Lets just say Verbeek wants Michkov or Smith, what could he get out of MTL to make this move and potentially set this team up really nicely?
I saw a youtube personality, legorocks99, propose an idea of Kirby Dach and the #5 pick, and that might not be enough to acquire the #2 pick from Anaheim.
Dach was the #3 pick in the 2019 draft. I am underwhelmed with Dach's progress and possibly was rushed to the NHL level.
I see some similarities with the 2023 draft. A clear cut short #1 potentially followed by two big forwards. A rising D in Reinbacher. The Zegras-type in Will Smith. There's a lot of US NTDP players going to be selected in the first round (Smith, Leonard, Moore, and Perreault).
Let's just hope that the potentially two big forwards going #2 and #3 will pan out much better than Kakko and Dach. Both Kakko and Dach went straight to the NHL after being drafted. Seider went from DEL (D+0) to AHL (D+1) to SHL (D+2) and finally over to the NHL (D+3) to win the Calder. Zegras went to NCAA (D+1) to AHL/NHL (D+2) and established himself in the NHL in his D+3, being a finalist in the Calder.
I'm okay with Fantilli or Carlsson staying with their respective programs another season to further develop their skills in an environment they already know, especially with the organization breaking in new head coaches at the NHL and AHL levels.