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Canadiens Draft Review: Excellent 2022 Draft Set Tone For Rebuild
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- Canadiens Draft Review: Excellent 2022 Draft Set Tone For Rebuild
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With the summer in full swing, it's the perfect opportunity to review the Montreal Canadiens hauls from the NHL Entry Draft since general manager Kent Hughes took over from Marc Bergevin.
To do so, we'll evaluate the picks, as well as the trades that took place prior, or shortly after the drafts in question. Once the evaluation is over, we'll hand out grades for the various drafts.
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Kicking things off is the 2022 draft class, the year in which the Canadiens picked first overall for the first time since they selected Doug Wickenheiser in 1980, and Guy Lafleur in 1971.
Before we get going, it's important to establish realistic expectations for picks, as the odds of making the NHL are quite low, depending on where a player is chosen.
Roughly 75% of the first-round picks will go on to play a game in the NHL, while only 35% of second-round picks will be able to claim the same. The odds are reduced significantly as the draft advances, similar to a reverse Richter-scale.
It's also very crucial to hit on first-round picks, as they tend to hold more potential than the players selected beyond 32nd overall. Furthermore, every draft class is different, leading to an abundance of talent in some years, and a dearth in others.
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2022 NHL Entry Draft
While the Canadiens did not necessarily expect to finish dead last in the NHL standings, and consequently win the NHL Draft Lottery, the 2022 NHL Entry Draft presented newly appointed general manager Kent Hughes with an opportunity to kick off the rebuild with fireworks.
Any time you have a chance to pick first overall, you must perform the utmost due diligence, as it the epitome of a franchise-altering decision.
The draft in 2022 presented the Canadiens with an opportunity, but it also offered a dilemma, as there was no clear-cut No. 1 overall pick available.
Between Shane Wright , Simon Nemec , Logan Cooley , Juraj Slafkovsky , David Jiricek , and even Cutter Gauthier , there was no consensus among draft experts. It was even suggested that none of the players were ready to step into the NHL, a rarity when discussing an entire draft class.
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Simply put, it wasn't an overwhelmingly talented group of players, but the Canadiens identified Slafkovsky as the player who held the most potential in the long term.
No. 1 Overall – Juraj Slafkovsky – 6'3″ – 225lb – Winger – 282 GP, 72G, 112A, 184 PTS
The mere fact that Slafkovsky has already played 282 games since being drafted five years ago is quite an accomplishment. He was dangerously close to being assigned to the AHL following an underwhelming rookie season that saw him score just four goals and five assists in 39 games.
The Canadiens did not make life very easy on the first-overall pick, putting him in a situation that was not conducive to scoring as a rookie player. This led to an overabundance of criticism, which is par for the course whenever a player chosen first is struggling in the NHL.
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However, the Habs stuck to their guns despite the growing pains, eventually promoting Slafkovsky to the first line, to play alongside the team's best players: Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield .
The rest, as they say, is history.
The trio became one of the most dominant lines in the NHL, both from a production and an underlying numbers standpoint. They drove the offensive charge, changing the perception of the Canadiens in the process.
The Habs were no longer an offensively-starved team that depended solely on god-like performances from their goaltenders.
Slafkovsky's role on the line has evolved as well, correlating with the increased confidence he has built throughout his time in the NHL. He was once a timid player who refused to shoot, but has since become a power forward who can help the team in transition, while becoming one of the top powerplay goalscorers in the NHL (15).
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He finished the 2025-26 campaign by setting careers highs in goals (30), assists (43), and points (73), amble evidence to suggest he is likely to maintain its upward trajectory for the forseeable future.
No. 26 Overall – Filip Mesar – 5'10" – 181lb – Winger – 0 GP, 0G, 0A, 0 PTS
Whether it was a desire to draft Slafkovsky's childhood friend, or simply a matter of poor scouting and bad development, there's no denying the Filip Mesar pick was a mistake.
Being picked in the first round comes with a certain amount of pressure, especially in a hockey-crazed city such as Montreal. Now that Mesar has had a few seasons to find his rhythm in North America, we can safely use one of my least favourite prospect terms: bust.
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He's yet to earn an NHL audition, and has mostly spent his time in the AHL with the Laval Rocket playing in the bottom six, with a few brief appearances in the top six.
In 116 games with the Rocket, Mesar has scored just 13 goals and 33 assists, the type of production that would be incredibly underwhelming regardless of where he was drafted. He has also dealt with a series of injuries, which has complicated matters further. It's already difficult to find another gear when you tend to shy away from traffic, even more so when you're dealing with nagging issues.
He has one remaining season on his entry-level contract, giving him one last chance to prove his worth to the organization, however, it will be a considerable uphill climb for the 22-year-old Slovak.
No. 33 Overall – Owen Beck – 6'0″ – 200lb – Centre – 15 GP, 1G, 0, 1PT
After being named the Most Valuable Player at the 2024 Memorial Cup, Beck made his professional hockey debut, splitting the 2024-25 season between the Canadiens and the Rocket.
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To be perfectly accurate, Beck made his pro hockey debut in 2022-23, due to a roster situation that allowed the Habs to promote him via an emergency call-up, a reminder that his path to the NHL has been far from typical.
The cerebral forward has been promoted to the NHL in both seasons since graduating from the CHL, and while he's shown flashes of brilliance, there's still some work to be done before we can pencil him into a full-time position with the Canadiens.
Though his time is coming.
His play with the Rocket has been excellent, in that he rarely offered opponents any time to breathe, using an efficient motor and a heightened sense of physicality to establish his presence on the forecheck.
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He's exceptional at taking faceoffs, is responsible defensively, and is the perfect example of a plug-and-play centre. With that in mind, keep an eye on Beck as the 2026-27 training camp approaches. His well-rounded game should give him an advantage against his fellow prospects attempting to earn a roster spot.
In 122 AHL games, Beck has scored 28 goals and 49 assists, while being one of former head coach Pascal Vincent's most reliable players.
No. 62 Overall – Lane Hutson – 5'9″ – 162lb – Defenceman – 82 GP, 12G, 66A, 78PTS
It's quite humorous to think that Lane Hutson was equipped with medical information to provide evidence that his bone age (17) was younger than his biological age (18), in a bid to convince teams that his diminutive size was not a significant red flag.
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And yet, the most talented player in the draft, Hutson was ignored until the 62nd overall pick.
It's even difficult to give the Canadiens credit for drafting him, as they needed four picks before finally putting their hands on the phenom.
Every team that had an opportunity to draft Hutson ignored him at least once, a reminder that sometimes it's difficult to see the forest for the trees when we focus on a single issue, such as size.
But such is life when you're a highly-talented player who does not fit the mould for defencemen established almost 100 years ago.
At every single level, Hutson has been doubted, a situation that has simply fed his eternal thirst for constant improvements.
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Whether it was the USHL, the NCAA, the World Championship, the World Juniors, or the NHL, there was always an unreasonably loud voice in play that would cast doubt on his abilities. That voice often became a whimper as Hutson featured in a bevy of highly-reel plays.
Even now, there are some analysts and fans who refuse to accept that he's one of the best defencemen in the NHL.
It could be denial, or perhaps jealousy, but the fact remains that Hutson has dominated the best league on earth in the same way as he did at previous levels.
He's the rising tide that lifts all Habs boats, and has already established himself as one of the most important players in recent Canadiens history.
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Few players are more important to their team than Hutson, and even fewer will play a bigger part in ensuring future success for their respective organizations.
Best Of The Rest
Drafting two players who qualify as stars in a single draft is considered fantastic.
With Hutson and Slafkovsky already in the boat, it's safe to say the 2022 NHL Entry Draft was the equivalent to a fishing honey hole for the Canadiens.
And there's still a chance a few other players will make their mark.
Adam Engstrom , the smooth-skating defenceman who was chosen 92nd overall, is poised to push for a roster spot in the NHL, following yet another successful season in the AHL, where he represented the Rocket at the All-Star Game, and was named to the AHL's Top Prospect Team .
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His ability to play on both sides of the blue line is quite a boon, especially now that he's ready to compete for a permanent job with the Canadiens. Speaking of which, he was used sparingly, but in 15 games with the Canadiens, Engstrom maintained very encouraging underlying numbers. This is in addition to his production in the AHL, which saw him score 10 goals and 24 assists in just 45 games.
He's evolving alongside another interesting 2022 pick, the hard-hitting Jared Davidson, who was selected 130th overall. As we established earlier in the article, making the NHL after being selected beyond the first round is quite difficult, even more so when you're drafted in the fifth round, which was the case for Davidson.
However, Davidson was given a 10 game audition with the Canadiens last season, a reward for his hard work in the AHL, where he has scored 51 goals and 35 assists in 160 games over the course of three seasons.
He's already defied the odds, and due to his impressive work ethic, there's a healthy chance we'll see him in the NHL sooner than later.
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The same cannot necessarily be said about some of the other players selected in 2022, including Vinzenz Rohrer (75th), and Emmett Croteau (162nd), but they still have an opportunity to one day ascend to the NHL if the stars align.
Montreal Canadiens Brass Tacks
Seeing as we're approaching 2000 words, we'll keep the conclusion as concise as possible.
The Montreal Canadiens added a first-line forward, a top-pairing defenceman, and a few utility players to the mix in a single draft, making it an incredibly successful weekend.
They even traded away the No. 13 overall pick ( Frank Nazar ) and the No. 66 pick ( Gavin Hayes ), to put their hands on centre Kirby Dach , a deal that has since backfired.
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Regardless, it's fair to say the Canadiens enjoyed the type of draft that set them up for success, selecting players who would become cornerstone pieces for the rebuild.
Montreal Canadiens 2022 Draft Grade: A+
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