Hutson - ?????
Guhle - Mailloux
Xhekaj - Barron
Harris
That's the D of the future, with the Habs needing a physical, two-=way, shutdown D to pair up with Hutson.
Hutson, at 5'10", would be the smallest d on the back end and Harris, as a third pairing D who sits at 5'11" would be the 2nd smallest D. There would be no two small Ds on the same pairing and styles would complement the pairings.
About as perfect a size/skill matchup as possible on the backend, with the possibility to mix and match according to game situations where we could see Mailloux and Hutson on the PP, foregoing some defensive acumen for offensive overload, or Guhle with Hutson's pairing partner for a shutdown pair when the game situation calls for it.
Up front, we should stop acting like MON is looking strictly to get small, skilled forwards at the draft. After all, HuGo just went against the grain the they selected Slafkovsky with their 1st OA pick in 2022.
Surely, unless we were to luck out on the Bedard Derby (he's 5'10", still), we'd likely pick one of Fantilli (6'2") or Carlsson (6'3") if we were to select in the top-3.
If MON ends up picking 7th or 8th OA and Michkov (5'10") had slipped to that rank, however, I wouldn't be surprised if the Habs did select the smaller natured winger since he is an exceptional talent and delaying his arrival in the NHL could provide both skill and an ELC contract at a time where HuGo would want to maximize their cap structure in order to keep an opening Cup window open for the longest possible time.
If it came down to adding Michkov, rather than a Fantilli or a Carlsson, we'd definitely need to reorganize the forward lineup.
That's why I believe that acquiring a power forward that can play C or W in Dubois becomes an important component to building a winning lineup.
With Dubois, Dach and Slafkovsky in the top-6, plus Suzuki who is strong and sturdy at 5'11" and 208 lbs, we would have a great mix of size and talent, even with Caufield and Michkov each on their own line.
Slafkovsky (6'3") - Dubois 6'2") - Michkov (5'10")
Caufield (5'7") - Suzuki (5'11") - Dach (6'4")
Farrel (5'9") - Beck (5'11") - Roy (6'0")
might not be the biggest line, but Farrell's motor would compensate for his smaller stature. Beck, at 5'11" and over 190 lbs, is another strong and sturdy C like Suzuki and his hockey IQ makes him a true competitor that is hard to play against. Roy, at 6'0", 193 lbs, has already demonstrated his skill in retrieving and protecting the puck.
That third line will likely play like a Pitbull.
RHP (5'9")- Evans (6'0") - Heineman (6'0")
may also not be the biggest 4th line, but it comes with speed and forechecking physicality in Evans and Heineman, plus, even, RHP who, despite his smaller stature, is not afraid to initiate contact, even winning a fair percentage of struggles for the loose puck, but, most importantly, knowing what to do with the puck when he comes up with it.
In this forecast of a roster, Mesar gets lost in the tussle and, likely, either becomes a replacement for RHP on the fourth line, bringing a gust of speed to that trio, or trade bait.
he could also beat out Farrell as a 3rd line fixture and Farrell could replace RHP on the fourth line?
Slafkovsky (6'3") - Dubois 6'2") - Michkov (5'10")
Caufield (5'7") - Suzuki (5'11") - Dach (6'4")
Roy (6'0") - Beck (5'11") - Mesar (5'9")
Farrel (5'9")- Evans (6'0") - Heineman (6'0")
There'd be a decent mix of size and skill in the top-6, lines that get the most TOI to begin with and any inclination for the third line would combine some puck retrieval skill, some shutdown skill and some speed or bite in the smaller player.
The fourth line, whichever form it ends up taking, will be a strong forechecking, energy line with defensive acumen and complementary offensive upside.
I like this balanced forward lineup, especially with the imposing size that still comes with skill on the backend, where Guhle, Xhekaj and Mailloux, plus whomever we acquire to play with Hutson will be able to bring a physical presence with some bite to the ice. Barron, for his part, will hold his own, without being necessarily intimidating, because of his style of play.
Hutson (5'10") - Grans, as an example (6'4")
Guhle (6'2") - Mailloux (6'3")
Xhekaj ( 6'4") - Barron (6'2")
Harris (5'11")
Plus, we forget, by the time Hutson hits the ice in Montreal, he could be over 6-Foot tall!?
off?
