Habs Prospects
Potential Canadiens NHL Entry Draft Picks at 16th & 17th Overall
The 2025 NHL Entry Draft is scheduled for June 27, giving the Montreal Canadiens only a couple more weeks to establish which prospects they should target with the 16th and 17th overall picks.
Of course, there’s always a chance the Habs may trade the picks for an NHL-ready player, or they may choose to package both first-round selections in a bid to move up and pick a highly-touted prospect, but for now we’ll work with the assumption that they’ll use the picks on draft-eligible prospects.
ON TOPIC: Establishing The Cost Of Moving Up In The 2025 NHL Entry Draft
The Athletic’s 2025 NHL Draft rankings gives us a good idea of which prospects may be available, though we should note that rankings are different from mock drafts, as they don’t necessarily keep team intentions in mind.
Montreal Canadiens Draft Angle
In a bid to avoid spoiling the rankings, we will only focus on prospects in Tier 4, as they fall within the range of Montreal’s first-round picks. Additionally, we’re going to forgo any goaltenders listed, since the Habs have an abundance of young goaltenders in the system, and picking a goaltender in the first round often involves getting a poor return in your investment unless he happens to be named Carey Price.
Draft-Eligible Defencemen
There are three defencemen listed in the 10-19 range: Kashawn Aitcheson, Jackson Smith, and Radim Mrtka. Of the three, only Mrtka shoots right, an area of weakness within the organization. That being said, we’re not discussing prospects who will immediately jump into the lineup. It usually takes a few years before defencemen picked in the first-round are ready for NHL action, which means drafting for need is a risky proposal. A lot can change in a few years.
It’s highly doubtful that either Smith or Mrtka will be available midway through the first round, especially since those names tend to fly off the board once the annual run on blueliners takes place.
With that in mind, the most interesting option could end up being Aitcheson, an old-school blueliner that combines a mean streak with a very reasonable production rate. His pre-draft rankings vary from outlet to outlet, but one thing is for certain, he fits the bill when it comes to the type of player general manager Kent Hughes wants to add to the prospect pool.
He’s mean, talented, and isn’t afraid of stepping into the spotlight when his team needs it most.
Draft-Eligible Forwards
The Tier 4 forwards are as follows: Brady Martin, Cole Reschny, Braeden Cootes, Jack Nesbitt, Carter Bear, and Justin Carbonneau.
Our columnist already discussed the possibility the Habs could nab Bear or Carbonneau in the first round, with both wingers’ upside projecting as top-six talent.
MUST READ: Canadiens Draft Target – The Case For Carter Bear
That leaves a few centres in the mix, which could end up being a boon for the Habs. Again, drafting for need is rarely the best way forward, but if a player happens to fill a need while being in the right draft range, the Canadiens will not hesitate to pull the trigger.
Martin stands out as the wild card, with pre-draft rankings suggesting he could go anywhere from ninth to 28th. He’s the classic energizer bunny, though we shouldn’t discount his offensive talent. He’s also very comfortable mixing it up, which could garner some interest from the Habs. That being said, he plays for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, which means there’s a 99.99%* chance Kyle Dubas will draft him with the 11th overall pick.
Reschny should be available once the Montreal Canadiens take to the podium, but given his lack of goals, he may slide down the first round, with a slight chance he ends up being among the first players picked in the second round. He’s an excellent playmaker, and I don’t want to give the impression he’s not worthy of a first-round pick, but I’m not convinced he can move the needle for the Canadiens. The same can be said about Nesbitt, a rough-and-tumble forward with limited offensive upside.
Cootes also has an affinity for setting up his teammates, but he brings a little more sandpaper to the table. The Seattle Thunderbirds captain seems to have an endless supply of energy, which he uses to frustrate opponents while elevating the play of his linemates.
*0.01 percent error margin.
Montreal should try and trade their two first round draft picks for McTavish.
Keep adding assets, 16th and 17th aren’t gonna cut it. I should think he would be one of the Ducks’ untouchables. Better success getting Zegras for far less, Hughes looked at that trade last year. I think he will be in Habs’ sights going into this year’s draft. I would love to get MacT as well, i just don’t see that happening outside a video game.
A lot will depend on contract negotiations… IF the Ducks can’t get him inked long term on a deal they like, they could be tempted to move him… don’t forget Cutter is also a natural center – Ducks have a lot of young centers over there…
PS – we don’t want Zegras. Our 2C needs some grit, a 200 foot game, and he has to be able to win some face-offs… Zegras is a terrible fit for all that.
PSS – will Anton Lundell be available at the right price after the Panthers re-sign Bennett? – I’d really like Lundell as our 2C.
If 6’5” Nesbitt could become an elite 3C in the mould of Adam Lowry, he’s worth a first round pick in my books. We’ll very likely not going to get an offensive star where we’re picking, so for me, finding kids that can become elite shutdown players, built for the playoff wars is exactly what we need to add to our pipeline and roster.
Hensler does not make list on D?
And I would likely go with Martin, or one of Carbonneau, Lakovic. And Cootes is a good option. I understand Nesbitt size is attractive but seen film on his play – potential but i like the other options, if available, before Nesbitt.
And if they do not get a RHD – there are some great options in 2nd/ 3rd round. If they keep both picks – i am thinking it will be a C and a F.
I kind of think the same way. My choices would probably be Martin and Cootes. I’m not sure where we get our 2C but I think we’re now picking in the range where we should be drafting the best skaters who are big, fast and physical to give us a bottom 6 tgat can play serious playoff hockey
I guess that means that we might need to trade for the elusive 2C and possibly a 2nd line winger to complement Demidov and whoever winds up in the middle. Who lnows, that might still be Dach. We shouldn’t trade Dach at this point as his value is very low. Hopefully he comes back healthy and stays that way. Start him back on the wing and keep him there until he’s got some confidence back . Even 3rd line wing would he better than throwing him to the wolves. His confidence is shot. He’s now a project for our development group. They’ve got to try to keep him from becoming J Drouin or KK….speaking of which…
Bear and charbo (god help him)
Habs are apparently looking for size, if their actions/comments at the combine are any indication. That’s good. But I would prioritize mean-ness over size. This team has enough talent to go far in the playoffs. But as the Caps ably demonstrated this Spring, the Habs couldn’t match their mean-ness. Sure, people talk about “team toughness” , and that’s essential. A pack mentality is the hallmark of winners. But without that handful of really hard edged mean players, you generally don’t go very far. That’s why I am extremely apprehensive about these Hague rumours. If it results in Xhekaj being sacrificed, I believe the team will suffer in the long run.
I’ve watched video of Aitcheson — he can skate, make plays, hits like a truck, and can handle himself with his fists. So, regardless of who we pick at forward (my bet would be Bear or Carbonneau), I would be delighted to see the Habs pick up Aitcheson.
Cameron Reid is the defenseman the Habs like in the first round. They’ve spent a lot of time with him. Can’t imagine he won’t go top 20 despite what is said here. And Reschny was generally considered the top forward in the second half of the season in the WHL (full disclosure, I’m in Victoria where he played, but this is not a comment based on bias) and there is NO WAY that he does not go in the first round, so that mentioning him as a possible second-rounder is a bit of a fallacy.