Montreal Canadiens: Top 10 prospects entering 2019

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Led by what might be the deepest prospect pool in the NHL, the Montreal Canadiens have a very bright future. Here are their top 10 prospects following the 2019 NHL Draft.

The Montreal Canadiens have the best of both worlds. They have an NHL roster ready to compete for a spot in the postseason. On top of that, the Canadiens have arguably the deepest prospect pool in the NHL.

This gives the Habs an extremely bright future. With Carey Price and Shea Weber getting older, the Canadiens will need to pass the torch onto a younger generation of players fairly soon. Which of their prospects will be a part of that?

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Before I begin my list of the top 10 Canadiens prospects, I’d like to clarify a few things. First of all, everyone has a different definition of “prospect”. Mine is about as simple as it gets. A prospect is anyone who is under 25 years old and has yet to find a consistent spot in the NHL.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Noah Juulsen, for example, aren’t prospects. Kotkaniemi has a clear spot and Juulsen has at least 20 games with the Canadiens in each of the past two seasons. Ryan Poehling, however, is one. Potential and upside are weighted heavily with these rankings.

Let’s take a look at the Habs top 10 prospects following the 2019 draft. But first, a quick look at the goaltenders because I like to keep them separate from the skaters.

Goaltenders

1. Cayden Primeau

Acquired: 2017 seventh-round pick

Age: 19 (turns 20 in August)

Stats: 36 games, 2.09 GAA, .933 save percentage (Northeastern University, NCAA)

Before last year, Charlie Lindgren was believed to be the heir to Carey Price’s throne. One year later, it appears it will be Cayden Primeau. He fell to the Canadiens in the seventh round of the 2017 draft despite many experts ranking him as a third-round or fourth-round talent.

At Northeastern, Primeau has been quite dominant. He won the Mike Richter Award as the top collegiate goaltender. Primeau did great during the WJC as well, posting a .936 save percentage in five games. He recently signed his entry-level contract, so expect him to get some time in the ECHL or AHL this season.

Primeau’s athleticism stands out to me. His positioning is very good for someone who’s about to turns 20 years old, but he’s still a few years away from being NHL ready. If I ranked him with the skaters, Primeau would probably be in the top three.

2. Michael McNiven

Acquired: Undrafted (Signed in 2015)

Age: 22 (on July 9)

Stats: 30 games, 2.52 GAA, .902 save percentage (Laval Rocket, AHL)

The Canadiens have traditionally had pretty good luck with goalies, especially with those drafted in later rounds or not drafted at all. Michael McNiven is their latest success story. He was the backup goalie in Laval last year and continues to improve each year.

McNiven isn’t that athletic, but his positioning is solid. He’s a few years removed from being one of the best goalies in the OHL. Considering he’s still one of the youngest goalies in the AHL, McNiven’s on a good path for NHL success. I don’t think he has what it takes to be a starter, but I could see him being a decent backup.

Honorable Mention: Frederik Dichow

I honestly didn’t get to see much of goaltender Frederik Dichow, the Canadiens’ fifth-round pick of the 2019 draft. The only time I saw him was during the WJC-18 D1A tournament. Dichow was great for Denmark during that tournament. It’s only five games, though. But still, I think he’s someone worth keeping an eye on because of his athleticism and quickness.

Honorable Mention (skater): Cale Fleury

I’m not huge on Cale Fleury, but I think he’s got the makeup of an NHL defenseman. He’s mobile and is impressive in the defensive zone. I’m concerned about Fleury’s work in transition and on offense, but I definitely saw some growth there last season with him. He’d easily be in the top 10 for most other organizations and would probably be top five on a good portion of them.

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