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NHL Entry Draft 2024 : A hidden card, and it's not Demidov or Hage
The Montreal Canadiens love to put on a show, as we know. The Montreal organization just revealed several relevant pieces of information for the team's fans in their famous documentary aired earlier this week.
Indeed, we learn more about the top two prospects selected in the last amateur draft in Las Vegas, Ivan Demidov and Michael Hage. Several other players drafted by Kent Hughes, who had flown under the radar, caught our attention in the documentary.
Among the most underrated candidates, the name of forward Logan Sawyer stands out. Drafted 78th overall in the third round by Montreal, Logan Sawyer could be a surprising talent, to the point that Nick Bobrov has spoken about his potential.
In the eyes of Nick Bobrov and Canadiens scout Billy Ryan, Logan Sawyer has enough potential that it's conceivable he could become a top-6 NHL forward. For a third-round pick, that's quite surprising! The young man must have something special!
Could the Canadiens have possibly acquired another top-6 forward in Logan Sawyer? Nick Bobrov and Billy Ryan believe so
What factors led Bobrov and Ryan to have such high expectations for Sawyer?
Well, it's important to know that Sawyer is an elite Lacrosse player. This violent and extremely intense sport forges true hockey warriors.
From what we know, he could have possibly been a «Connor Bedard» of Lacrosse, but he decided to focus more on his hockey career in recent months. He set aside his other passion to give himself a real chance of being drafted as high as possible.
Sawyer has always been considered one of the best hockey players in his age group in Toronto. He wasn't far behind someone like Michael Hage, but his success in Lacrosse pushed him to play in the BCHL, a lower-tier hockey league with less visibility than the CHL or NCAA.
As a result, Sawyer completely flew under the radar of several other NHL teams. There's a tendency among some scouts in the Bettman circuit to undervalue players from this league.
We don't know where he would have been drafted if he had chosen to continue his junior hockey in the OHL. Would he have been a first-round pick? We will never know, but Nick Bobrov seems very proud of his third-round selection.
«With Logan Sawyer, he was competing with Michael Hage while growing up with all those young Toronto players. They formed an elite duo. Then he started playing Lacrosse in the spring and summer, while Hage played hockey all year round.
So, you know, we might have one of the best players in Toronto in this age group, who turned out to be an elite Lacrosse player, who plays a lot of Lacrosse and who recently decided to go to the BCHL.
So he took a different path, but at 6 feet 2 inches, at Providence, with that brain and that 'dual threat ability,' he's a player who sees the game and has the skills of a top-6 forward.»
- Nick Bobrov
So, you know, we might have one of the best players in Toronto in this age group, who turned out to be an elite Lacrosse player, who plays a lot of Lacrosse and who recently decided to go to the BCHL.
So he took a different path, but at 6 feet 2 inches, at Providence, with that brain and that 'dual threat ability,' he's a player who sees the game and has the skills of a top-6 forward.»
- Nick Bobrov
After just one season in the BCHL, Logan Sawyer amassed 19 points in 20 games.
His stats were even more impressive during the playoffs, as evidenced by his 15 points, including 7 goals, in just 12 games. He also claimed the title of most valuable player of the playoffs.
«As for Sawyer, from what I saw during that tournament, I think he has quite a high potential due to his size, skills, and playmaking abilities. He's not afraid to play physically and deliver hits.»
- Billy Ryan
- Billy Ryan
All Habs will keep an eye on his development in 2024-2025 and keep you informed of his on-ice achievements. Here's another prospect who could surprise in a few years.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 28 | 149 ANSWERS NHL Entry Draft 2024 : A hidden card, and it's not Demidov or Hage Do you think Logan Sawyer can play on the top-9 with the Habs at maturity? | ||
| Yes | 108 | 72.5 % |
| No | 41 | 27.5 % |
| List of polls | ||