Habs Daily: Canadiens Draft Strategy, Prospect Highlights, Hutson

All the latest Habs news, recent Montreal Canadiens stories, as well as information from around the National Hockey League.

Habs News

• The Montreal Canadiens are in a very interesting spot for the 2023 NHL Draft at 5th overall, and all options are on the table, including trading down. [Canadiens Could Trade Down At Draft]
• Habs prospects Owen Beck and Jared Davidson are on the cusp of winning the championship in their respective leagues, and their excellent play is a big reason why. [Canadiens Prospects Beck And Davidson On Cusp Of Memorial Cup Berth]
• Canadiens fans are used to hearing criticism from the outside regarding the size of their prospects. Cole Caufield, for example, was said to be too small to succeed in the NHL. And now they’re hearing the same thing about elite prospect Lane Hutson. But it’s always a bad idea to bed against talent. [Prospect Lane Hutson Excels At Every Level]

National Hockey Now Network

• There’s no replacing Gabriel Landeskog. Finding players like that is incredibly difficult. Artturi Lehkonen did the best he could do on the top line last year (and he did a heck of a job), but he’s not Landeskog. [Colorado Avalanche]
• Back in 2003, the Chicago Blackhawks drafted Corey Crawford in the second round with the 52nd overall pick. A decade later, Crawford would arguably be one of the most important players leading the Blackhawks to their fifth Stanley Cup championship. Can Drew Commesso produce similar results?  [Chicago Blackhawks]
• The Pittsburgh Penguins are still looking for their next general manager. But perhaps it’s time to re-think what matters most in a GM. [Pittsburgh Penguins]
• After a Lucas Johansen game-winner gave the Hershey Bears the series sweep in the Atlantic Division Championship, the Washington Capitals’ AHL affiliate is one step closer to hoisting the Calder Cup. [Washington Capitals]
• The Western Conference Final is a fitting collision between two of the best teams in the conference. There are no cinderellas or upsets in the West. The Vegas Golden Knights finished with the best record in the West, while the Dallas Stars were a few points behind. They battle for the right to play for the Stanley Cup beginning Friday. [Vegas Golden Knights]
• The conference finals matchups are officially set, and in a matter of weeks, the Stanley Cup will reside in the hockey hotbeds of either Florida, Carolina, Dallas or Las Vegas. [New York Islanders]