Hughes would have an unexpected opportunity to acquire a franchise player and hit a home run

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MarcO
January 2, 2023 (9:59)

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As you know, due to the Florida Panthers' lack of success, and the Montreal Canadiens' current position in the overall standings, Kent Hughes' team is currently positioning itself for the 2023 NHL Draft.

Currently, the Habs would hold the #6 and #8 overall picks in the upcoming draft. (with a chance to win the lottery)

On the other hand, Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton could possibly hit a home run, without even winning the lottery.

According to the excellent Mitch Giguère, as the title of his most recent piece indicates, the "Mishkov phenomenon may go down in the draft, but don't let it go".

See the expert's explanation:

"He was seen as the next star not too long ago and after that, who was going to go out first between him and Bedard. Then we had Fantilli who said he was going to be number one. [...]

It's (now) clear, crisp and very specific that Bedard will be the first pick in the upcoming Nashville draft. Now, where will Mishkov come out? I think he's likely to slip a lot more than you might think. Even that it would be easy to see him being left out of the top 10, or even the top 15. So far, I haven't seen him play this season since I'm hardly watching the KHL anymore this season unfortunately." - Mitch Giguère

Wow imagine if Matvei Michkov, who many still see as nothing short of a generational talent, and who some still call his country's best since Alex Ovechkin, imagine if he slipped that far in the draft.

This could be a golden opportunity for Kent Hughes and the Montreal Canadiens to hit a home run and get their hands on a franchise player.

To answer your question, if he is as talented and as good as he is being touted, why would he slide all the way to the Habs' second first round pick? Simply because there is a big flaw in his case.

Mishkov is still under contract until 2024-25, so it could be a long wait for him to make it to the NHL.

Knowing all this, would you draft Matvei Michkov with one of the Montreal Canadiens' picks? With which pick?

We're talking about a player who has the potential to become as good as Connor Bedard.

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