Habs Prospects

Canadiens Prospect Power Rankings: Hobey Baker Award Edition

Published

2 years ago

March 16, 2023

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but there are a pair of NCAA players in the Montreal Canadiens prospect pool that continues to impress: Lane Hutson and Sean Farrell.

Both players are among the top 10 Hobey Baker nominees, an award given to the top collegiate hockey player each season. You’ll note the Canadiens are the only NHL team that drafted two of the finalists.

With that in mind, let’s jump right into this week’s edition of the Canadiens prospect power rankings.

Hobey Baker 10:
Logan Cooley (Minn./ARZ)
Adam Fantilli (Mich./2023)
Sean Farrell (Harvard/MTL)
Collin Graf (Quinnipiac)
Lane Hutson (BU/MTL)
Matthew Knies (Minn./TOR)
Devon Levi (Northeastern/BUF)
Yaniv Perets (Quinnipiac)
Blake Pietila (Mich. Tech)
Jason Poulin (Western Mich.)

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) March 15, 2023

Canadiens Prospect Power Rankings Week 19

1. Lane Hutson, Defenceman, Boston University (NCAA). Drafted: 62nd overall (2022) Age: 18

Points This Week: 1 GP, 0 G, 1 A. Season Totals: 34 GP, 12 G, 32A, 44PTS.

Previous Ranking: 1st

Hutson earned just one point in Boston University’s dominant 7-3 win over Vermont in the Hockey East quarterfinals. Jokes aside, we’ve come to expect more production from Hutson, which is rather ridiculous given that he’s a freshman, not to mention, a defenceman. Truth be told, he probably deserved to register his name on the scoresheet more often than he did, but overall, Hutson enjoyed yet another strong performance in a crucial game.

Speaking of impressive things done by freshman defencemen, the mere fact the 18-year-old was nominated as a top 10 Hobey Baker finalist is rather encouraging,

The three Hobey Baker finalists will be named on March 30th, whereas the ultimate winner will be announced on April 7th.

In the meantime, you can catch Hutson in action in the ECAC semifinals, which take place on March 17th. Hutson will face Providence, the very team that eliminated Northeastern and paved the way for Canadiens prospect Jayden Struble’s entry-level contract.

2. Sean Farrell, C/LW, Harvard University (NCAA). Drafted: 124th overall (2020), Age: 21

Points This Week: 2 GP, 2 G, 2 A Season Totals: 31 GP, 20 G, 31 A, 51 PTS.

Previous Ranking: 2nd

In addition to being among the top 10 Hobey Baker finalists, Farrell torched Princeton in Harvard’s ECAC quarter-final matchup, scoring two goals and two assists in two games.

He’s not just one of the NCAA’s most productive players, he’s also the Canadiens prospect who is closest to having the required amount of experience and talent to be considered NHL-ready. Consequently, Farrell is expected to sign a contract with the Canadiens relatively quickly once his NCAA career is over.

Farrell’s next game takes place on Friday, as Harvard faces Cornell in the ECAC semifinals.

3. Adam Engstrom, Defenceman. Rogle BK Angelholm (SHL). Drafted: 92nd overall (2022), Age: 19

Points This Week: 3 GP, 1 G, 0 A Season Totals: 39 GP, 6 G, 10 A, 16 PTS. SHL Playoffs: 3 GP, 1 G, 1 A.

Previous Rank: 4th (+1)

We have a newcomer in the top 3!

Adam Engstrom’s first professional playoff game was not exactly a classic debut. He was given exactly 39 seconds of ice time, owing to the team’s preference to rely on veteran defencemen in the first matchup.

Rogle lost to Leksand in that first game, 2-1, but strung together two consecutive wins to eliminate Emil Heineman’s team in three games.

Coincidentally, or not, the wins occurred once Engstrom was given a healthy amount of ice time. Engstrom also scored his first playoff goal in the third game of the series.

If you’d like to form your own opinion on this exciting prospect, I suggest giving European Canadiens prospect expect Patrik Bexell a follow on Twitter. He’s my main source of information on Engstrom, as well as other players that play overseas.

For those of you that do not have a Twitter account, here are some of the things you can expect from Engstrom:

-Silky-smooth skating and offensive creativity.

#Habs Adam Engström creates havoc in the offensive zone with his skating and puck control. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/BF9euOFzG1

— Patrik Bexell (@Zeb_Habs) March 14, 2023

-Great hand-eye coordination.

#Habs Adam Engström with his first professional play off goal!

Great hand eye co-ordintation, and then scoring between the legs of the defender. pic.twitter.com/PiM3kjrTzw

— Patrik Bexell (@Zeb_Habs) March 14, 2023

And top-notch agility.

Adam Engström comes in from the side, controls the puck, a quick turn to create space and good shot (no luck on the) rebound. pic.twitter.com/UzZdCVvVgE

— Patrik Bexell (@Zeb_Habs) March 14, 2023

4. Joshua Roy, Right Wing, Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL). Drafted: 150th overall (2021), Age: 19

Points This Week: 4 GP, 3 G, 3 A Season Totals: 49 GP, 38 G, 44 A, 83 PTS.

Previous Ranking: 5th (+2)

When Roy wants to be the best player on the ice, he is, and it’s a joy to watch.

He still has some consistency issues from a production standpoint, but in his case, playoff production will be the more relevant barometer of his progress this season.

He’s also taken significant strides in his defensive game, an important step seeing as he’s on the cusp of his professional hockey career.

5. Riley Kidney, Centre, Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL). Drafted: 63rd overall (2021), Age: 19

Points This Week: 4 GP, 0 G, 5 A. Season Totals: 55 GP, 26 G, 73 A, 99 PTS.

Previous Ranking: 3rd (-2)

Kidney’s absolutely ridiculous scoring rhythm has cooled off late, at least relatively speaking. Fives points in four games is nothing to scoff at, however, he is playing on a powerhouse team, and he set his own standard for production this season.

On that note, he’s playing quite well but still fell in the rankings due to the great weeks from Roy and Engstrom.

This pass by #gohabsgo Riley Kidney is straight up nasty.

Freebie for Isaac Beliveau on the back door. pic.twitter.com/5E3lxjkdpI

— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) March 16, 2023

6. Owen Beck, Centre, Peterborough Petes (OHL). Drafted: 32nd overall (2022), Age: 18

Last Week: 3 GP, 2 G, 4 A Season Totals: 54 GP, 22 G, 37 A, 59 PTS

Previous Ranking: 9th (+3)

For weeks now, I’ve been advising Canadiens fans to remain patient concerning Beck’s recent scoring drought. It took a little longer than even I expected, but Beck has found his rhythm in recent games.

Not only is he scoring, but he’s also scoring beautiful goals, a sight for sore eyes for any Peterborough Petes fan.

Beck’s strong week isn’t enough to push him back into the top 5, but at the very least, he’s back in the conversation.

Owen Beck makes it look easy! 😍 @CanadiensMTL prospect @owenbeck92 shows off his #BestOfOHL hands and buries on the breakaway 🎥@PetesOHLhockey | @MilkUPOntario | #MilkUPxOHL pic.twitter.com/TrQtmVIcO8

— OntarioHockeyLeague (@OHLHockey) March 10, 2023

7. Filip Mesar, Right Wing, Kitchener Rangers (OHL). Drafted: 26th overall (2022). Age: 18

Points This Week: 3 GP, 1 G, 5 A Season Totals: 47 GP, 17 G, 30 A, 47 PTS

Previous Ranking: 8th (+2)

Lo and behold, more offensive resurgences!

Mesar looked fantastic in all three games this week, and you could argue he was a little unlucky to collect just five points.

He also went out of his way to interact with a Habs fan, and that’s exactly what you want to see from highly-touted prospects. A stick tap goes out to Mesar for his fan engagement this week.

#GoHabsGo prospect Filip Mesar scores his 17th of the season and it’s a beauty. What a missile!

4 points so far this weekend. Had 3 assists last night against Owen Sound. pic.twitter.com/gTSEARQunV

— Florence Normand (@Florence_1553) March 12, 2023

8. Logan Mailloux, Defenceman, London Knights (OHL). Drafted: 31st overall (2021), Age: 19

Points This Week: 3 GP, 1 G, 0 A. Season Totals: 54 GP, 23 G, 25 A, 48 PTS.

Previous Ranking: 6th (-2)

It was a rather quiet week from an offensive standpoint for Mailloux, and not a banner performance defensively, either.

There’s one thing that has become clear when evaluating Mailloux’s scoring rate: the more shots he takes, the more he scores. If he doesn’t find the net half a dozen times in a game, he’s unlikely to register a goal.

And that’s fine. Volume shooters are always a good bet when it comes to transitioning their skillset to the NHL.

But it also requires certain usage, including the power play, which is far from a guarantee in the future.

9. Jakub Dobes, Goaltender, Ohio State (NCAA), Drafted: 136th overall (2020), Age: 21

Stats This Week: 1 GP, 0 Win, 0.884%. Season Totals: 20-15-3, 0.918 SV%, 2.35 GAA, 3 SO.

Previous Ranking: 7th (-2)

Dobes’ season came to an unfortunate end as the Buckeyes were eliminated by Michigan in the Big Ten tournament semifinal.

It wasn’t Dobes’ best outing, but he was clearly the team’s MVP this season. Frankly, Ohio State was a mess, and without Dubes, would not have been ranked as a top 10 team.

The decision now becomes whether Dobes is ready to make his professional debut.

Erring on the side of caution is rarely a bad thing when it comes to goaltending prospects, and seeing as Dobes is far and away the best goaltender in the Canadiens prospect pool, another year in the NCAA may be in order.

10. Jared Davidson, Centre, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL). Drafted: 130th overall. Age: 20

Points This Week: 3 GP, 5 G, 1 A. Season Totals: 55 GP, 38 G, 41 A, 79 PTS.

Previous Ranking: (n/a)

For those keeping track, Oliver Kapanen held the 10th spot last week but did not offer much support for the argument that he deserves to remain in the top 10, opening up the door for players like Vinzenz Rohrer, Cedrick Guindon, and others.

But in the end, everyone’s favourite overager is back in the top 10, owing to a great week which resulted in six points. Davidson scored times, including a hat-trick performance against the Everett Silvertips.

Reminder:

The Canadiens’ prospect power rankings are based on the overall season, as well as the most recent week of action.

Factors such as the strength of a prospect’s team, the league in which they play, their age, and expectations related to their draft position will also be considered.

Week 1: Lane Hutson Takes Top Spot

Week 2: Owen Beck Jumps To First

Week 3: Lots Of Movement In The Top 10

Week 4: Lane Hutson Back In First Place

Week 5: Prospects Heating Up Ahead Of WJC

Week 6: Sean Farrell’s Impressive Scoring

Week 7: Filip Mesar Shines

Week 8: Owen Beck Takes Over First Place

Week 9: Filip Mesar Makes A Big Jump

Week 10: The Jakub Dobes Show

Week 11: New Reigning Champion

Week 12: Kidney Scoring At Will