Cam Hillis

May 2022 – Hillis’s development continued to stagnate since his graduation to professional hockey this year. While he looked quite decent in his first NHL appearance — which only occurred due to the Habs’ depth chart being annihilated by COVID-19 and their running out of NHL-contracted players to dress — Hillis did not undergo any substantial development in his game this year. He played most of the season with Laval, following a start to the season in Trois-Rivières, where he put up nine points in 14 ECHL games. With the Rocket, he did not look out of place, which is more than could be said last season, but Hillis is nearly 22, and the nine points he scored in 24 AHL games are not what the Canadiens had hoped for. While Hillis did flash his playmaking ability at times, this came inconsistently as he has still not adapted to the increased pressure he faces when playing against pros, and the lack of the extra time and space he had in junior continues to hamstring his overall game. His defensive reads remain consistent, however, and his play in transition can be quite impressive, he knows how to use his teammates to exploit holes in defences when in motion. However, in sustained offensive zone sequences, he can stop moving his feet and is easily pushed to the periphery. He will need to learn to make faster decisions on the puck, attack the middle, and place through pressure to once again have a chance of reaching the top-nine playmaker ceiling he had on draft day in 2018 and when the Canadiens signed him to an ELC in 2020. Sebastian High

April 2020 – Hillis has signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Canadiens. Pablo Ruiz

April 2020 –  This year saw Hillis have a breakout season for the Guelph Storm in which he put up 83 points in 62 games. His soft-touch and offensive creativity allowed him to be a dominant offensive force. Hillis also improved his defensive game this year which was reflected by the OHL coaches poll which ranked him 3rd in 3 different categories: best playmaker, best on faceoffs, and best defensive forward. The Canadiens are going to have to make a decision to sign Hillis this summer or they will lose his rights and he will become a free agent. Pablo Ruiz

November 2019 – After a disappointing year marred by injuries, Hillis has turned things around in a big way. The first seven games of his campaign were forgettable for the Canadiens’ prospect as he mustered only three points. The 21 games that followed have been gangbusters with Hillis scoring 30 points in that span. He currently sits 13th overall in scoring in the OHL and is a significant reason Guelph remains in the playoff hunt. Jesse Sherman

August 2018 – The expression might be a bit overused, but Cameron is a small player who plays like a giant. This tireless center has absolutely no fear whenever he touches the ice and has a way of finding himself in positions to scoop rebounds or lose pucks around the net. Hillis scored a respectable 59 points in 60 games for Guelph in the Ontario Hockey League the past season and rapidly became the team’s number one center despite his 17-year-old rookie status.  If he makes it to the NHL, his real life value could be higher than his fantasy impact. Carl Sinclair