Major: Two players targeted by Kent Hughes with the 5th overall pick have just been revealed, including a surprise
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Elias AdaimeMay 14, 2023 (10:27)
As we are just over a month away from the highly anticipated 2023 NHL Draft, we have just learned major information, courtesy of a source within the Montreal Canadiens organization and cited by the excellent Marco D'Amico.
The identity of two players targeted by the Canadiens with their 5th overall pick has just been revealed.
Two names have particularly caught the attention of Montreal's scouts, according to Montreal Hockey Now : Will Smith and Ryan Leonard.
Smith really impressed at the last U18 World Championship and is therefore a prime candidate to be selected among the top four picks.
If he is available at the 5th overall pick, one must think he will be the player chosen by Kent Hughes. However, if he is not, another name has just seriously been placed on the radar in Ryan Leonard.
Leonard will almost certainly be available at the 5th overall pick. Although he is less dominant and less promising than the big top-5 (Bedard, Fantilli, Michkov, Carlsson, and Smith), he remains a very interesting young player.
Leonard still scored 17 points in seven games at the last U18 World Championship, alongside Will Smith.
"I spoke to a few privileged members of the Montreal Canadiens who were very enthusiastic about Ryan Leonard and Will Smith during the U-18s," said the source who asked to remain anonymous.
"They were waiting to see if Leonard would step up his game, and he did. He's a player to watch on Montreal's radar if Smith goes early."
"They were waiting to see if Leonard would step up his game, and he did. He's a player to watch on Montreal's radar if Smith goes early."
Another source suggests that Smith and Leonard are two major targets for Kent Hughes and the Habs' top brass for the 5th overall pick.
| POLL | ||
14 MAI | 146 ANSWERS Major: Two players targeted by Kent Hughes with the 5th overall pick have just been revealed, including a surprise Which of the two would you draft? | ||
| Leonard | 55 | 37.7 % |
| Michkov | 91 | 62.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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