Candidates for the Canadian

There is no easy prediction when a team speaks at 16^e rank of the first round. The 2019 draft in Vancouver is a case in point.

• Read also: Complete Guide to the NHL Draft

The Canadian was startled when he saw that Cole Caufield remained available with the 15^e selection. To build his mock draft last year, recruiters consulted by The newspaper believed the small American winger would be drafted between the 7^e and 13^e ranks.

For the 2020 draft, which will take place virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CH will once again find themselves in an area that is difficult to read. There are simply too many imponderables. In theory, there will only be two defensemen, Jamie Drysdale and Jake Sanderson, among the top 10 picks. A goalkeeper, Yaroslav Askarov, should also know his fate before the selection of the Habs.

Despite a more distant choice due to his unexpected participation in the first round of the playoffs, Marc Bergevin and Trevor Timmins should still bet on an interesting candidate for the 16^e rank. Of the eleven recruiters surveyed by The newspaper, six predicted Timmins would go for a QMJHL product in Dawson Mercer.

“He’s got character, he’s smart and he can play both wing and center,” said an East scout. He could survive in Montreal, he is not afraid. A great hockey player. After his career, he could be a leader because he has such a great passion for his sport. “

Quite conservative

In 2019, the Habs bet on a small winger in Caufield in the first round. In 2018 it was a center with Jesperi Kotkaniemi. In 2017 it was another center with Ryan Poehling. We must therefore go back to 2016 to find the last defender claimed in the first round in Mikhail Sergachev. The Russian, however, had a flash in the Montreal organization, moving to Tampa in a transaction for Jonathan Drouin.

Even though CH have bet on forwards with their first pick for the past three years, it should come as no surprise to see Timmins and his scouts continue in this line. A winger would make sense. But Bergevin and Timmins have always said they will draft the best player available, no matter what position. For the 2020 vintage, however, there are few attractive defenders among the top 20 prospects. After Drysdale and Sanderson, there are two Western Junior League defenders in Kaiden Guhle and Braden Schneider.

With three selections in the second round, Bergevin will once again have the right cards in his game if he wishes to improve his choice by a few ranks in the first round. He also had the same luxury last year, but he had chosen to stay wisely at 15^e rank.

Dawson mercer

► Center / winger, Canadian, Chicoutimi (LHJMQ)

• 6ft, 180 lbs
• 60 points (24 b, 36 p)
• 42 games in Chicoutimi and Drummondville

Mercer is popular with our spies consulted by The newspaper. He won the gold medal with the Canadian team at the World Junior Championships last winter with Alexis Lafrenière and Jamie Drysdale. To win a position at 17, he had seduced Dale Hunter because of his versatility, intelligence and fighting spirit.

” A young A1 with a great personality, summed up a recruiter from the West. He has a great talent. I don’t think he will be a spectacular player in the NHL, but he will have a letter on his jersey and he will have several responsibilities. ”

Seth Jarvis

► Winger / Center, Canadian, Portland (WHL)

• 5ft 10in, 175 lbs
• 98 points (42 b, 56 p)
• 58 games

Jarvis could be a nice surprise if he had to slide until the 16^e rank. But the chances are slim. He came close to a 100-point season in Portland, leading the Winterhawks in scoring by 28 points.

” Jarvis has an elite sense of the game and an elite level of competition, said a recruiter from the West. He’s not the biggest, but he’s constantly working. There is a bit of Brayden Point in him. “

Hendrix Lapierre

► Center, Canadian, Chicoutimi (LHJMQ)

• 6ft, 179 lbs
• 17 points (2 dc, 15 p)
• 19 games

Lapierre has talent, there’s no doubt about it. But it comes with a risk factor. His medical passport could make some teams hesitate. In the summer of 2019, it was believed he would be selected among the top 10 in the 2020 draft.

” Hendrix has received good news. Doctors have removed the word concussion from the latest analyzes, said a recruiter from the East. We are talking more about problems with the vertebrae, in the soft tissues. He has too much talent not to come out in the top 25 in this draft. “

Dylan Holloway

► Center / Winger, Canadian, Wisconsin (NCAA)

• 6ft, 203 lbs
• 17 points (8 b, 9 p)
• 35 games

Holloway can play center, but he has more of the label of a potential winger. The Albertan played with Cole Caufield with the Wisconsin Badgers.

” He can score and he brings energy, summed up a recruiter from the East. He’s in the mold of a Chris Kreider in New York. It doesn’t create tons of play, but it’s strong and pretty quick. “

Connor zary

► Center, Canadian, Kamloops (WHL)

• 6 ft, 178 lbs
• 86 points (38 b, 48 p)
• 57 games

Zary is a creative hub. The CH already have some good youngsters in this position, but you never have too much ammunition in the middle. Born September 25, 2001, the Saskatchewan forward is however one of the oldest prospects in this draft.

” He’s going to the net, he causes penalties, he has good hands and he can score.“

And the others

Braden Schneider

► Defender, Canadian, Brandon (WHL)

• 6ft 2in, 202 lbs
• 42 points (7 b, 35 p)
• 60 games

Mavrik Bourque

► Center, Canadian, Shawinigan (LHJMQ)

• 5ft 10 in, 178 lbs
• 71 points (29 b, 42 p)
• 49 games

Rodion Amirov

► Left winger, Russian, UFA (KHL)

• 6ft, 177 lbs
• 2 points (0 b, 2 p)
• 21 games

Jacob Perreault

► Right Winger, Canadian, Sarnia (OHL)

• 5ft 11in, 192 lbs
• 70 points (39 b, 31 p)
• 57 games

Lukas Reichel

► Winger, German, Berlin (DEL)

• 6ft, 170 lbs
• 24 points (12 b, 12 p)
• 42 games