SPECULATION: Trade between the Canadiens and the Blues involving the 10th overall pick in the 2023 Draft to acquire a future star player
PUBLICATION
Elias Adaime
May 25, 2023 (9:37 PM)
Matvei Michkov, Dalibor Dvorsky, Ryan Leonard. There are many options for the Canadiens at the 5th pick in the upcoming draft, and this could be even more so if a player destined for the top 4 were to slide down.
Defenseman David Reinbacher has also been mentioned as one of the players in which the Tricolore would have a keen interest.
Despite all these speculations, former NHL defenseman, Philippe Boucher, believes that the option to move back a few spots could become rather enticing if the Canadiens wish to draft a forward other than Matvei Michkov.
"If the CH intends to draft a forward and doesn't want Michkov, I would trade the Canadiens' 5th pick to move back to around the 10th pick (Blues' choice) and I would select Zach Benson. He is so clutch in important games, he will become a star player in the NHL."
According to Boucher's reasoning, Kent Hughes could thus get his hands on a future star player in Zach Benson, in addition to obtaining an extra asset by agreeing to move back a few spots.
Benson, 18, was frequently placed in the top 5 of this draft at the start of the season. However, he has slipped during the season, mainly due to his average skating ability and his size (5 feet 9 inches and 163 pounds).
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However, as Boucher specified, Benson definitely has above-average talent, as evidenced by his 98 points (36 goals) in 60 games in the WHL.
He also added 7 goals and 17 points in 15 playoff games, on the way to the WHL final. His team, the Winnipeg Ice, unfortunately fell in five games to the Seattle Thunderbirds in this final series.
With about five weeks left until the draft, one has to wonder if the CH does not have the most intriguing choice in this auction, at the gate of the top 4 and with all these options available to Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton.
One thing is certain, they will have a lot of homework to do between now and the eagerly anticipated evening of June 28.
Previously on HabsFanatics
| POLL |
25 MAI | 984 ANSWERS SPECULATION: Trade between the Canadiens and the Blues involving the 10th overall pick in the 2023 Draft to acquire a future star player Which forward would you most like to see the Canadiens select? |
| Zach Benson | 119 | 12.1 % |
| Matvei Michkov | 675 | 68.6 % |
| Dalibor Dvorsky | 70 | 7.1 % |
| Ryan Leonard | 120 | 12.2 % |
| LIST OF POLLS |
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