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The 32-in-32 Series is an annual event here at DobberProspects! Every day in August we will be bringing you a complete breakdown of a team’s draft, and insights into their off-season movements thus far. Following this up in September, we will dive into every team’s prospect depth chart with fantasy insights and implications for the upcoming seasons. Check back often, because we plan on filling your hockey withdrawal needs all off-season long!

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By: Aaron Itovitch

The excitement is truly palpable in Habs land right now. Major developmental steps from several of the team’s young players, and a draft that has essentially completed the team’s future top-six have combined to give more hope than ever that the rebuild undertaken by Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton not quite three years ago could be a success.

An almost completely inactive free agency was the ideal move for the Canadiens, who are going into the 2024-25 season with a roster nearly identical to last year’s. With little new blood, the group of the future for the team, highlighted by the found-money first line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky, will get another full season to grow and learn each other’s habits.

*****

Draft Recap

Round 1, 5th Overall – Ivan Demidov, RW

It still doesn’t feel completely real that Ivan Demidov is a Montreal Canadien. Something that a large part of the Habs fanbase dreamed for not only this past year, but for decades has finally been acquired – pure undeniable gamebreaking talent. While there is no doubt that Macklin Celebrini was the best full package in the 2024 NHL draft, many believe Ivan Demidov has the highest offensive upside, myself included.

His one-on-one play and deception are as good or better than any player I’ve ever watched, and he exudes confidence and creativity with the puck. This combined with his larger-than-expected 6-1, 192 pound frame makes Ivan Demidov the perfect fit to complete the Canadiens’ top-six, whether it be alongside Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky, or Kirby Dach and Cole Caufield.

There are concerns about his projection due to the fact that he has almost exclusively played in the MHL in his D-1 and D0, but the way he sees the game and anticipates play will not change at a higher level – he will simply need to adapt.

I went over several aspects of Ivan Demidov’s game, including his skating, shot, passing, hockey IQ, and NHL player comp on the all-new Dobber Prospects YouTube show last week, and you can watch it here. 

Round 1, 21st Overall – Michael Hage, C

The Montreal Canadiens opted to pay a heavy price to trade up ahead of the 2024 draft, moving from 26th overall (the pick acquired from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for Sean Monahan) to the 21st overall pick. With that 21st pick, the Canadiens selected centre Michael Hage from the Chicago Steel, who became an immediate fan favourite.

One of the best stories in hockey right now, Michael Hage’s late father was a passionate Habs fan, and he dreamed of his son being able to put on a Canadiens sweater. Things aligned perfectly, as centres Yegor Surin, Cole Beaudoin and Dean Letourneau went in quick succession from picks 23 through 25, and Hage almost certainly would not have fallen to 26.

As a player, Hage is a highly intelligent and versatile offensive threat. A few years ago, he was seen as one of the top players in his age group, but injuries did stifle him a little bit. Headed to the University of Michigan next season, Hage will fall into a near-perfect development opportunity as one of the teams’ top-6 centres, and will be able to work on his defensive game, and get stronger. His skating alone suggests some tangible defensive upside, and as he adapts his game to stronger NCAA competition he will likely become more well rounded. With five spots in the Canadiens’ top-six likely already taken, Hage will be a top contender for that sixth spot.

Round 3, 70th Overall – Aatos Koivu, C

It is impossible to not think of Aatos Koivu’s father Saku when analyzing this selection. The former Montreal Canadiens captain is still beloved in the city, and the excitement of having his son in the organization is amazing. As a standalone player, Aatos Koivu does live up to some of the hype, and is a legitimate possible future NHLer.

As far as Koivu’s complete game, he does have significant work defensively, but his shot makes up for a lot of his other deficiencies. In the Finnish U20 league, Koivu exceeded point-per-game as a 17-year-old (only turned 18 in late June), and was a consistent shooting threat from all areas.

Koivu has a long way to go before pushing for an NHL spot, and he will need to become much stronger and more explosive to be an impact piece during 5-on-5 play, but as an isolated power play threat he already exudes a lot of potential.

Round 3, 78th Overall – Logan Sawyer, LW

Logan Sawyer’s entire game revolves around his on-ice work ethic. He is always giving all of his energy into every play, and he tries his best to command the ice. Sawyer is very intelligent, and is a strong scanner and play reader, but will need to learn how to use these tools at a higher level. Rather than staying in the BCHL next season, Sawyer will jump to the NCAA with Providence College, where he will need to adapt.

His best play of the season (especially following the AJHL/BCHL merger) was in the playoffs, where he performed above a point-per-game clip. Considering his energy and on-ice mentality, it is not surprising that Sawyer shines in high-pressure moments.

Sawyer’s skating leaves some to be desired, with less than ideal explosiveness and form, but he is cerebral enough to get into the right positions. There is an interesting prospect in Sawyer, especially considering the Canadiens’ focus on finding players with the right mentality toward improvement and maturity.

Round 4, 102nd Overall – Owen Protz, LD

Owen Protz has been described as always being the most violent player on the ice at any given time, and that is as good of a descriptor as you’ll find for him. One of the most entertaining hitters in the OHL, the Canadiens clearly have trust in the Brantford Bulldogs development system, having had Florian Xhekaj go through there and improve significantly in a similar role at forward.

Protz doesn’t contribute too much offensively, but does have a relatively heavy shot. His defensive game is simple and smooth, but he can get out of position in some situations. He is generally tasked with only one thing when he’s put out for a shift however, and that’s to make the other team’s job an absolute nightmare. Sitting at 214 pounds, Protz is one of the biggest players in junior hockey, and will only continue to grow into a player that could be part of a new era of physical depth NHLers, not too different from the Canadiens’ own Arber Xhekaj.

Round 5, 130th Overall – Tyler Thorpe, RW

From the Vancouver Giants, Tyler Thorpe truly is a Vancouver Giant. An extremely young D+1 (August 2005 birthday), Tyler Thorpe has been measured at 6-5, 212.

There are a lot of reasons to be excited about the Thorpe selection, as his production from D0 to D+1 exploded nearly tenfold, from six points to 44. Much of the reason he went undrafted in 2023 was due to his lack of impact offensively, and that was addressed in a significant way this past season. Thorpe has a quick and powerful shot, with a pro-ready release, and in the right situations can be a shooting threat from anywhere in the offensive zone.

However, his bread and butter is using his elite size to turn the tides in favour of his team with big hits or just his imposing presence. The last fifth-round pick the Montreal Canadiens made from the Vancouver Giants was none other than Brendan Gallagher, so Tyler Thorpe could follow in his, albeit much smaller, footsteps.

Round 5, 134th Overall – Mikus Vecvanags, G

I still don’t know too much about Mikus Vecvanags, as finding Latvian tape is pretty difficult, but he is set to play in the BCHL for the 2024-25 season. After finding a concrete spot with HS Riga in Latvia’s top league, he became a consistent force, especially in the playoffs.

Goalies are always difficult to project unless they display truly elite skills or tools, and I trust the Montreal Canadiens’ scouting team enough to believe that Vecvanags has either tangibles or intangibles that led them to take him in the fifth round.

Based on the small sample I’ve seen from the U18s, Vecvanags appears to be extremely mobile and athletic, which are great traits to build upon.

Round 6, 166th Overall – Ben Merrill, C

Ben Merrill is another bet on physical upside for the Montreal Canadiens. A 6-4 power forward centre, Merrill shines with his heavy shot. His skating needs a lot of work, with his acceleration, top speed, and edgework all being below average, but he is set to take a great development path to improve on those.

He will play for the Penticton Vees of the BCHL next season, before going to Harvard University, where Montreal Canadiens prospect Sean Farrell’s skating improved significantly. If the skating can be addressed, the Montreal Canadiens have an intriguing bottom-six centre option in Merrill – good value for the sixth round.

Round 7, 210th Overall – Makar Khanin, RW

I really like the selection of Makar Khanin. He gives off similar vibes to the Bogdan Konyushkov pick from last season – a young Russian who has simply flown under the radar despite deserving some more attention. His playmaking was very solid in the VHL last season, with 18 assists making up a large part of his 27 points in 35 games.

Playing against men instead of being in the MHL for most of the season is a good sign that his organization believes in him. There is no doubt that Khanin is a long-term project, but there could be something there.

Round 7, 224th Overall – Rasmus Bergqvist, LD

Rasmus Bergqvist has been solid in J20 for two seasons now, and had a standout defensive performance in the J20 playoffs this past season en route to a gold medal. He doesn’t contribute much offensively, but he is a threat defensively, breaking up passes and defending the slot. I hope to see a big season from him as he grows even more comfortable in the J20, and possibly see him get some SHL time.

*****

Offseason Moves:

Incoming:

Alex Barré-Boulet on a one-year contract

Connor Hughes on a one-year contract

Outgoing:

Jonathan Kovacevic, Trade

Colin White, UFA

Mitchell Stephens, UFA

Jesse Ylonen, UFA

Tanner Pearson, UFA

Mattias Norlinder, UFA

Brady Keeper, UFA

Re-Signed:

Juraj Slafkovsky, eight-year contract

Kaiden Guhle, six-year contract

Arber Xhekaj, two-year contract

Justin Barron, two-year contract

*****

Final Thoughts:

It wasn’t flashy on the acquisition or trade front, but this was a perfect off-season for the Montreal Canadiens. Core pieces Juraj Slafkovsky and Kaiden Guhle got long-term extensions at team-friendly prices, and the team’s long-term cap flexibility is as good as it gets. The draft was highlighted by the selections of Demidov and Hage, who will hopefully help turn this team into a contender long term. Hats off to Kent Hughes, Jeff Gorton, and the rest of the Canadiens organization – this rebuild is right on track.

 

Thanks for reading! You can follow me along on Twitter (X) @itovitch