Montreal Canadiens: Top 10 prospects entering the 2018 season

10. Cole Fonstad, LW [18] (5-128, 2018)

Stats (Prince Albert Raiders, WHL): 72 gp, 21 g, 52 a, 73 p, 5 PPG (21 A), 4 GWG, 153 SOG, 1.01 pts/g (7 pgp, 4 g, 1 a, 5 p, 2 GWG, 21 SOG, .71 pts/g).

Cole Fonstad was drafted in the fifth round of the 2018 draft, despite being projected to go much higher than that. He was a top 100 consensus pick, so his falling to 128th for the Montreal Canadiens should be a good thing for the team. While they have plenty of young wings (Jonathan Drouin, Brendan Gallagher, Max Domi, Hudon, and other prospects on this list) Fonstad could earn a position for himself with the Canadiens in the future.

He’s got good hands, especially when it comes to passing (tied for 27th in the WHL in assists) and he’s got good skating.

He was better than a point per game in the WHL but fell off in the playoffs. That might be what cost him several rounds, as he’s got a lot of skill and isn’t small, at least by today’s standards (he’s 5’10”).

He’s got good hands, especially when it comes to passing (tied for 27th in the WHL in assists) and he’s got good skating. The problem is that he’s still skinny, needing to bulk up, and while he was excellent at even strength, it may have been because of his center, a fifth-round pick in 2016 who has shaped up excellently.

Fonstad was tied for 43rd in scoring, 56th in points per game, and 81st in goal scoring. He’ll need to get better in that last category to prove this season wasn’t a fluke and will need to show offensive potential away from another possible NHL player. Luckily for Fonstad, he’ll likely get that chance, as the Canadiens should be sending him back down to play with the Raiders.