The Montreal Canadiens have built their future defence through the draft over the last few years. Since 2018, the organization has drafted 18 defencemen out of 58 draft picks. This made sense, considering the Canadiens had an issue with depth on the left side of the defence, and then by 2021, they had a depth issue on the right side.
Of these 18 picks, three were selected in the first round, four in the second – the rest were from the third round or later; only two of these defencemen are no longer with the team. Montreal has established defensive depth and is reaping the rewards with two picks already on the roster and four more in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Laval Rocket. This depth, however, could cause a significant logjam in the next couple of seasons with decisions to make about who stays and who goes.
Canadiens’ Defensive Prospects Developing Quickly
Last season, the Canadiens had to find out the hard way how quickly their young defensemen could adapt to the NHL. With several injuries to veterans David Savard, Joel Edmundson and Mike Matheson, the team was forced to go with a core of young rookies. Kaiden Guhle, Jordan Harris, Arber Xhekaj and Justin Barron played significant roles in 2022-23.
With waiver pickup Johnathan Kovacevic also on the roster, the Habs were dressing five rookie defencemen on most nights. This forced the organization to develop these young players on the fly, and except for Barron, who was sent back to Laval, all of them exceeded expectations and became regulars on the team. Barron returned later in the season, played well, and proved he belongs in the NHL.
This season has been no different — with Matheson and Savard healthy to start the season, the team was forced to carry seven defensemen. Chris Wideman is out with a lower back issue and may not return this campaign, giving the team a little breathing room, but for the most part, all the defencemen from 2022-23 started this season on the main roster.
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Last season’s experience boosted some young players to the next level. Ghule, Barron and Xhekaj have played exceptionally well; Kovacevic has been the most consistent defender, but Harris and Matheson are inconsistent. Savard recently suffered a fractured hand and will be out for some time, giving more ice time to younger players.
With the added responsibility, these players are leading the team defensively and moving forward quickly in their development, almost to the point that general manager (GM) Kent Hughes should start looking to use his defencemen as trade bait for another offensive winger.
Canadiens’ Prospect Defencemen Developing as Planned
Not only are their young players succeeding in the NHL, but the Canadiens’ defensive prospects are excelling in their respective leagues. Leading the way is standout Lane Hutson, who is setting the Hockey East league apart in the Northern Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for Boston University with nine points in seven games, including a hat trick.
Then there is the fifth-overall pick from 2023, David Reinbacher, the top defenceman on his team, EHC Koltan, in the Swiss National League (NL), at 18. Reinbacher did miss some games with a knee injury, and Koltan struggled mightily, winning only three of 16 games without him in the lineup. Adam Engstrom is another hot prospect playing for Rogal BK in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL); he has six points in 16 games and is playing a solid two-way game. He’s an often-forgotten defensive prospect who is proving he can make a run to become one of the Canadiens’ top defensive players.
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The Canadiens also have Bogdan Konyushkov playing in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Konyushkov has 14 points in 29 games and is building off his 25-point rookie campaign. Montreal has great depth in the minor leagues and even more when you count the AHL, where Logan Mailloux, Jayden Struble, Mattias Norlinder and William Trudeau are developing their professional game.
Although Mailloux and Trudeau are struggling, Struble is excelling in his second season in Laval. With at least four of these prospects destined for the NHL very shortly, the defence is getting very crowded, which is a great issue for the organization. All management needs to do is figure out which prospects will be NHLers and which NHLers they need to move to make room.
Canadiens Need to Move Defencemen Soon to Solidify Future Defensive Core
The Canadiens have three, maybe four prospects close to seeing NHL minutes. Mailloux and Struble seem the best candidates from Laval to get at least a look this season. Struble has been consistent with an inferior Rocket team, while Mailloux has had a rough start to his professional career, especially defensively. There has, however, been an improvement to his game, which could warrant a cup of coffee in Montreal near the end of the season.
Hutson and Rienbacher could also get a look in Montreal when their seasons are over. Hutson would need to opt out of university and sign a contract, but if he does, he will get at least a game or two before the end of the season, depending on how well his team does. Reinbacher, already signed and on loan to Koltan, can come right over to the Habs when his season is over and get a few NHL games under his belt.
With all these prospects only a season or two away from reaching the NHL, the Canadiens will have to make room for them. Savard will likely be moved before his contract expires after next season, and he could be a trade deadline move this season or next.
After that, it’s going to be a tough decision for Hughes. Wideman’s contract will be off the books, and Xhekaj, Barron, and Norlinder will be restricted free agents (RFA), along with Gustav Lindstrom, who currently plays in Laval. Lindstrom probably isn’t in the plans, and Norlinder may or may not be a consideration, but Xhekaj and Barron certainly are. If Savard is gone, it will make room for one prospect to make the team, but it will also leave someone as the seventh defenceman. This will cause problems if both Hutson and Reinbacher are NHL-ready.
Matheson’s value right now is high, even with his recent slump, and he could fetch an excellent return if Hughes decides he needs room for his two top defensive prospects. With Guhle and Barron stepping up, they can afford to lose the veteran experience that Savard and Matheson bring to the team. Management will also have to decide which of the younger players will need to be moved over the next couple of seasons. They will have to see if Kovacevic is in the picture or even if someone like Harris has a future on the team. After next season, Kovacevic will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA), and Harris is an RFA; if they are not in the plans, they will also have to be moved to make room for Mailloux or Struble.
As you can see, there are a lot of hard decisions that need to be made and very soon. First, who will make up the core defence when the Canadiens go on a Stanley Cup run? Then, they must decide who to move to help them get that elusive star forward to complement Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. The future core is almost set, and a good guess would be that the future defence will look like this:
Guhle – Barron
Hutson – Reinbacher
Xhekaj – Mailloux
Harris could stay on as the seventh defenceman, but I think that would be a waste, and he would be better off being used as a trade piece to help the offence. Kovacevic or Struble could stay, but we can’t forget about Engstrom and Konyushkov; they, too, could be close to joining the NHL. The next couple of years will be quite compelling when it comes to building a Cup-contending defence of players under 25; the good thing is it looks like Montreal has the depth to do it.