Some will wear the bleu-blanc-rouge sweater in 2022-23, some will head to the Laval Rocket, and some may wind up in that "oh yeah? The Habs drafted him."
The Montreal Canadiens drafted 11 players on Thursday and Friday, including the top overall pick, and they traded for another during a busy two days at the NHL Entry Draft.
With 11 picks, Montreal was tied for most picks with the second-season Seattle Kraken and rebuilding Buffalo Sabres, and Chicago Blackhawks.
Here's a rundown of the who's new to the organization:
Juraj Slafkovský, (Round 1, Pick 1)
- 6'4", 229 pounds, LW, 18 years old
"He's not perfect, but he wants to get better, and for me, that's a hockey player," said director of player personnel and amateur scouting Martin Lapointe.
The thought of seeing the ent-sized Slovak skating out with 5'11" Nick Suzuki and 5'7" Cole Caufield is an exciting future world full of speed, skill and now size.
It's clear based on the first pick, later picks, and the trade that GM Kent Hughes wanted more size in the lineup, and it started with Slafkovsky.
Kirby Dach (via Chicago Blackhawks)
- 6'4", 200 pounds, centre, 21 years old
The Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta-born, 2019 third overall pick admitted that his first three years have been a touch frustrating with injuries and inability to fulfill his potential.
However, playing with future hall of famers Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, gave him a glimpse of what a proper NHL star has to do
"It was a lot of ups and downs," he said. "I was a young guy coming into an older locker room, and I was able to learn quite a lot about the pro lifestyle and what it takes to be a good player in this league."
Dach had his first quality season last year with nine goals and 17 assists in 70 games for the Blackhawks after recovering from a wrist injury that caused him to miss all but 18 games in 2020-21.
Filip Mešár (Round 1, Pick 26)
- 5'10", 174 pounds, RW/centre, 18 years old
Mešár and Slafkovsky have been pals since they were eight. Having him available at the 26th pick was something Habs co-director of amateur scouting Nick Bobrov called "divine providence."
"Very fast, very skilled, very slippery, very smart," said Bobrov of his playing style. "He's one of those guys that can skate, make plays and has a really good brain... Relentless."
Mešár is said to be able to weave through traffic, change lanes and use his speed to throw defencemen off balance.
"Simply put: Mešár's got moves," the NHL Draft Guide says.
Owen Beck (Round 2, Pick 1; 33rd overall)
- 5'11", 187 pounds, centre, 18 years old
Born in Port Hope, Ontario, many had the faceoff specialist (top in the OHL) from the Mississauga Steelheads going in the first round - he missed it by one.
"[He] plays the right way, a student of the game," said Lapointe." Gets As at school, does A-things on the ice."
The draft guide says he's a quality link-up man with solid speed.
Lane Hutson (Round 2, pick 30; 62nd overall)
- 5'8", 158 pounds, defence, 18 years old.
The lowest rank the U.S. men's development team d-man was given was 47 by draft analysts, so him dropping to 62 may give the Chicago-born teen more fuel for his already apparent fire.
"He has a chip on his shoulder that is very real," said Bobrov, who felt Hutson was the USDP's best defenseman.
Hutson will go back to Boston University to develop, but the Habs like his hockey sense and are not worried about his size.
"The size does not deter him," said Bobrov.
Seen as an offensive defenseman with slick stick handling and a great set-up ability, he will be a player for the future.
Part of the chip on his shoulder may come from the fact that he is the middle child. His older brother Quinn, 20, plays at Boston University and Cole, 16, is on the U.S. National U17 team.
Vinzenz Rohrer (Round 3, Pick 10, 75th overall)
- 5'10", 167 pounds, RW/centre, 17 years old
Born in the medieval town of Feldkirch, Austria is seen as a smart, tough player who doesn't take penalties.
"He's so good at getting inside on players that he draws penalties and knocks bigger defenders off balance," the EliteProspects 2022 NHL Draft Guide says.
The Habs scouts say he has a high attention to detail and excels at everything he does.
His father Stefan Lochbihler was a professional tennis player in the 1980s.
Adam Engstrom (Round 3, Pick 27, 92nd overall)
- 6'2", 185 pounds, defence, 18 years old
Speaking of medieval towns, the Södertälje, Sweden-born southpaw is one Habs hockey operations staff hope develops into another quality blue-liner from a nation that's developed more than a few.
"He skates really, really well," said Bobrov. "Skating, size, puck possession, and going into a really good organization in a country that tends to develop a fair number of good defencemen."
His size is something Bobrov said they were looking for, and he'll be another of those "to watch develop."
Cedrick Guindon (Round 4, Pick 30, 127th overall)
- 5'10", 170 pounds, LW, 18 years old
Lapointe said he's an explosive skater the Habs hope to develop.
The Rockland, Ontario-born winter-centreman plays in the OHL on the Owen Sound Attack, the former team of one Nick Suzuki.
He is seen as a high-IQ player who averaged just shy of a point-per-game in the OHL.
Jared Davidson (Round 5, Pick 1, 130th overall)
- 5'11", 179 pounds, centre, 20 years old
He turned 20 the day Round 1 of the draft began, and the Edmonton-born southpaw led his WHL Seattle Thunderbirds with 42 goals and 47 assists in 64 games played in the regular season before scoring 13 and adding 16 assists in 25 playoff games.
"He was their motor," said Bobrov. "He's a player that just doesn't stop. He scores from different positions, (and) he's got a very interesting shot."
He's seen as a late bloomer, but one the Habs see something in.
"An older kid, but a kid that got better and better over the last three years," said Bobrov.
Emmett Croteau (Round 6, Pick 1, 162nd overall)
- 6'3", 195 pounds, goalie, 18 years old
No goalies were drafted in the first round in 2022 (the highest was Topia Leinonen at 42, who went to Buffalo), and the Bonnyville, Alberta Metis player is one Bobrov said moves extremely well for a big puck stopper.
"Our goalie experts were pretty high on this kid," said Bobrov.
He will head to New York State's Clarkson University in the NCAA to develop after finishing a second season in the USHL with the Waterloo Blackhawks.
Petteri Nurmi (Round 7, Pick 1, 194th overall)
- 6'0", 187 pounds, defence, 20 years old
Lapointe called him a mobile defenceman that is fast in transition with a high potential.
The Helsinki-born left-shooting blue liner will head to HPK in Finland's Liiga next season.
Miguel Tourigny (Round 7, Pick 23, 216th overall)
- 5'8", 168 pounds, defence, 20 years old
The lone Quebecer drafted by the Habs, the Victoriaville-born defenceman, played with the Acadie-Bathurst Titans in the QMJHL.
He had 80 points (31 goals, 49 assists) in 65 games played in the Q last season.
