Canadiens Wrap-Up: Habs Prospect Rankings, 2023 NHL Draft

MONTREAL — 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

• The Montreal Canadiens may be winning some games of late, but so are their divisional rivals, and that could be a big help down the line. [2023 NHL Draft]
• Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has special ties to the NCAA, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him pounce on a few of the top free agents this spring. [NCAA Free Agent]
• The number of injuries to Habs players has been historically high this season, but it’s also offering them significant flexibility amid new recall limitations. [Canadiens Injuries]

Tuesday

• It’s been almost two years since Jesperi Kotkaniemi signed an offer sheet with the Hurricanes. Who won the trade? [The Kotkaniemi Saga, Two Years Later]
• We spoke to Canadiens prospect Jayden Struble on his growth in the NCAA with the Northeastern Huskies, as well as the unsigned defenceman’s future with the organization. [Jayden Struble Interview]
• Several topics were discussed in the latest edition of the Canadiens mailbag, including the fallout from the 2023 Trade Deadline, concerns about the upcoming Draft, the direction of the rebuild, and much more. [Canadiens Mailbag]
• Justin Barron and Kaiden Guhle were sidelined and did not take part in the festivities against the Carolina Hurricanes. [Guhle And Barron Out]
• Jake Allen, Alex Belzile, and Michael Pezzetta tried their best, but the Canadiens eventually lost to the Hurricanes in a shootout. Unsurprisingly, Kotkaniemi scored the game-clinching goal. [Belzile and Pezzetta Shine In Loss]

Wednesday

• With a historic scoring rate in the books, Lane Hutson returns to the No.1 spot in our power rankings. [Canadiens prospect power rankings]
• The Montreal Canadiens have quite a few interesting prospects in the NCAA this season, but two seemingly stood above the rest. [Canadiens Prospects]
• The Canadiens couldn’t get the timing or the price right on a Joel Edmundson trade at the NHL Trade Deadline, but they’ll likely have a better market to look forward to this summer. [Joel Edmundson]

Thursday

• Check out the latest edition of the Montreal Canadiens Prospect Rankings, which include notes and highlights from some of the most exciting players in the Canadiens’ prospect pool . [Prospect Rankings: Spring Edition]
• Habs forwards Jonathan Drouin and Alex Belzile are some of the most productive players in the lineup since January 1st. [Canadiens: By The Numbers]
• Head coach Martin St-Louis discussed the challenges involved in dealing with a roster that is constantly changing due to an endless stream of injuries. [St-Louis On Endless Stream Of Injuries]
• Powered by great efforts from Kaiden Guhle and Alex Belzile, the Canadiens pushed the Rangers to the limit on Thursday night. [Guhle and Belzile Shine In Shootout Loss]

Friday

• Kaiden Guhle scored a goal and an assist on Thursday night, but he did more than just add his name to the scoresheet. The smooth-skating defenceman turned smart defensive positioning into great scoring chances for his teammates. [Guhle Turning Defence Into Offence]
• Rafael Harvey-Pinard received praise from Canadiens head coach Martin St-Louis. Not only was it well-deserved, it’s fair to say Harvey-Pinard has done everything possible to convince management he’s ready for a full-time job in the NHL. [By The Numbers: Harvey-Pinard Is More Than A Good Story]
• The Habs gave health updates on Kirby Dach, Brendan Gallagher, and Arber Xhekaj. As has been the case throughout the year, the news was far from positive. [Canadiens Announce More Injury Woes]

Saturday

• With just under 16 games left in the NHL season, a handful of Montreal Canadiens players have a great opportunity to prove themselves. [Canadiens Opportunity]
• Here are five of the craziest Montreal Canadiens statistics of the season so far; you won’t believe it until you see it. [Canadiens Stats]
• The Habs put up a solid team performance in their 3-1 loss to the Devils; improving their NHL Draft Lottery outlook in the process. [Canadiens Improve Draft Lottery Odds In 3-1 Loss To Devils]

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:

Mar 6th – Habs Trade Analysis, NHL Draft Lottery

Feb 26th – Habs Trade Proposals, NHL Trade Rumours

Feb 19th – Habs Trade Outlook, 2023 Draft Targets

Feb 12th – Habs Likely Trade Chips, Prospects Thriving

Feb 5th – Habs To-Do List, NHL Trade Rumous

Jan 29th – Habs Prospects Take Over, NHL Trade Talk

Jan 22nd – 2023 Draft Plans, NHL Trade Chatter

Jan 15th – Trade Deadline Targets, NHL Trade Rumours

Jan 8th – 2023 Draft Odds, Habs Prospects Traded

Jan 1st – Big 2023 Draft Lottery Odds, 2019 Re-Draft

Dec 25th – Popular Habs In Trade Talks, Xhekaj Fights

Dec 18th – 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