Canadiens Potential Targets: Rounds 1, 2 | 2021 NHL Entry Draft Primer

Michael Raschle

3 years ago

Montreal Canadiens, NHL, Entry Draft, Targets, Marc Bergevin, Trevor Timmins, First Round, Francesco Pinelli, Daniil Chayka, Benjamin Gaudreau, Brent Johnson

Montreal Canadiens draft table (Photo by Brian Babineau / NHLI via Getty Images)

ROCKET SPORTS MEDIA | MONTREAL, QC. — On Friday, July 23^rd, the National Hockey League will host its annual Entry Draft for eligible players born no later then September 15, 2003. The best 18-year-old hockey players from around the globe will anxiously gather in their respective homes in front of TVs, iPads and laptops awaiting to hear where their potential professional career could start. This will be the second year in a row the draft will be held remotely. Due to the ongoing impact of the pandemic, the NHL has elected to host the satellite draft from the NHL Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey.

What does the Canadiens prospect pool look like?

After a year of unprecedented scouting assignments that included watching the vast majority of live games online or by recorded video due to the pandemic, the Canadiens scouting team, led by Trevor Timmins, will be selecting 11 times through seven rounds. This includes eight picks in the first four rounds of the draft.

In recent years, the Canadiens have built an impressive group of prospects that many consider to be top-5 in the NHL. This group includes 2020 first round defenseman Kaiden Guhle, 2017 first round center Ryan Poehling, 2020 second round winger Jan Mysak, and 2017 seventh round goaltender Cayden Primeau. Each prospect played a role in helping Montreal’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Laval Rocket, capture the Canadian division crown this past season.

In addition, the prospect pool also recently graduated the third overall pick from the 2018 draft, center Jesperi Kotkaniemi, 2019 second round defenseman Alexander Romanov and 2019 first round winger Cole Caufield to the NHL club. These prospects recently assisted the Canadiens in reaching the 2020-21 Stanley Cup Final.

What does it mean for this year’s draft?

Due to that unexpected run to the Final, Montreal’s picks have inevitably slid down the board a bit. After eventually earning the runner-up tag, it became official that the Canadiens first round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry draft will not come until the 31^st pick. In practical terms, Montreal’s pick will be the 30th player selected due to Arizona Coyotes forfeiting their first round pick for violating the NHL’s combine testing policies.

Thanks in part to a fairly balanced draft approach in recent years, I feel comfortable enough targeting who I consider to be the best player available for each of the Habs 11 picks.

In previous years, this would not be the case as there have been obvious needs on defense (2019/2017) and at center (2020/2018) the team has targeted to fill. In the later rounds, I may lean more towards a few wingers to help balance out the pool, but in the top half the target should be best player available.

First round picks to target

With the 31^stpick of the 2021 NHL Entry draft, the Montreal Canadiens should be targeting two players. They are defenseman Daniil Chayka from Moscow, Russia and center Francesco Pinelli from the Stoney Creek area of Ontario.

Francesco Pinelli, C, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)

Lets start with Francesco Pinelli, the 6-foot-1-inch playmaking center enjoyed a very impressive rookie campaign with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL. In 2019-20, Pinelli recorded 18 goals, 23 assists for 41 points in 59 games. His best asset continues to be his hockey sense.

Pinelli has above average speed, paired with quick accurate passing allows him to find open ice for his himself and his teammates. This balance of skill, along with a mature approach ranks him 24^th by EP’s Consolidated Ranking. A slip in those rankings, and he would fall right into the Canadiens’ lap.

Daniil Chayka, D, CSKA (KHL)

Daniil Chayka is a 6-foot-3-inch, stay-at-home defenseman who played as an import in the Ontario Hockey League with the Guelph Storm. He is best known for his foot speed and impressive reach. He can command the front of the net, becoming a physical force, while still playing a fairly clean game. He only posted 18 minutes in penalties over 56 games in his sophomore year.

Danill also achieved a career best 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists) in the same year. The balance of size and speed is highly sought after in a crease clearing defensive stud and it ranks him 30^th by EP’s Consolidated Ranking.

Second round picks to target

In the second round, the Canadiens own two late picks namely the 63rd and 64th selections overall. With those two picks, Montreal should target goaltender Benjamin Gaudreau from North Bay, Ontario and defenseman Brent Johnson from Dallas, Texas.

Benjamin Gaudreau, G, Sarnia Sting (OHL)

January 11, 2003 | North Bay, ON, Canada.
6-2, 174 lbs. | Catches Left |
2019-’20: 28 GP, 4.34 GAA, .890 Sv%, 0 SO, 10-13-2

CSB: No. — (NA Skaters) | ISS: No. — | THN: No. 61 | HP: No. 88 | FC: No. —

Lets start with Benjamin Gaudreau. The book on Gaudreau from the Sarnia Sting is that he is fast, aggressive and quick. The 6-foot-2-inch left-catching tender is widely regarded as a top-3 goaltending talent in this draft. Even though his results were mixed in his rookie campaign in the OHL, posting a ballooned 4.34 goal against average (GAA), along with an .890 save percentage (Sv%), it is important to note he was on a very weak Sarnia Sting team.

The rest of his minor hockey career, Gaudreau never averaged worse then a 1.63 goals against average. This includes a gold medal winning world under-18 appearance, where Ben posted an impressive 2.20 GAA and a .919 Sv% in five games. Even though his skill set could use some fine-tuning, the aggressive nature in Gaudreau’s game is intriguing as it can translate to an elite NHL tender one day if a patient timeline is taken.

Brent Johnson, D, Sioux Falls (USHL)

March 20, 2003 | Dallas, TX, USA.
5-11, 165 lbs. | Shoots Right |
2020-’21: 47 GP, 11 G, 21 A, 32 PTS

CSB: No. 38 (NA Skaters) | ISS: No. — | THN: No. 57 | HP: No. 40 | FC: No. 42

Brent Johnson from the Sioux Falls Stampede is a pure offensive defenseman who thrives on being a difference maker. What the 5-foot-11-inch right shooting rearguard lacks in size, he makes up for in deception. He is rarely out of position and often sneaks into the offensive attack after starting a breakout from his own end.

In the USHL in 2020-21, Brent posted 11 goals, 21 assists for 32 points in 47 games. This almost equaled his total output the previous season namely 34 points in 47 games with the Little Ceasars U16 AAA squad. That is a full level below the USHL.

Johnson is committed to the University of North Dakota for the start of the 2022 season. His unique mix of defensive responsibility, elusive transition and smart offensive instincts make him a unique and very useful future top-pairing prospect.

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Stay tuned for the part two of this feature that will cover the remaining seven draft targets for the Montreal Canadiens.

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