The player targeted by Hughes with his first-round pick in the 2023 draft already revealed?
With five games left on the schedule, the Canadiens are currently ranked fifth in the NHL reverse standings, giving them an 8.5% chance of winning the draft lottery
Obviously, Connor Bedard is THE player that all teams want to get their hands on, but what if the Habs actually had to draft at fifth overall?
A certain Will Smith, an American center at six feet and 172 pounds, is, aside from Bedard, the prospect most often linked to the Canadiens these days
Why? Simply because he already knows Kent Hughes very well. The GM of the Habs was Smith's coach for three seasons with the Boston Jr. Eagles, when the young man was aged 12 to 15
Smith has in fact retained excellent memories of his collaboration with Kent Hughes and admitted that he would love to work with him again in the NHL
A clear statement that shows he has a truly special relationship with the GM of the Habs
A USDP production SUPERIOR to that of Caufield, Zegras, and Cooley at the same age
A center player who is both spectacular and decisive
It's hard not to imagine him in Montreal
Will Smith : "He is the prospect who has the strongest link with the Canadiens. He played for Kent Hughes for three year . » - Anthony Martineau
Very impressive!
If the Habs end up with the 5th or 6th overall pick, and if Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson, and Matvei Michkov are no longer available, we could possibly easily predict the final choice and the name of the player who will be selected: Will Smith
That seems too logical and obvious
Smith would be quite an addition to the prospect pool, as he is recognized as a superior skater and possesses excellent offensive skills
This season, Smith collected an impressive total of 104 points (42 goals) in 52 games, within the American development program
By way of comparison, this production is superior to that of players like Cole Caufield, Trevor Zegras, and Logan Cooley in their draft year.
In short, Smith has everything it takes to appeal to an organization, and he must definitely be very high on the Canadiens' list.
| POLL | ||
Would Will Smith be your choice if the Habs had to draft fifth overall? | ||
| Yes | 161 | 68.2 % |
| No | 75 | 31.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
