Kent Hughes wants to add offense, and he'll have to do so through the draft, via trade, or by signing a free agent this summer. He'll need to act quickly because the top players are leaving the market fast.
The best-case scenario would, of course, be selecting an outstanding forward with the 5th overall pick, and several interesting candidates could still be available.
Although there are rumors that Ivan Demidov might be available at the 5th overall pick, I don't believe a word of it, so I'm not including him. As for the rest, there's Cayden Lindstrom, Tij Iginla, Berkly Catton, and Cole Eiserman.
He would be a major addition for the Canadiens, but according to journalist Mathias Brunet, Kent Hughes won't select him.
One can imagine that Brunet has his reasons for believing such a thing and that he has his sources. It's quite a major statement, especially considering that Eiserman could be a first overall pick according to many.
He will be one of the youngest players in this draft, as he was born in August. If he had been born a few months later, he would undoubtedly be considered a top choice in 2025.
