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Acquisition of the Canadiens: Kent Hughes and the organization may have made a solid move by drafting Filip Eriksson last June

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Elias Edmonson
August 19, 2023  (12:10)
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Since taking over with the Canadiens, Kent Hughes has been very successful in bolstering his pool of prospects for the upcoming seasons.

Whether through trades or his numerous draft picks, the Canadiens' general manager has truly understood the pulse of Montreal fans, and they trust him moving forward. As reported by Marqueur.com, the former player agent might have once again pulled off a remarkable feat.

During the last NHL draft in Nashville, the Canadiens selected Swedish youngster Filip Eriksson with the 165th pick, a choice that didn't make much noise due to the controversial selection of David Reinbacher in the first round.

But why discuss a player picked in the 6th round, you might ask?

Well, it seems this 17-year-old prospect might turn out to be the Canadiens' surprise pick in 2023. Had it not been for a shoulder injury, this forward could have been drafted much earlier. He was ranked 56th among the best European prospects by the NHL scouting bureau.

In fact, during an exchange with Canadiens fans on the Montreal Hockey Now website, Marc Dumont praised the merits of the young center player.

Eriksson was chosen in the sixth round of the 2023 draft, and although his stats from last year are quite promising with 10 points in 11 games (U-20, Vaxjo), we must also keep in mind that he suffered a significant shoulder injury that kept him off the ice for about five months.

Considering his overall production over the years, it's clear that this intelligent forward knows how to score. His high hockey IQ should help him step up to the next level this season in the SHL.

Well, it's not the first time the merits of a freshly drafted Canadiens prospect have been praised. One can think of players like Sebastian Collberg and Joni Ikonen from the past who, despite all the possible accolades from the CH management at the time, never played a single NHL game.

But it's important to give the player a fair chance, and the future will tell us whether the organization made the right call in choosing young Filip Eriksson. And, considering it's a rather late pick, the Canadiens have absolutely nothing to lose with this selection.

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Acquisition of the Canadiens: Kent Hughes and the organization may have made a solid move by drafting Filip Eriksson last June

Among these former CH prospects, which one would you have liked to see develop with the team?

Josh Brook22055 %
Sebastian Collberg6215.5 %
Tim Bozon7017.5 %
Joni Ikonen4812 %
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