A dramatic twist coming at the third overall pick in the 2023 draft? It would be huge for Kent Hughes and the Canadiens

It's an open secret, the 2023 NHL draft is a forwards' draft. We're thinking notably of Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Matvei Michkov, Leo Carlsson, and Will Smith of this world.

Organizations looking for offensive punch will therefore have a lot of choices in their attempt to find their next offensive star.

Looking at it from another angle, however, the few good defenders in this draft could benefit from the lack of depth in their position to make impressive leaps in the ranking.

The Austrian defender David Reinbacher has notably been linked to the Montreal Canadiens in recent weeks, he is probably the best prospect of the draft on the blue line.


Journalist Sheng Peng, who covers the San Jose Sharks, also revealed that an anonymous recruiter told him that Reinbacher could potentially go as early as the third pick in the draft!

This would be quite a surprise, but it seems possible and realistic, according to the San Jose journalist' source (a reputed journalist).


The Columbus Blue Jackets hold the third overall choice and it would be quite surprising to see them select Reinbacher, who already have numerous quality prospects on the blue line and are apparently aiming for a center player.

The fourth pick belongs to the San Jose Sharks and Reinbacher's selection by the Sharks would be more probable than by the Jackets.

From the Canadiens' point of view, the selection of Reinbacher within the Top-4 would be a true gift from heaven, as this would mean that two forwards among Leo Carlsson, Matvei Michkov, and Will Smith should still be available.

We really hope so!

In other words, Kent Hughes would have the choice between two of the five best forwards in the draft and would thus find himself in a more than advantageous situation.

Credit: Dans les coulisses