Montreal Canadiens: Top 8 prospects worth getting excited about

6. Mattias Norlinder

Yet another solid pick in the mid-rounds for the Habs came during the 2019 draft when they selected Mattias Norlinder with the 64th overall pick. The Swedish born defenseman has spent the last two seasons playing in the second highest professional league in Sweden for Modo. He put up solid numbers this season with seven goals and 18 points in 34 games.

Next season, Norlinder will move up a level and play in the SHL. It will be interesting to see how the 20-year-old adjusts. Considering how high his skill level is, he likely won’t have too many problems.

5. Ryan Poehling

Much like Josh Brook, Ryan Poehling’s first season as a pro certainly didn’t go the way he or the Canadiens had planned. The 25th overall pick at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft struggled offensively at both the AHL and NHL levels, posting 13 points in 36 games with Laval and just two points in 27 games with Montreal. This was much different than his professional debut during the 2018-19 season, which saw him score a hat trick in his first and only game.

Despite the disappointing season, Poehling is still just 21-years-old and has time to improve. It is clear from his time spent at St. Cloud State that he has plenty of talent. In his three years with the team, he scored 29 goals and added 46 assists. Hopefully, next season sees him adapt more to the professional game and rediscover his offensive ability.