Former Canadiens scout Grant McCagg drops bombshell on 2023 NHL draft in podcast
In a recent episode of his Recrutes podcast, former Montreal Canadiens scout Grant McCagg just made a huge statement regarding the 2023 NHL draft.
We're having a hard time believing it, but here it is:
Well, there are question marks, notably due to the young player's country of origin and his contract in the KHL, but one thing is clear: we're talking about another generational player here.
Matvei Michkov is considered by many to be the best from his nation since a certain Alex Ovechkin, and he has made it clear that his dream is to play in the NHL.
We understand the stakes here, but one thing must be understood.
If Michkov were Canadian or American, he would likely be competing with Connor Bedard to be the first overall pick. If not, he would still be a home run at second overall.
He's that good and has a similar potential to Bedard.
His statistics in the KHL are mind-boggling for a 17-year-old. (20 points in 27 games, including 9 goals) It's unheard of!
Kirill Kaprizov had 8 points in 31 games at the same age and is now a 100-110 point player in the NHL.
For Nikita Kucherov, it was 2 points in 8 games.
For Alex Ovechkin, it was 23 points in 53 games.
In short, if Michkov slips outside of the top 5, it will be a steal in the draft. If he slips outside of the top 10, it would be completely ridiculous and one of the steals of the decade.
If he falls out of the first round, we don't have the words to describe how huge that would be! It would be a game-changing pick for the NHL organization that manages to get him.
For the details:
| POLL | ||
Would you like the Habs to draft Michkov with the 5th overall pick? | ||
| Yes | 1149 | 72 % |
| No | 447 | 28 % |
| List of polls | ||
