Corey Pronman, le guru des prospects à donné une note de A- aux CH pour leur repechage. 6ieme meilleur note selon lui.
Voici des notes sur les choix du CH:
Montreal had a lot of picks, but Cole Caufield at 15th-overall will define this class, as he has all the potential in the world but was a lightning rod heading into the draft due to his size and style of play. On Day 2, I liked some of the Habs’ picks and was skeptical of others. I think Mattias Norlinder is an NHLer, and both Jayden Struble and Rhett Pitlick have all the talent to play if they show it at higher levels of competition. Gianni Fairbother at No. 77 was a bit much for me, but I knew of the odd scout who had time for him. I don’t know a lot about their later picks, which may bias my opinion.
Jayden Struble, D (No. 46 overall): Struble kept impressing as his prep season went along. He’s a very good skater who projects as a push-rushing defenseman. He joins the rush easily and can push the pace. Struble also closes on checks very well, and combined with the fact he loves to play the body, he’s often a force with his body checks. He’s a skilled puck handler who can make plays to gain the zone and can saucer pucks well. He flashes an understanding of how to create offense, but often he throws pucks away, turns pucks over in bad spots and doesn’t make the right play at the right time. Struble has a reputation for having a hot temper, and while he plays physical, he can go over the line at times. Let’s just say when I made a trip out to watch him he got thrown out of the game early, and it wasn’t the first time.
Mattias Norlinder, D (No 64 overall): Norlinder, a second-year-eligible draft prospect, started the season as an afterthought, playing in the Swedish junior circuit. But a midseason call-up and very strong performance versus men in the second half elevated his draft stock significantly. Norlinder so often showed the ability to use his skating to spin off pressure, lead rushes and gain the offensive zone with possession. His edge work is high-end. He has great mobility, but also has skill in his game. Norlinder often makes plays through defenders and has the vision to execute tough passes. His skill level isn’t high-end, but he has so much pace to his game and his ability to play so fast speaks to his hockey sense. Defensively he’s OK. He kills plays with his skating and showed he could defend fine versus men, but it’s not his area of strength.
NHL scout on Norlinder: “He’s a very good skater. Great edges, ability to rush pucks. He was one of MODO’s best players after he got called up to the big club.”
Gianni Fairbrother, D (No. 77 overall): I think Fairbrother is a smart two-way D who plays bigger than he is, but he doesn’t have a ton of puck skill and his skating is also just average.
Jacob Leguerrier, D (No. 126 overall): He’s big and skates well for his size, defends well with his body and stick and has good IQ but his offensive upside leaves me wanting.
Rhett Pitlick, LW (No. 131 overall): Pitlick impressed early in USHL camps and kept playing well all season at the high school level. Pitlick’s game is full of energy and speed. He’s a great skater with a very efficient and powerful stride. His play style takes an already quick player and adds a few extra miles per hour. Pitlick has a ton of pace in his game due to how hard he competes and how fast he thinks. He’s always buzzing around the ice and offensive zone, and can make high-end passes while in motion. He’s listed at under 5-foot-9, but he plays like he’s a taller player in terms of how many battles he wins. I don’t think the pure skill level matches his feet and brain, but it’s enough to be a scorer versus pros.
Frederik Nissen Dichow, G (No. 138 overall): Dichow is a tall goalie who was excellent at the IIHF U18 B pool, carrying Denmark at times in games and being named the best goalie in the tournament. He is someone I didn’t see a ton of so I can’t provide a comprehensive report.
Arsen Khisamutdinov, C (No. 170 overall)
Rafael Harvey-Pinard, LW (No. 201 overall): I don’t know Harvey-Pinard that well, but scouts I trust were banging the drum for him through the Q playoffs and Memorial Cup
