Prospect Info: Draft 2025 Habs you're on the clock

[crosbyshow]

Never said it was true for some and not others. Was just saying you can't say well Demidov has good puck protection so he can play a F1 role. As you mentioned, you need a commitment from the whole line but there's gotta be someone who is primarily a F1 for the skilled lines and forcing Demidov to be that F1 just to have a skilled but small top 6 would be a gross injustice to the player.

Its why I'm advocating for a Cootes or a Bear with our pick over a Reschny. You *might* leave raw points on the table but you'll have a far more complete top 6 and the sum of the parts would be more effective.

So draft Bear and Reschny lol.

I am not sure that Bear will still be available at our picks

If I was the Habs I would draft 2 forwards or 2 d.

Lets say that they have a d at 15th and 2 forwards..at 16 and 17th...I would go for the 2 forwards ...so your chance to hit a home run is higher cause at those ranks nothing is garanteed even if you love your pick

 

[Habsfan18]

Haven't followed this thread as much as in previous years (will catch up on posts asap) but does anyone actually expect us to make two 1st round picks? I'm hoping we keep both, but I'm going into this draft with the impression being that it's almost a foregone conclusion we're flipping one of our 1st rounders for a player on draft night. I'd be shocked to see us pick twice that night and even more shocked if we made the picks back to back.

What's the general consensus here?

 

[Scriptor]

Never said it was true for some and not others. Was just saying you can't say well Demidov has good puck protection so he can play a F1 role. As you mentioned, you need a commitment from the whole line but there's gotta be someone who is primarily a F1 for the skilled lines and forcing Demidov to be that F1 just to have a skilled but small top 6 would be a gross injustice to the player.

Its why I'm advocating for a Cootes or a Bear with our pick over a Reschny. You *might* leave raw points on the table but you'll have a far more complete top 6 and the sum of the parts would be more effective.

I wouldn't even consider selecting Reschny.

My three first round picks (assuming we get another first rounder in the 20s by packaging 2nd round and later picks and1or a prospect), in no particular order, would be:

Nesbitt

"Standing at 6-foot-4, Nesbitt prides himself as a power forward who is never afraid to go into the corners and retrieve the puck from the opposing teams’ defenders. He and his linemate Ethan Belchetz, who stands at 6-foot-6, were great forwards for the Spitfires as both of them used their size to their advantage by retrieving pucks either in the offensive and defensive zones and were able to send a pass to their teammates, resulting in either a clean defensive breakout or an offensive zone scoring chance."

Ryabkin

Strengths​

• Puck movement and stickhandling
• Good shot selection
• Combines a finesse game with physicality

Under Construction/Improvements to Make​

• Consistency
• Improving his first steps and skating stride
• Engaging intelligently

NHL Potential​

Will Ryabkin become the offensive dynamo he showcased as a 16-year-old in Russia, or will he end up as a role player who’s a liability when he doesn’t have the puck? That will be the number one question heading into the draft. The best-case scenario is that he becomes a top-line playmaker who can score like Evgeny Kuznetsov. Given his defensive shortcomings, he may struggle to play centre in the NHL and have to transition to the wing, although that should help him find success more quickly.
Fiddler

Smaht Scouting - March 23rd: "He’s becoming more and more confident in his puck moving, attempting riskier passes and picking spots better, but his biggest strength remains his defensive game, especially on the rush, continuing to completely erase promising zone entries for the other team more often than not. A defenseman like Fiddler, who can move the puck effectively, skate and defend very well is incredibly valuable in today’s NHL, especially when they’re a right-handed shooter."

 

[WeThreeKings]

Haven't followed this thread as much as in previous years (will catch up on posts asap) but does anyone actually expect us to make two 1st round picks? I'm hoping we keep both, but I'm going into this draft with the impression being that it's almost a foregone conclusion we're flipping one of our 1st rounders for a player on draft night. I'd be shocked to see us pick twice that night and even more shocked if we made the picks back to back.

What's the general consensus here?

We all felt like we would trade it but the market is getting saturated with buyers who have higher picks than us (Vancouver and Columbus) and a lot of teams all looking for a 2C.

More likely than not we make two first round selections, maybe we trade up a little with one pick.

 

[Scriptor]

Never said it was true for some and not others. Was just saying you can't say well Demidov has good puck protection so he can play a F1 role. As you mentioned, you need a commitment from the whole line but there's gotta be someone who is primarily a F1 for the skilled lines and forcing Demidov to be that F1 just to have a skilled but small top 6 would be a gross injustice to the player.

Its why I'm advocating for a Cootes or a Bear with our pick over a Reschny. You *might* leave raw points on the table but you'll have a far more complete top 6 and the sum of the parts would be more effective.

I really like Bear, but I'd rather get a physical C like Nesbitt and a big RHD like Fiddler (whom I think will mature into a better D than Hensler and become an ideal pairing partner for either Hutson, or Guhle in three or four years). I'd also like to move up into the early 20s of the first round by trading a package of picks and/or prospects, in order to take a gamble on Ryabkin who has the smarts to refine his D game and become a total threat as a 2C. When it comes to learning D, the good thing is that, unlike offensive creativity, it can be learned. It's just a question of selling into the player.

 

[Scriptor]

We all felt like we would trade it but the market is getting saturated with buyers who have higher picks than us (Vancouver and Columbus) and a lot of teams all looking for a 2C.

More likely than not we make two first round selections, maybe we trade up a little with one pick.

Personally, I think it's still all up in the air and nothing has filtered through about the Habs leaning one way or another.

We're just going on past experience with Hughes moving a first round pick (and more) for a project when we state he'll likely move a first round pick for a player again.

I personally think that Hughes would do so for a more established player again, this time around, based on where we are at in the rebuild's timeline. If he can only find projects with one of his mid first round picks and prospect or two, or a 2nd round pick, I think that Hughes will pick with both first rounders, maybe even package assets to get another late 1st rounder?

At that point he'd likely be willing to overpay for short term UFA to help the team continue to progress. If he manages to land a 2C with value Cap years remaining on a contract via trade, he could look to solidify the 2nd line by acquiring a veteran winger like Ehlers. That 2C and Ehlers would surround Demidov with quality players and better help him reach his projected ceiling as a franchise forward, IMO, even if the 2C needs be replaced after two or three years.

Worried about Laine not playing in the top-6? I'm not.

Laine could play less even strength minutes on a 3rd line with Heineman and Evans and be the triggerman a 2nd PP wave, along with Ehlers and the 2C, sometimes stepping in on the first PP wave, to mix things up on nights where the PP is so-so.

My first PP wave would still be Caufield - Suzuki - Slafkovsky - Hutson - Demidov.

The 2nd PP wave would be Laine -2C - Ehlers and two defensemen. No more Newhook, Dach, Gallagher, etc.

Ideally, the 2C would be able to be the net front presence...

 

[JeffreyLFC]

That would be the smallest and softest top 6 line up in the NHL...

That would still beat 99% of the NHL teams.

You could trade one of them for more size if needed and you could have larger sized player on the 3rd/4th line and at defense to compensate. I mean Tampa Bay won a couple cups with mini top 6 forwards during their peek years.

Draft talent, not size.

 

[Erika]

That would still beat 99% of the NHL teams.

You could trade one of them for more size if needed and you could have larger sized player on the 3rd/4th line and at defense to compensate. I mean Tampa Bay won a couple cups with mini top 6 forwards during their peek years.

Draft talent, not size.

That's a pretty bold statement... And Reschny isn't a sure thing at all, there's still a chance that he could bust like any other mid tier prospects.
It's certainly not better than the current top 6 line up of teams like Florida, Edmonton, Dallas, Colorado, Toronto, Winnipeg, Tampa Bay and arguably Washington.

 

[le_sean]

Only this year's 'Sennecke,' is truly worthy of the hype. Hughes has the assets to make the move to be in a position to take Martin if he falls a bit. One player who really impresses me, and is worthy of trading back into the bottom of the first round is Cullen Potter who looks like a clone of Logan Cooley. As I said earlier, the lack of a potential superstar player has given this draft class a bad reputation. I think there is considerable value in the top 20 and thus I would be very hesitant in trading away the 16 and/or 17th OA picks. With a little luck we could walk away with two future core players.

Yes, I’d be taking Cullen Potter over Reschny if given the choice between two smaller players.

 

[le_sean]

We all felt like we would trade it but the market is getting saturated with buyers who have higher picks than us (Vancouver and Columbus) and a lot of teams all looking for a 2C.

More likely than not we make two first round selections, maybe we trade up a little with one pick.

If the Habs want to acquire a player over other buyers, I think they would have to offer the 2026 pick.

 

[Team_Spirit]

 

[JadedRandom]

That would still beat 99% of the NHL teams.

You could trade one of them for more size if needed and you could have larger sized player on the 3rd/4th line and at defense to compensate. I mean Tampa Bay won a couple cups with mini top 6 forwards during their peek years.

Draft talent, not size.

Or draft both; Lakovic. The guy is talented, fast, AND big though he doesn't really have a good puck-digging game nor is he primarily a physical player.

Or a guy like Logan Hensler, whom I like as a puck-possession #3-4 RD with size and talent.

Aitcheson too, Smith if teams are dumb and he falls that low, Mrtka of course, Martin isn't the biggest but plays with major jam, McQueen if he falls, Bear has the achilles tear injury to contend with and also isn't big but very tenacious and talented.

Long story short, we need to add some more dimensions to our mix besides talented perimeter players. We need top-6F or top-4D talent with physicality, tenaciousness, size, and more.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Yes, I’d be taking Cullen Potter over Reschny if given the choice between two smaller players.

Absolutely. No question. But I believe Potter goes in the 12-15 range. Probably one of the best skaters and most offensively gifted players in the draft. And as Caufield has shown, elite skills makes up for a lack of size.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Or draft both; Lakovic. The guy is talented, fast, AND big though he doesn't really have a good puck-digging game nor is he primarily a physical player.

Or a guy like Logan Hensler, whom I like as a puck-possession #3-4 RD with size and talent.

Aitcheson too, Smith if teams are dumb and he falls that low, Mrtka of course, Martin isn't the biggest but plays with major jam, McQueen if he falls, Bear has the achilles tear injury to contend with and also isn't big but very tenacious and talented.

Long story short, we need to add some more dimensions to our mix besides talented perimeter players. We need top-6F or top-4D talent with physicality, tenaciousness, size, and more.

As I said, if we come out of the draft with Hensler and Lakovic we should be praising the hockey gods for making the teams drafting before us blind and Hughes for taking advantage of that opportunity..

 

[Scriptor]

I can confidently say I would have beaten all of these bums at this test.

 

[bleuetbio]

If the Habs want to acquire a player over other buyers, I think they would have to offer the 2026 pick.

Habs 2026 cant beat 4OV. Utah has won the lottery and so the 2C trade derby if one is realy in play for picks.

 

[McGees]

Trade our 2nds to move up and grab Zonnon.
thank you for your consideration.

 

[Twisted Sinister]

I can confidently say I would have beaten all of these bums at this test.

Seriously... is it that they're 17-18 year olds? 20 pull-ups is easy...

 

[dcyhabs]

Seriously... is it that they're 17-18 year olds? 20 pull-ups is easy...

Probably less so with a hockey build, big legs and core, less upper body. Depends on the set up, too,