Hometown High-Skilled Center Targeted by the Canadiens Ahead of the 2025 Draft
If nothing changes, the Canadiens will have not one, but two first-round picks in the upcoming draft.
The first pick will likely be, based on how the season is unfolding, in the top 5, or even the top 3.
The Hughes-Gorton duo could therefore land an excellent player such as James Hagens, Porter Martone, Michael Misa, or Matthew Schaefer.
The second pick, acquired from the Calgary Flames in the Sean Monahan trade, could very well fall between the 11th and 20th selections.
It will undoubtedly be a great pick, and Kent Hughes could secure an excellent prospect. One of the players Hughes might target is from Quebec, Caleb Desnoyers.
Expected to be selected between the 10th and 15th spots according to multiple sites, the Moncton Wildcats player is reportedly being closely observed by the Canadiens' scouting team.
As mentioned by Jean «JT Utah» Trudel during a recent episode of the Stanley 25 podcast, Nick Bobrov, Serge Boisvert, and Martin Lapointe were all spotted at one of his games in Quebec.
The Montreal Canadiens Closely Monitoring the Outstanding Caleb Desnoyers
According to many, Desnoyers is an excellent player who deserves to be among the top prospects heading into the draft. Shayne Gaumond even states that he will make an NHL team happy sooner rather than later, thanks to his hockey IQ, skating skills, and defensive abilities.
It will be interesting to see if the Canadiens take a chance on the hometown forward and, more importantly, if Kent Hughes makes a trade to acquire him, as he did to select Michael Hage.
In 21 games this season in the Cecchini league, he has tallied 14 goals and 18 assists for a total of 32 points. The 6 foot 2, 173 pounds left-handed center racked up 56 points in 21 games during the 2023-2024 season, his first in the QMJHL.
Watch the full podcast below:
| POLL | ||
Should Kent Hughes select Caleb Desnoyers with his second first-round pick? | ||
| Yes | 693 | 69.7 % |
| No | 301 | 30.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
