Shocking allegations emerge for top Montreal Canadiens draft target
The first defenseman expected to be selected in the upcoming amateur draft, according to several lists, is Artyom Levshunov.
According to many, he is already ready for the NHL and is considered the most complete defenseman in this draft. However, Grant McCagg has reservations about this and has made serious accusations against him.
Artyom Levshunov accused of cheating by some observers
Indeed, during a recent appearance on The Sick Podcast - Recrutes Draftcast, the former amateur scout for the Montreal Canadiens expressed doubts about Levshunov's real age. According to him, he is not 18 years old but actually 20!
McCagg bases his doubts on old stories/rumors concerning young Russian or Belarusian players whose ages were allegedly altered to give them a better chance of being noticed.
These kinds of doubts have also been present for players such as Alex Ovechkin and Ilya Kovalchuk, which they have strongly denied!
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It's one thing to have doubts, but using them to discredit a young prospect is another.
McCagg's opinion on the young defenseman has drastically changed. If he saw him in the same category as Logan Cooley and Cutter Gauthier a few months ago, he now thinks he will be no more than a fourth or fifth defenseman on a team. He also compares the young man to Zach Bogosian, who was a third overall pick and has never surpassed 30 points in a season.
The fact is that Levshunov could have a big impact on the Canadiens' selection.
From what we can understand from Luke Richardson's comments, the Chicago Blackhawks really want a defenseman. According to Corey Pronman, they watched him play nearly 20 times last season.
Seeing the Hawks select Levshunov with their second pick would be excellent news for the Canadiens, as it would drastically increase their chances of getting Demidov or another excellent forward. Especially since the Anaheim Ducks, who have the third pick, might also select a defenseman.
It remains to be seen if McCagg's smear campaign (we can call it that) will ultimately harm the Canadiens.
Via GoNordiques - Un ancien recruteur du CH de Mtl accuse de tricherie un espoir du repêchage 2024
| POLL | ||
Which one would you take first, in place of the Montreal Canadiens? | ||
| Artyom Levshunov | 69 | 12.3 % |
| Tij Iginla | 405 | 71.9 % |
| Sam Dickinson | 31 | 5.5 % |
| Beckett Sennecke | 58 | 10.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
