The Globe and Mail (Tim Wharnsby):
Montreal Canadiens
First pick: 25th overall.
Number of picks: Five. The Canadiens don’t have any picks in the fifth or sixth round. Their fifth-round selection was surrendered in the Craig Rivet trade in Feb. 2007 to the San Jose Sharks and the sixth rounder in the Mike Ribeiro to the Dallas Stars deal in Sept. 2006. The second-round pick Montreal general manager Bob Gainey received from the Washington Capitals in exchange for goalie Cristobal Huet is a 2009 choice.
Draft plan: Montreal’s director of player recruitment and development Trevor Timmins will continue to draft the best player available. With Carey Price firmly planted in goal, the Canadiens will likely select a forward or defenceman with their early-round picks, but expect them to stockpile another goalie with one of their five picks. They have targeted five prospects, including defenceman Brandon Burlon. The Canadiens have plenty of prospects, so another possibility is to see Gainey deal a first or second-round selection for immediate help. If the whispers are true, that Gainey is interested in acquiring the rights to Mats Sundin from Toronto, a second or third rounder will be the price.
The numbers game: The Canadiens have 15 players under contract and a payroll of $34.4-million for next season. After re-signing centre Maxim Lapierre last week, they still have to sign restricted free agents Josh Gorges, Andrei Kostitsyn, Mikhail Grabovski, Ryan O’Byrne and backup goalie Jaroslav Halak. Montreal also has four potential unrestricted free agents. Power-play specialist Mark Streit is the most important to try to lock up. The others are veterans Bryan Smolinski, Michael Ryder and Patrice Brisebois.
Top pick in 2007: Ryan McDonagh, D, Wisconsin (NCAA). The former Minnesota Mr. Hockey – the state’s top high school player – was a freshman with the Wisconsin Badgers last season. He will attend the United States junior team’s summer evaluation camp.
Habster:
As much as I would like to see Bob Gainey make a deal to improve his current roster, the more likely scenario could have Gainey trying to move up in the first round or move back to add another later round selection.
With that being said, there is always the possibility that another team makes Gainey an offer he can’t refuse. Gainey has a ton of prospects he could deal but his draft position (#25) isn’t exactly the most coveted position. He could package one of his picks with a prospect to get a better first round pick.
Pierre McGuire, TSN/NBC hockey guru/analyse, says:
“I would try to trade up into the top 12. I don’t think top five. Realistically, they don’t have enough assets to do that yet. But to get to 12 would be great. If I could get to 15 it would be awesome. At 25 you’re going to get a player but it’s going to be a project player, not someone who’s reeady to play tomorrow or the year after that. You’re looking at a developmental process. With a college player, he’s at least two years in college and one year in the American league. If it’s a junior player, he’s at least two years in junior and at least a year in the AHL, maybe more.”
In the end, you’ve got to love the drama that goes with an NHL draft, let’s just hope it’s not melo-drama!!!