The Canadiens would be interested in trading their 5th pick for a specific prospect, and we can guess which one

Despite the Canadiens not winning the lottery, the fact that the club has kept its 5th overall pick, instead of dropping to the 6th or 7th spot, was very good news for the future of the organization.

As most experts mention, in terms of pure talent, there is a leading group of five young players who dominate this year's draft, and then there is the rest. Among these top prospects, there are obviously Connor Bedard, but also Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson, Will Smith, and Matvei Michkov.

However, since it is highly likely that the last player drafted from this group will be Michkov, this means that Kent Hughes and his team will have to make a decision about him and the thorny issue he represents. Even though he is seen as the best Russian talent since Alexander Ovechkin, there's a strong chance that the Habs will pass on him.

Yet, to avoid making this unfortunate decision, according to what insider Darren Dreger reports, Hughes is considering the idea of trying to move up into the top-4 through a trade, so as not to have to face this choice.


We can easily guess the player targeted by the Montreal organization here. It's no longer a secret that Canadiens management has their eye on American forward Will Smith, and Hughes deeply wishes to land him.

The only hitch is that all signs also indicate that the Blue Jackets, who have the 3rd pick of the draft, are also very fond of the American program's prodigy.

One thing is certain, the Canadiens will be under immense pressure to make the right choice, because if the club were to let Michkov slip to the 5th rank, to select a player from the second tier of talent in the draft, it is clear that there will be immense dissatisfaction against the management



Credit : HabsolumentFan