Kent Hughes made a costly mistake by choosing Filip Mesar over Jiri Kulich

It's the 2nd first-round pick of the Canadiens that is being heavily questioned. Filip Mesar is struggling to develop, to the point where he has been demoted to the OHL this year.

It's not a catastrophe, as some players develop a bit later, but the fact that the Canadiens passed on another highly talented forward is the issue. Jiri Kulich, who slipped to the 28th overall pick, is currently excelling in the AHL. He has a much higher ceiling than Mesar, to the point where according to a redraft, Kulich would now be at the 14th overall pick, while Mesar would be at the 63rd.

Already today, it can be said without hesitation that it was an organizational mistake. However, it can also be said that the Canadiens made a good recovery with the selections of Owen Beck and, especially, Lane Hutson in the 2nd round.