In the end, the Canadiens broke from the one-year consensus and selected towering Slovakian winger Juraj Slafkovsky first overall, setting off a truly chaotic first round that left many of us in press row staring in stunned silence. Slafkowski was not selected at this time. According to Nick Bobrov, the team was still deep in discussion as of Thursday morning, and when the time came, the team planted their flag next to the big winger. This will end up being the defining trend of the weekend. The Canadiens, coming off a disastrous regular season, were not going to play it safe in their rebuild. Make no mistake, all drafts are risks and Slafkowski is not immune to that and the concern about his projection based on his Liiga play is fair. However, Montreal sees enough upside to reach an incredibly high ceiling. At 18 years old, Slafkowski is a physical specimen, standing 6’4″ and 229 pounds, but he doesn’t play a hard-hitting, runaway style. There’s skill and talent within that massive frame and a desire to prove what he can do the difference. There would be nothing wrong with taking the “safe” pick on Shane Wright, but the Canadiens trust their process and have addressed the glaring need for another young center in the organization. Somehow, almost improbably, the Canadiens overcame their first overall shock by acquiring Kirby Dach via two deals with the New York Islanders and Chicago Blackhawks. The Habs traded Alexander Romanov and the 98th overall pick for the 13th overall pick and traded that and the 66th overall pick for Dach. Bold almost underlines what Hughes did with this deal, even as Chicago finds itself in dire straits thanks to an impending penalty on Duncan Keith’s recovery. Dach, a former third overall pick, was seemingly stagnant in Chicago, where the team is embarking on some sort of rebuild of its own, but one that included trading away two of its newest available assets. Both Hughes and Kyle Davidson are new GMs in extremely tough spots, the only difference is that Hughes didn’t seem to sweat the pressure and calmly added a 21-year-old center to his organization. Dach, like Slafkovsky, has all the natural gifts to be a dominant force on a nightly basis, but injuries and a directionless Chicago team have kept him from scratching the surface. A former Canadiens GM said “centers are hard to find,” which is true in some respects. It’s not every day that a 21-year-old, third overall pick falls out on the trade market. At the same time, you can’t passively expect to influence your team, being bold is the best way to help your rebuild, and that’s what Hughes has done. Dach is a gamble on the part of the Canadiens GM, but has huge upside potential for the franchise if things go according to plan. It’s a tough pill to swallow trading away a young quarterback that many had high hopes for, but the new front office saw what they have in players like Kaiden Guhle, Jordan Harris and even Justin Barron, giving them a chance to improve the group elsewhere. Like drafting Slafkovsky and trading Dach, it’s a risky move, but if the Canadiens aren’t willing to try and take a chance, the rebuild will take a lot longer. Without delving into picks beyond the second round, the risk-taking Canadiens continued to look for high-ceiling prospects in their first four picks overall. Filip Mesar and Lane Hutson are insanely skilled players. They have the talent profile to become offensive contributors in the NHL if their development goes right. Hutson in particular stood out among a group of high draft picks in the USNTDP, leaving the program as the second-highest scoring defenseman of all time behind Cam York. Yes, Hutson is an average 5’8”, and probably weighs 160 pounds after a big meal, but his skills on the ice are undeniable. He skates like the breeze, daring defenders to try to slow him down as he hangs around them. With his size, Hutchins has had to learn how to battle against bigger opponents, and even with all of his talents, his ability to evolve his game to overcome a size difference will help him. He’s far from a safe stay-at-home defenseman, but the Canadiens have learned that you need a stellar star to make things happen from your blue line. Finally, there is Filip Mesar who, like Hutson, has all the skating tools and hand-eye coordination to be a fearsome threat on the ice. His physical side isn’t there yet, but his audacity to go one-on-one with opponents – and often beat them with skill alone – is commendable. The risks are there, but so is the huge upside for Mesar, who has said he wants to play in North America this coming year. Slafkovsky will also likely cross the pond, giving Montreal fans and potential Laval Rocket fans some really exciting prospects to watch. To cap things off, the Canadiens had a huge opportunity in front of them with this NHL draft. With over a dozen picks at their disposal and needs throughout the organization, they emerged from the shadow of the previous regime. While there have been some high-ceiling picks made in years past (see Joshua Roy), it’s rare that we’ve seen Montreal come out and go for this many in a row. Hughes understands the gravity of the situation he’s in and that the Habs must take risks to improve. It’s a radical change from previous drafts where picks could be considered safe and their potential high-end NHL impact not overly likely. There’s a chance this draft could be seen as an absolute disaster if things go sideways, but it could also be seen as a prime time for Hughes and Jeff Gorton if their picks play out to their potential. It’s going to be a wild ride as we wait to see what the future holds, but one thing is for sure right now, this is a very different Habs organization now.
