McKenzie Draft Rankings Give Insight To Potential Canadiens Pick

Seeing as the 2025 NHL Entry Draft just a few days away, the Montreal Canadiens are surely putting the finishing touches on their draft plans. There’s also a chance they may trade one or both picks, but regardless of any trade negotiations, every team must be ready to make their designated selections.

With the help of Bob McKenzie’s consolidated rankings, we can get a better appreciation for the top prospects who may be available to the Habs once they take to the podium with the 16th and 17th overall picks.

McKenzie’s list is slightly different from most, in that he speaks to scouts to establish his order. It is not a mock draft, which means he did not take the teams into account when finalizing the list.

Potential Montreal Canadiens First-Round Picks

Defenceman Kashawn Aitcheson leads the pack, listed at 13th overall, while the hard-working Carter Bear follows closely, at 14th overall. The Canadiens have a bevy of second and third-round picks, which may lead to a trade that sees them moving up in the draft to pick a player such as Bear or Aitcheson.

ON TOPIC: Establishing The Cost Of Moving Up In The 2025 NHL Draft

Defenceman Logan Hensler may not have produced an overabundance of offence during his freshman season at the University of Wisconsin, though it should be mentioned the Badgers were a mess last season, complicating the offensive-production situation for all players in the lineup. Hensler is a smooth skater that could end up playing in the top four if the stars align, making him a very interesting option for the Habs, especially since he happens to shoot right. Hensler is ranked 15th on McKenzie’s list.

At 16th overall there’s a very familiar face, talented forward Justin Carbonneau. He may not be the most defensively responsible player in the mix, but he is among the most skilled in the offensive zone. I know it rubs some the wrong when I suggest the Canadiens desperately need more offensive flair, but it was clear in the playoffs that Montreal is a one-line team, making it rather easy to shut them down. What’s more, they were in the bottom half of the league for shots and expected goals, a situation that needs to be rectified before we can propose the Canadiens are set when it comes to adding talented forwards.

At 17th through 19th, we find three players we haven’t discussed in depth, at least not yet. Jack Nesbitt (17th), Braeden Cootes (18th), and Cole Reschny (19th) would be realtively interesting prospects to add to the pool, however, at 6’4″, Nesbitt is the only one who has the type of frame that will garner much attention from general manager Kent Hughes and the team scouts.

At 20th overall, we find Lynden Lakovic, and though he has the type of size you’d expect for a future Canadiens pick, he hasn’t necessarily grown into his body quite yet. The 6’4″ forward is just 185 lb, connoting that there is still some work in the gym to be done before you could project his impact versus professionals.

Click here to view the complete TSN Bob McKenzie rankings.