Major development regarding the Montreal Canadiens' 1st round pick in the 2023 draft: a trade concluded with the Panthers that is losing value

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Elias Adaime
May 13, 2023 (10:43)

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We spoke about it a few hours ago, but the outcome of the series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers was to have a major impact on the Montreal Canadiens.

An important result for the future of the Canadiens and for Kent Hughes

By eliminating the Leafs and moving on to the third round of the NHL playoffs, the Panthers are practically offering the worst possible (1st round) pick to the Montreal Canadiens.

Let's obviously remember that the Habs hold the Panthers' 2023 1st round pick following a trade involving Ben Chiarot last year.

The verdict has fallen.

Following the Leafs' elimination by the Panthers, their first-round pick is officially a pick (at best) at the 29th overall spot.

"The Panthers' pick belonging to the Canadiens in the first round will therefore be the 29th, 30th, 31st, or 32nd.

It doesn't change the world, except that..." - Raphaël Doucet

"The elimination of the Maple Leafs is a disaster for the Canadiens. The value of the Panthers' first pick that Montreal holds will ultimately be equivalent to a 2nd round pick. It hurts when you think that Florida almost did not qualify for the playoffs." - François Parenteau

It's now done!

Let's hope that Kent Hughes and his team can find a hidden gem at the end of the first round. It's really a shame, considering that a few weeks ago, we still believed that this pick would be a lottery pick.