As we all know, the Montreal Canadiens are set to select 5th overall in the upcoming 2024 NHL Draft. However, the Canadiens also have another first-round selection. This being the 26th overall pick which they acquired in the Sean Monahan deal. Despite having this pick, there is no guarantee that they will make the selection. There has been a significant amount of chatter around the possibility of dealing the pick. The Canadiens have many options at 26th overall so let’s take a look at some of the possibilities we may see play out.
What Will Happen With the 26th Overall Pick
Deal the Pick for an Impact Forward
While the Canadiens have two picks in the first round, it may be in their best interest to deal the latter of the two. The team has one of the league’s deepest prospect pools and an abundance of future picks. Therefore, they don’t necessarily need the 26th overall pick. The player they select with this pick likely wouldn’t pan out as a top-of-the-lineup player. Furthermore, the player would need at least a couple of years to develop.
When you consider where the team is at in their rebuild, it makes more sense to trade for an impact forward. The Canadiens are turning the corner in their rebuild. Packaging the 26th overall pick to acquire a top-six forward makes more sense for the club, and by doing this they get more value out of the pick than they likely would get out of the player they draft.
Trade into the Top 15
Another great option for the Canadiens is to use the 26th overall pick to advance their draft status, particularly by moving into the top 15 of the draft. Players like Berkly Catton, Tij Iginla, Beckett Sennecks, and Cole Eiserman may be available in this range if they slip in the draft. There would also be a lot of great defensemen available if they select a forward with their first pick. Either way. adding two top-15 picks would be an amazing outcome for the Canadiens.
Teams like the Devils and Sabres have expressed interest in moving their 10th and 11th overall picks, respectively. The Canadiens would have to give up a lot more than just the 26th pick to move up, but the price may be worth it if the right player is available.
Canadiens Make the Selection
The most likely but also the most boring outcome is that the Canadiens ultimately make the 26th overall selection. While Kent Hughes definitely would like to trade this pick, he won’t force a move if the deal isn’t right. But as previously mentioned, any player they draft likely won’t provide the value that trading this pick would provide, whether it be for an impact forward or trading into the top 15.
If the Canadiens do opt to make the selection, there is still a surplus of good talent available. If they do opt to take a forward the first time around they may take a defenceman with their second selection. Or if they draft a Cayden Lindstrom or Ivan Demidov for example, they could look to give those players some familiarity. They could do this by selecting Lindstrom’s teammate Andrew Basha, or Demidov’s fellow countryman Yegor Surin. Both are solid power forwards who could add to the team’s middle-six one day. This is something they did before when they drafted Filip Mesar after taking Juraj Slafkovsky first overall.
Whatever the Canadiens decide to do, they have set themselves up for future success. The future status of the 26th overall pick ultimately boils down to two things: whether or not Kent Hughes feels the Canadiens are ready to turn the corner in the rebuild, and if the price is right to move up in the draft or acquire a top-six forward. Either way, the future is bright for the Canadiens and fans should be excited, not only for the draft but for free agency and the rest of the offseason.
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