HF Habs: 2025 NHL Draft: Part II

[TheBuriedHab]

Id still like someone who can give him the puck in scoring areas. That's really the caveat for me. Why was his playmaking outlet so bad at such a weak level.

Idk as I haven't followed Prokhorov closely. Grant said he watched 40 games of him this year and his linemates were terrible. But at the Russian U-17 finals he had 5 goals and 7 assists for 12 points in 7 games. So maybe there's something more there when he plays with better players. Could he take off playing with a smart player like Demidov?

I think with the Habs deep prospect pool, and lots of draft capital in a weak draft, they might just opt to take some homerun swings like Prokhorov and Reid at 16/17 if they can't trade the picks.

 

[le_sean]

Idk as I haven't followed Prokhorov closely. Grant said he watched 40 games of him this year and his linemates were terrible. But at the Russian U-17 finals he had 5 goals and 7 assists for 12 points in 7 games. So maybe there's something more there when he plays with better players. Could he take off playing with a smart player like Demidov?

I think with the Habs deep prospect pool, and lots of draft capital in a weak draft, they might just opt to take some homerun swings like Prokhorov and Reid at 16/17 if they can't trade the picks.

I’d rather take a chance that Lakovic grows a spine than Prokhorov learns how to pass.

 

[TheBuriedHab]

I’d rather take a chance that Lakovic grows a spine than Prokhorov learns how to pass.

Yeah, at 16/17 with these big guys you gotta pick your poison for sure. If they were more well rounded players they would be out of our reach anyway.

TBH with how infuriated I get sometimes watching Slaf try to learn how to be a PF, I'd probably lean Prokhorov then because he really understands what his job is as a north south player. His hands are pretty good too. He's also got 30lbs on Lakovic and skates just as well.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Idk as I haven't followed Prokhorov closely. Grant said he watched 40 games of him this year and his linemates were terrible. But at the Russian U-17 finals he had 5 goals and 7 assists for 12 points in 7 games. So maybe there's something more there when he plays with better players. Could he take off playing with a smart player like Demidov?

I think with the Habs deep prospect pool, and lots of draft capital in a weak draft, they might just opt to take some homerun swings like Prokhorov and Reid at 16/17 if they can't trade the picks.

If they take Prokhorov, I'll hope for that development. At least I can see what they're looking for (i like him a lot just not mid first).

If they take Reid, I'll be livid.

 

[TheBuriedHab]

If they take Prokhorov, I'll hope for that development. At least I can see what they're looking for (i like him a lot just not mid first).

If they take Reid, I'll be livid.

Yeah, I don't get the Reid thing, but there just seems to be real smoke there. If they liked Buium last year, maybe it's not crazy they like Reid as well. No idea how he fits into the lineup though.

 

[Nevins]

Top 5 Grittiest Prospects | 2025 NHL Draft

 

[WinterLion]

Yeah, I don't get the Reid thing, but there just seems to be real smoke there. If they liked Buium last year, maybe it's not crazy they like Reid as well. No idea how he fits into the lineup though.

I haven't said it out loud because of the backlash I might get... But I like Reid a lot. His skating it ultra smooth and he covers so much ice and is so slick. I get the NHL depth chart... but I think this guy plays a game that really suits the game Montreal wants to play and he is not being given enough credit because he's not mean and a tad undersized... Also I love Engstrom... but he is our only legit LHD prospect right now...

3 years is a long time in the NHL... I'm not usually a BPA guy but he might be that guy at 17...

Of course I would prefer that Bobby loves some huge pit-bull...

 

[JeffreyLFC]

My predictions on who will the Habs draft.

This is not the list of the player I want the Habs to draft but who I think they will draft.

1. Mrtka is an obvious choice if available but it is very doubtful he drops to them. They clearly favour RD, they love size and they want a defensenan that is solid defensively. He is a no brainer and they might even trade up to get him.

2. Lynden Lakovic. The patern are there to see. The Habs love raw talent and they love size. He is a project and the Habs will see a similar situation with him as they did with Slafkovsky although a bit different. They feel that if he develops properly he will become a key player to them.

3. Blake Fiddler see Mrkta but less polished. Another RD with physical tools that they believe they could unlock him into a top 4 defenseman.

4. Surprise, surprise mother******, Mason West. Not unlike Lakovic but a bit more raw and less proven but size, talent and upside. A kind of Unicorn that will come out of nowhere.

5. Jack Nesbitt. I can see them being intrigued by his size again and his talent. He is another project but they will probably invest a lot in improving his skating and pace and hopefully unlock him. Again, size + upside + project

6. Bill Zonnon. I could repeat myself, see a smaller version of Nesbitt. They love his talent, his size and they will select him and hope they could help him in becoming a better skater. He is another project but they love his upside.

Other possible names: If they decide to go with smaller players.

7. I think they will have interest in Cameron Reid because of his mobility and general talent. They were interested last year in Zeev Buiium and he is kind of similar but a bit less developed.

8. Final guess: Cullen Potter. A sublime skater with decent skills. They will see him as another project but a bit different than the large sized forward. They will want to develop his strength, shot and defensive awareness. They see a unique skater that could become a top 6 winger in the NHL.

These are my guesses based on their drafting history and tendency.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Yeah, I don't get the Reid thing, but there just seems to be real smoke there. If they liked Buium last year, maybe it's not crazy they like Reid as well. No idea how he fits into the lineup though.

Nothing really similar between the two. Buium was setting pushing the boundaries of NCAA achievement on defense (albeit on a stacked team). Reid has unimpressive production in the OHL.

Not only is our left side top 4 set for the next decade and we have Matheson, Xhekaj, Struble in the NHL. With Engstrom on the doorstep. But I dont understand wanting an undersized left shot D who never QBs the first powerplay, with or without Hutson, and a guy who is going to also need sheltering with another robust big right shot D.

If we picked him, he would be traded faster than a Vegas first rounder.

 

[HabsMD97]

The more I dive in on the prospects ranked in this range, the more I'm starting to think that Cootes won't fall below Vancouver at #15.

VAN won't be making a pick, they'll trade it.

 

[TheBuriedHab]

Nothing really similar between the two. Buium was setting pushing the boundaries of NCAA achievement on defense (albeit on a stacked team). Reid has unimpressive production in the OHL.

Not only is our left side top 4 set for the next decade and we have Matheson, Xhekaj, Struble in the NHL. With Engstrom on the doorstep. But I dont understand wanting an undersized left shot D who never QBs the first powerplay, with or without Hutson, and a guy who is going to also need sheltering with another robust big right shot D.

If we picked him, he would be traded faster than a Vegas first rounder.

I actually think there are quite a few similarities between Buium and Reid. I'm not sure how much of Reid you saw but the obvious thing about him is how well rounded he is in all aspects of the game like Buium was. His defending is some of the best in this class. He's a better skater than Buium was too. The obvious similarity is their stature and both being left shot D.

Reid is a guy that if his offense doesn't translate he'll still be a fine defender in the NHL. His skating is special. He was a team high +39 being matched up against the top guys in the OHL. I thought Buium made better plays with the puck though especially under pressure.

Yeah the fit to Montreal seems weird, but idk maybe they get crazy with it and have both Hutson and Reid. Marty has said he wants 2 PP1s basically.

 

[montreal]

 

[le_sean]

I actually think there are quite a few similarities between Buium and Reid. I'm not sure how much of Reid you saw but the obvious thing about him is how well rounded he is in all aspects of the game like Buium was. His defending is some of the best in this class. He's a better skater than Buium was too. The obvious similarity is their stature and both being left shot D.

Reid is a guy that if his offense doesn't translate he'll still be a fine defender in the NHL. His skating is special. He was a team high +39 being matched up against the top guys in the OHL. I thought Buium made better plays with the puck though especially under pressure.

Yeah the fit to Montreal seems weird, but idk maybe they get crazy with it and have both Hutson and Reid. Marty has said he wants 2 PP1s basically.

I’d rather suffocate teams defensively with a Top 4 that has the likes of Guhle, Reinbacher and Fiddler/Hensler. Reinbacher is good enough for a PP2. If not, there’s still someone like Engstrom in the system.

 

[Goldenhands]

He is in the mold of a Cole Eiserman, very skilled, great shot, but poor hockey IQ, no structure at all in his game, inconsistent effort level, poor puck support or defensive commitment, lack of motor over 200 ft., you draft those guys praying god everyday that they fix their issues at some extend down the road and end up contributing more than hurting you. Not the kind of player Habs usually go for as the bust factor is very high and the odds they end up fitting in your system, very low.

 

[Goldenhands]

My predictions on who will the Habs draft.

This is not the list of the player I want the Habs to draft but who I think they will draft.

1. Mrtka is an obvious choice if available but it is very doubtful he drops to them. They clearly favour RD, they love size and they want a defensenan that is solid defensively. He is a no brainer and they might even trade up to get him.

2. Lynden Lakovic. The patern are there to see. The Habs love raw talent and they love size. He is a project and the Habs will see a similar situation with him as they did with Slafkovsky although a bit different. They feel that if he develops properly he will become a key player to them.

3. Blake Fiddler see Mrkta but less polished. Another RD with physical tools that they believe they could unlock him into a top 4 defenseman.

4. Surprise, surprise mother******, Mason West. Not unlike Lakovic but a bit more raw and less proven but size, talent and upside. A kind of Unicorn that will come out of nowhere.

5. Jack Nesbitt. I can see them being intrigued by his size again and his talent. He is another project but they will probably invest a lot in improving his skating and pace and hopefully unlock him. Again, size + upside + project

6. Bill Zonnon. I could repeat myself, see a smaller version of Nesbitt. They love his talent, his size and they will select him and hope they could help him in becoming a better skater. He is another project but they love his upside.

Other possible names: If they decide to go with smaller players.

7. I think they will have interest in Cameron Reid because of his mobility and general talent. They were interested last year in Zeev Buiium and he is kind of similar but a bit less developed.

8. Final guess: Cullen Potter. A sublime skater with decent skills. They will see him as another project but a bit different than the large sized forward. They will want to develop his strength, shot and defensive awareness. They see a unique skater that could become a top 6 winger in the NHL.

These are my guesses based on their drafting history and tendency.

I think Mrtka will definitely be gone before we pick, I prefer to be more pessimistic than optimistic since Ill be less disappointed if it happens,, but I think Lakovic will be gone as well, perhaps even Hensler and Bear too.

Thats why I think the Habs will agressively try to move up to at least get one of those players.

I have Lakovic, Hensler and Bear, then I dont care, so I would trade the picks at that point. unless Grant's favorite russian mammoth is viewd the same way by the org.

 

[McGees]

He is in the mold of a Cole Eiserman, very skilled, great shot, but poor hockey IQ, no structure at all in his game, inconsistent effort level, poor puck support or defensive commitment, lack of motor over 200 ft., you draft those guys praying god everyday that they fix their issues at some extend down the road and end up contributing more than hurting you. Not the kind of player Habs usually go for as the bust factor is very high and the odds they end up fitting in your system, very low.

 

[dcyhabs]

He is avowedly raw. And I don’t know if he’s a teachable kid to fine-tuning his game. But with what I only see, I’ll readjust my view on Prokhorov when I find out he’s really 6’1.75 and not 6’5.75 that seems so comfortable skating and light on his skates. This is not McCarron. You just can’t teach his insatiable drive to crash the net with the puck and to hurt people.

At the very least if McCarron was worth a shot at 25, why not Prokhorov.

But McCarron clearly was not worth a shot at 25. The habs botched his development, but no other team was going to pick him that high because he wasn’t that good at hockey.

 

[GlassesJacketShirt]

Idk as I haven't followed Prokhorov closely. Grant said he watched 40 games of him this year and his linemates were terrible. But at the Russian U-17 finals he had 5 goals and 7 assists for 12 points in 7 games. So maybe there's something more there when he plays with better players. Could he take off playing with a smart player like Demidov?

I think with the Habs deep prospect pool, and lots of draft capital in a weak draft, they might just opt to take some homerun swings like Prokhorov and Reid at 16/17 if they can't trade the picks.

1. Counter-point: Do his teammates suck that much, or did they barely do much because Prokhorov hogged the puck the whole time? I ask because the HockeyProspect quotes suggest he has next to zero feel for offensive hockey; Jerome Berube tracked some games where he had 5 or 6 pass attempts in a full game. Even 4th liners average far more.

2. I checked and I think eliteprospects has a glitch with his stat sheet, as a deeper look shows he had 11 goals and 1 assist in 8 games.

On paper, this is a true unicorn prospect. I can't give a real analysis because I haven't watched his games, but I get very nervous when a player keeps having such low assist totals wherever he plays.

 

[Toene]

He is in the mold of a Cole Eiserman, very skilled, great shot, but poor hockey IQ, no structure at all in his game, inconsistent effort level, poor puck support or defensive commitment, lack of motor over 200 ft., you draft those guys praying god everyday that they fix their issues at some extend down the road and end up contributing more than hurting you. Not the kind of player Habs usually go for as the bust factor is very high and the odds they end up fitting in your system, very low.

It'd be cool to draft a Québécois, but I dont want it to be a reach, it has to be organic and BPA. Could Zonnon be available with our earliest 2nd? Or it's a pipe dream? I see him projected late 1st, early 2nd, maybe he could fall to us.

 

[L4br3cqu3]

But McCarron clearly was not worth a shot at 25. The habs botched his development, but no other team was going to pick him that high because he wasn’t that good at hockey.

Yeah I expected him to be available early 2nd, where I thought he'd get picked, he was big-time raw, but potential was there. But yeah they absolutely botched his development, still remember when Sylvain Lefebvre implied McCarron should stop focusing on scoring/producing cause that's not what's asked of him for the NHL. McCarron was having a nice progression before that in the AHL.

 

[WinterLion]

1. Counter-point: Do his teammates suck that much, or did they barely do much because Prokhorov hogged the puck the whole time? I ask because the HockeyProspect quotes suggest he has next to zero feel for offensive hockey; Jerome Berube tracked some games where he had 5 or 6 pass attempts in a full game. Even 4th liners average far more.

2. I checked and I think eliteprospects has a glitch with his stat sheet, as a deeper look shows he had 11 goals and 1 assist in 8 games.

On paper, this is a true unicorn prospect. I can't give a real analysis because I haven't watched his games, but I get very nervous when a player keeps having such low assist totals wherever he plays.

Both him and Carbo are like tunnel vision... it's like their team mates don't exist...

At least with Carbo he has moments where he does show flashes of playmaking... so maybe it could be coached...

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Both him and Carbo are like tunnel vision... it's like their team mates don't exist...

At least with Carbo he has moments where he does show flashes of playmaking... so maybe it could be coached...

Plus it won't be another headache to get Carbonneau to sign when he's ready.

 

[WinterLion]

Plus it won't be another headache to get Carbonneau to sign when he's ready.

Carbo is so skilled... top 10 talent... but you better believe in him working out the flaws because there are A LOT of them...

I'm not sure that Montreal is the best place for him... which is too bad... he might become a very exciting player...

 

[L4br3cqu3]

Both him and Carbo are like tunnel vision... it's like their team mates don't exist...

At least with Carbo he has moments where he does show flashes of playmaking... so maybe it could be coached...

I'd still prefer Prokhorov in the 2nd (cause I think that's where he'll be picked) over Carbonneau in the 1st though, having the next Evgeny Artyukhin who can actually score a bit would be fine by me, especially in a 'depth draft' like this one.

But if we select Carbonneau with one of those firsts, I'll just hope he learns he's not a one-man army.

 

[WinterLion]

I'd still prefer Prokhorov in the 2nd (cause I think that's where he'll be picked) over Carbonneau in the 1st though, having the next Evgeny Artyukhin who can actually score a bit would be fine by me, especially in a 'depth draft' like this one.

But if we select Carbonneau with one of those firsts, I'll just hope he learns he's not a one-man army.

Prokorov in the 2nd would be great... but there are like 7 guys I want!! I love those 2nds... going to be some very fun choices!