Speculation about the draft is rife as we are now just under a month away from this major event.

Of course, here in Montreal, there is a lot of talk about the possible choice of the Montreal Canadiens, as the organization will have the 5th pick of the 2023 auction.

At present in this draft, there is only one certainty, and that's the very first rank of Connor Bedard.

While recently the experts all agreed to say that Adam Fantilli would most likely become the second player to be drafted, this speculation no longer seems as sure.


As pointed out by Maxime Truman on the airwaves of BPM Sports, there could be a big turn of events in the top-5 of this vintage.


While he is currently representing Canada at the World Championship, Fantilli's performances are not really dazzling. A doubt seems to be increasingly setting in for his 2nd overall selection, and a player like Leo Carlsson or Will Smith could position himself in front of him.

Could he suffer the same fate as Shane Wright last year, who was a unanimous choice who plummeted in the draft?

No one knows for the moment, but it must be said that it is not uncommon to see a player slide down a few ranks.

A fairly unanimous choice like Fantilli at the 2nd rank could thwart the recruiting work of a team that did not expect to have to decide on his case, somewhat like the Arizona Coyotes did last year, opting for Logan Cooley anyway, even though they didn't believe they had the opportunity to choose Wright.

In the scenario where Carlsson would be the choice of Anaheim and Columbus maintains its decision and interest for Will Smith, despite the opportunity to select Fantilli, only San Jose or Montreal would remain as a possible destination for the Canadian player.

Some rumors mention that the Sharks organization is not afraid to choose Matvei Michkov at the 4th rank, who is perceived as the second best player of the vintage behind Bedard.

This would therefore mean that there would be a chance, slim but real, to see a spectacular turnaround for the Canadiens. Despite his disappointing tournament, Fantilli has elite talent and he would become a major piece for the team's rebuilding.

In fact, Fantilli will probably be the second choice of 2023, but the fierce competition in this year's top-5 could play a trick on him.