It's been almost a year since Kent Hughes and the Montreal Canadiens decided to cause a surprise by passing over the generational talent Matvei Michkov with the fifth overall pick in the 2023 draft.
Michkov also had a historic 2023-24 season on the ice (41 points in 47 games), but above all, he experienced a much quieter and more peaceful year off the ice.
Everything seems to be falling into place for Michkov, and all the fears the Canadiens might have had last year are starting to dissipate.
It's ironic to recall that the Canadiens passed over Michkov, just a few hours after General Manager Kent Hughes publicly admitted (during his own end-of-season review) that his team lacks offensive talent, but let's trust him.
The Montreal Canadiens may have made a huge mistake by ignoring him in the draft.
According to Daniel Brière, the 19-year-old forward is indeed doing everything in his power to terminate his current contract in order to make the jump to the National Hockey League very soon. Wow.
Imagine the disappointment if Michkov starts to dominate the NHL as early as next season, or even the season after that.
This will be a case to watch closely, but it's also important to remember that David Reinbacher performed very well with the Laval Rocket at the end of the season, despite a difficult campaign in Kloten.
At 19 years old, Michkov scored 19 goals and 41 points in 47 KHL games.
At 19 years old, Reinbacher scored 1 goal and 11 points in 35 games in the Swiss-A league (plus 5 points in 11 AHL games).
Yes, Michkov could quickly become a 40-goal and 100-point forward in the NHL, but Reinbacher could become a solid 40-point defenseman if he develops well.
Credit GoNordiques: Révélation monstre de Daniel Brière: Matvei Michkov change d'idée
POLL | ||
23 AVRIL | 628 ANSWERS Briere reveals major turnaround in Matvei Michkov's career path Would you trade David Reinbacher for Matvei Michkov today? | ||
Yes | 218 | 34.7 % |
No | 410 | 65.3 % |
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