Montreal Canadiens: What If Marcel Dionne Got Drafted Over Guy Lafleur?

The Montreal Canadiens schemed to guarantee themselves one of the top two picks of the 1971 NHL Draft. They drafted Guy Lafleur with the first overall pick. But what if they went with Plan B – Marcel Dionne?

The Montreal Canadiens are the most storied franchise in NHL history. It says a lot that Guy Lafleur is probably their most popular player of all-time. He captivated their fanbase and was immensely popular. Few opponents have drawn a standing ovation and chants in Montreal. When Lafleur returned as a member of the Quebec Nordiques, chants of his name echoed throughout the arena. A lot of people don’t realize how far the Canadiens went to ensure they could draft him.

The 1971 NHL Draft featured one of the best prospect duos of all-time. Both Lafleur and fellow top 100 player Marcel Dionne were considered elite. More importantly, both had ties to the Montreal area, as both were born, raised in Quebec. The Canadiens are still stubborn in their adoration of French speaking players, but this was a significant advantage back in the 1970’s.

Montreal drafted Lafleur with the first overall pick. Even though Dionne is an all-time great, it’s hard to argue with the decision. But what if the Canadiens didn’t have the option of drafting Lafleur? First, some context.

Context

In May of 1970, General Manager Sam Pollock knew he wanted to guarantee himself one of Lafleur and Dionne in the 1971 NHL Draft. This was before the draft lottery, so the plan was simple. Find the worst team in the NHL and get their first round pick.

Polock thought the Oakland Seals would be one of the two worst teams in the NHL. In a worst case scenario, he could trade up again. Polock talked the Seals into trading their 1971 first-round pick and François Lacombe in return for Montreal’s 1970 first-round pick and veteran Ernie Hicke This plan worked to perfection. Oakland was terrible, finishing with the league’s worst record.

Sam went as far as to ensure the Los Angeles Kings wouldn’t sneak their way into the top spot by trading them Ralph Backstrom. But even after getting the top pick, Polock debated about what to do. He chose Lafleur. It’s hard to argue Polock didn’t make a smart choice. But what if he picked Dionne instead? This directly affects three franchises. Let’s see how each franchise looks.

Kings

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The Los Angeles Kings later received Dionne from the Detroit Red Wings, who got the second overall pick, in a trade. He was their first true star. It’s safe to say their future in California wouldn’t have been a guarantee without Dionne.

Maybe they struggle for a very long time like the Washington Capitals and eventually become good. But one thing’s for sure – the Kings are FAR worse off without Dionne. No question.

Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings got a darn nice consolation prize for falling short of finishing with the worst record. That consolation prize? Dionne. But if the Canadiens had drafted him instead, it goes without saying they would have gone with Lafleur.

Dionne was a heck of a player for them, but eventually got tired of losing, demanding a trade. For argument’s sake, let’s assume Lafleur doesn’t demand a trade. The Red Wings get a savior. From 1971 to 1983, the storied franchise only made the postseason twice. And this was back when there weren’t 30 other teams to compete with.

Lafleur’s legacy would still be intact. It might not have been quite as great as it is, but still, starring for an Original Six team is a proven way to etch your name in the history books. Maybe with Lafleur, the Red Wings manage to win a Stanley Cup or two during their dark era.

Canadiens

Shockingly, the Canadiens are probably the franchise that sees the most insignificant change. They go from having easily one of the top wings ever to having one of the best centers. The Canadiens already had Jacques Lemaire. Imagine the damage a duo of Lemaire and Dionne would have done. This is like the Pittsburgh Penguins having Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

The biggest winner in this alternate reality is Dionne. Currently, he’s known as an all-time great. But considering Dionne’s 1,771 points rank sixth and his 1,493 era adjusted points rank 13th, he doesn’t get nearly enough respect in the “greatest centers ever” debates. A huge reason for this could be because he played for the Kings before Wayne Gretzky made them the center of attention. In Montreal, Dionne, much like Lafleur was and still is today, would have been just a step below a deity.

Next: Canadiens All-Time Dream Team

Conclusion

Who should the Canadiens have drafted? It doesn’t really matter. You could argue either way. This is part of why Polock made the trade. He knew he was basically guaranteeing himself an elite prospect. Both Lafleur and Dionne wound up being all-time greats. However, it’s clear Marcel would have been the biggest winner had the Canadiens chosen differently. Two franchises and a player’s legacy would probably be very different had Montreal gone with Dionne over Lafleur.

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