft

Nov 27th – Habs Trade Talk, Monahan’s Growing Value

Nov 20th – Kent Hughes Active, NHL Trade Rumours

Nov 13th – Hughes’ Trade Strategy, Kirby Dach’s Growth

Nov 6th – St-Louis Strategy, Caufield, Slafkovsky

Oct 30th – Habs Trade Talk, Roster Shuffle & Waivers

Oct 23rd – Juraj Slafkovsky Impressing, Xhekaj And More

Oct 16th – Hughes’ LTIR Strategy, Carey Price, Waivers

Oct 9th – Hughes Roster Strategy, Roy, Slafkovsky