General Manager Kent Hughes and the Canadiens will have an 8.5% chance of securing the first overall pick in the upcoming draft, potentially landing the generational talent, Connor Bedard. Had they won against the Bruins, their chances would have dropped to 7.5%.
Why was the Canadiens' defeat to the Boston Bruins so crucial? By not surpassing the Arizona Coyotes in the NHL standings, the Habs managed to maintain a higher probability of drafting within the top-5 (41.8% instead of 15.4%).
Most in the scouting community agree on a clear top-four in Bedard, Fantilli, Michkov, and Carlsson, and that there is a pretty significant drop off after sixth overall.
With the outcome of the game against Boston, Montreal is in a strong position to potentially acquire one of these highly-regarded talents:
Connor Bedard
Adam Fantilli
Matvei Michkov
Leo Carlsson
Will Smith
Zach Benson
After the top-six, it is likely the Habs reach for a lower-upside player to fill a team need, like David Reinbacher or Dalibor Dvorsky, as higher upside players such as Andrew Cristall, Oliver Moore, Ryan Leonard, and Axel Sandin Pelikka come with more risk.
To sum it up, the Canadiens now hold an 8.5% chance of obtaining the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. Whether they won or lost against the Bruins, they were winners!
As Read on HabsFanatics - https://www.habsfanatics.com/nhl/entry-draft/Connor-Bedard-and-the-Canadiens-the-verdict-has-just-been-officially-announced-ahead-of-the-huge-2023-lottery
POLL | ||
Where do you want to see Connor Bedard? | ||
Anaheim | 92 | 21.7 % |
Chicago | 137 | 32.4 % |
Columbus | 62 | 14.7 % |
Montreal | 132 | 31.2 % |
List of polls |