Montreal Canadiens rank No. 6 in NHL Pipeline Rankings for 2024

The Montreal Canadiens system is led by two potential star wingers, Juraj Slafkovský and Ivan Demidov.

The Canadiens have a strong and deep collection of young defensemen, though the high-side projection isn’t there as much. Montreal’s rebuild will go as far as Slafkovský and Demidov can take them, alongside Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki. They probably still need to add one or two more core high picks to that group.

Key additions: Ivan Demidov, Michael Hage

Key graduate: Cole Caufield

2023 ranking: 6

2024 NHL Draft grade: A-

Player Ranking

1. Juraj Slafkovský, LW

March 30, 2004 | 6-foot-3 | 230 pounds | Shoots left

Drafted: No. 1 in 2022
Tier: NHL All-Star

Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: Above NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average

Analysis: Slafkovský’s game took off in the second half of his second NHL season. The physical tools have always been there with his frame, skating and skill. It took some time for him to adjust to the NHL, but he started to win a lot of battles and create plays consistently. He’s always been a shot threat, but Slafkovský showed a true playmaking element to his game this season, flanking Montreal’s power play and doing so very effectively. He ticks so many boxes with the athleticism and skill in his game and looks like an emerging star in the league.

2. Ivan Demidov, RW

December 10, 2005 | 6 feet | 192 pounds | Shoots left

Drafted: No. 5 in 2024
Tier: NHL All-Star

Skating: Below NHL average
Puck skills: Elite
Hockey sense: Above NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average

Analysis: Demidov has been the clear best player in Russia’s junior league over the last two seasons. He is the most purely skilled player in the 2024 draft and is extremely creative in making plays with the puck. He has an excellent motor, attacks the net consistently and competes hard to win pucks. Demidov created scoring chances seemingly every shift this season. While he can run a power play when the game slows down, he makes a lot of plays on the move. He’s a powerful but awkward-looking skater, though, who is a bit knock-kneed and reliant on his edge work but gets around OK. He’s not the biggest winger, so there is some question about how his game will translate to higher levels. I see a potential top-line winger who will score a lot and play a style of game that will appeal to coaches.

3. Kaiden Guhle, D

January 18, 2002 | 6-foot-3 | 201 pounds | Shoots left

Drafted: No. 16 in 2020
Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup player

Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Below NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: High-end
Shot: Above NHL average

Analysis: Guhle has been an NHL regular for the last two years as a legit top-four defenseman for Montreal. He is a very good defensive player. He is 6-3, mobile and highly physical. He can close on checks at a high level and make a lot of stops. I don’t think offense is ever going to be a major component of Guhle’s game. He can skate pucks up ice, make a decent outlet pass and has a hard point shot, but I don’t ever see a true power-play type. He looks like a longtime second-pair type of defenseman.

4. David Reinbacher, D

October 25, 2004 | 6-foot-3 | 209 pounds | Shoots right

Drafted: No. 5 in 2023
Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup player

Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: Above NHL average
Compete: NHL average

Analysis: Reinbacher didn’t have the season some would have hoped for him when he was sent back to Switzerland, but his play in the AHL at the end of the season was much better. He has strong puck play with the skill and hockey sense of an NHL defenseman. I don’t think he’s dynamic by any means, but he can make plays to teammates and through defenders with pace. He’s a strong skater who can carry pucks up ice and create off the blue line. Defensively, he’s solid due to his reach and feet, but where Reinbacher showed a true physical bite in his draft season, that aspect of his game was lacking this season. Regardless, he looks like a potential quality top-four defenseman, and if he regains that physicality he could elevate back to a premier defense prospect.

5. Lane Hutson, D

February 14, 2004 | 5-foot-9 | 158 pounds | Shoots left

Drafted: No. 62 in 2022
Tier: Middle of the lineup player

Skating: Above NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: High-end
Compete: NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average

Analysis: Hutson had back-to-back seasons as one of the best defensemen in college hockey and turned pro at the end of the year. He’s a dynamo with the puck on his stick. Hutson has high-end poise and sense with the puck, often walking the blue line using his great edge work to create time to make plays. He sees the ice at a high level and can run an NHL power play. There is no doubting Hutson’s offense — the doubt comes down to his defense. He’s a small defenseman without high-end feet or physicality, which is a major red flag in his NHL projection. I think he has so much offense he’ll force his coach to play him and have an NHL career, but he will need to prove he can play at even strength.

6. Justin Barron, D

November 15, 2001 | 6-foot-2 | 202 pounds | Shoots right

Acquired via trade
Tier: Middle of the lineup player

Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average

Analysis: Barron split time between the AHL and NHL this season and got time on the Habs power play when he was up with them. I don’t see him as a legit power-play/offense type on a decent team, but Barron has good skill and a strong point shot, and I can see secondary offense from him. He’s a big right-shot who skates very well, and although he isn’t very physical, he can be good on retrievals and bringing pucks up in transition. There’s nothing sexy about his game, and he lacks a defined role, but he checks a lot of boxes to where I think he will have a long NHL career.

7. Michael Hage, C

April 14, 2006 | 6-foot-1 | 188 pounds | Shoots right

Drafted: No. 21 in 2024
Tier: Middle of the lineup player

Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average

Analysis: Hage was one of the top forwards in the USHL this season. He is a good-sized center who skates well and has a ton of skill. The high-end one-on-one plays he can make at full flight are clear NHL quality and he has the ability to break open a shift. Hage’s playmaking and finishing are good enough with a shot that can score from the faceoff dots, but neither matches the caliber of his feet and hands. Hage has the potential to break open a game, but I do find his game to be inconsistent and too perimeter at times. He projects as a middle-six wing with a chance to be more.

8. Logan Mailloux, D

April 15, 2003 | 6-foot-3 | 220 pounds | Shoots right

Drafted: No. 31 in 2021
Tier: Middle of the lineup player

Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: Below NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Shot: High-end

Analysis: Mailloux had a promising first pro season and was named an All-Star at the AHL level. He has a lot of NHL traits. He’s big, mobile and highly skilled. On his best shifts, when he’s carrying the puck up ice or launching a bomb from the point, he looks like a top-four defenseman in the NHL. With his reach, feet and some physicality, he should be able to defend, but his defensive play isn’t the best. There are legitimate concerns about his hockey sense at both ends, and if he were to miss, it would be due to poor reads/decisions. I like the player, and I think he has an NHL career, but there could be bumps along the way.

9. Owen Beck, C

February 3, 2004 | 6 feet | 190 pounds | Shoots right

Drafted: No. 33 in 2022
Tier: Projected to play NHL games

Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: Below NHL average
Compete: High-end
Shot: High-end

Analysis: Beck was a top forward in the OHL this season. He has skill, but I don’t think his game is the flashiest. Rather, it’s driven by speed and energy. He is highly competitive and a very good two-way center. He wins a lot of puck battles, kills penalties well and can create offense at the net. He has interior offense but also a lethal wrist shot that can beat goalies from range. Beck may never be the biggest pure scorer as a pro, though, especially for an average-sized forward, which makes me think he is more of a bottom-six center in the NHL.

10. Adam Engstrom, D

November 17, 2003 | 6-foot-2 | 193 pounds | Shoots left

Drafted: No. 92 in 2022
Tier: Projected to play NHL games

Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Below NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Shot: High-end

Analysis: Engstrom had a solid season for Rögle, playing on both special teams at times as the team made a deep playoff run. He has the length and mobility of an NHL defenseman. He can skate pucks up ice, close on checks and walk the line quite well. He has good enough puck play due to his first pass and a hard point shot. I don’t see him as a true standout at either end of the ice, but he checks enough boxes to where I can see him as a third-pair defenseman.

11. Jacob Fowler, G

November 24, 2004 | 6-foot-1 | 223 pounds | Catches left

Drafted: No. 69 in 2023
Tier: Projected to play NHL games

Skating: NHL average
Hockey sense: Above NHL average

Analysis: Fowler was a top goalie in college as a freshman, continuing his dominance from the junior level. Fowler is athletic and has great technique and hockey sense. He’s able to make a lot of tough saves and does so efficiently with great reads and in squaring up a lot of pucks. Fowler can make the tough side-to-side saves, too, and has the strong compete level to never give up on a play. He has everything you want in an NHL goalie except his frame, as he’s slightly undersized. That will be his challenge as he advances levels, but he looks at least like a potential backup goalie.

12. Yevgeni Volokhin, G

April 6, 2005 | 6 feet | 159 pounds | Catches left

Drafted: No. 144 in 2023
Tier: Projected to play NHL games

Skating: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average

Analysis: Volokhin had a positive season as the best goaltender in the Russian junior league. He has the look of an NHL goaltender between his size, athleticism and puck-tracking skills. He anticipates the play well and makes good reads, but he also makes a ton of difficult saves. Volokhin has the quick twitch in his lower half to make the lateral saves needed in the NHL and shows good compete on pucks he needs to improvise on. He looks like a potential backup goaltender.

13. Oliver Kapanen, C

July 29, 2003 | 6 feet | 166 pounds | Shoots right

Drafted: No. 64 in 2021
Tier: Projected to play NHL games

Skating: Below NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: High-end
Shot: Above NHL average

Analysis: Kapanen had a solid albeit unspectacular season at the Liiga level. His season ended on a high note, though, as he was one of the very best players for Finland at the World Championship. Kapanen has very good offensive skills, but it’s hard skill. He generates a lot of offense at the net and in the slot, showing great courage to take pucks to the tough areas. He wins battles and generates a lot of second-chance shots. His skating isn’t the prettiest, but his effort and skill could help him become a bottom-six forward in the NHL.

14. Joshua Roy, RW

August 6, 2003 | 6 feet | 192 pounds | Shoots left

Drafted: No. 150 in 2021
Tier: Projected to play NHL games

Skating: Below NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average

Analysis: Roy scored at a good clip in his first AHL year and got a lot of time up with Montreal. He’s an extremely skilled and creative winger with the hands and IQ to make a lot of difficult plays seem routine. With his vision and shot, he can run a power play well and is often dangerous inside the offensive zone. His compete is fine. He has enough interior offense for the pro game and gives a decent effort, although he’s not overly physical. Roy’s main issue comes down to his feet. He lacks clear NHL footspeed, and given his average frame, he will need to be so good with the puck to have a long NHL career.

Has a chance to play

Sean Farrell is a likable player. He plays hard, skates well and is a good playmaker. Is he the most dynamic small winger you’ll ever see? Probably not. Luke Tuch and Emil Heineman are both good skaters with decent frames who compete well enough but aren’t instinctive offensive players. Aatos Koivu is a solid two-way player who skates well and plays hard, but his hockey sense is just OK.

Filip Eriksson, C

November 5, 2004 | 5-foot-11 | 179 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 165 in 2023

Sean Farrell, C

November 2, 2001 | 5-foot-9 | 181 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 124 in 2020

Emil Heineman, LW

November 16, 2001 | 6 feet | 202 pounds | Shoots left | Acquired via trade

Aatos Koivu, C

June 22, 2006 | 6 feet | 170 pounds | Shoots right | Drafted: No. 70 in 2024

Bogdan Konyushkov, D

December 20, 2002 | 5-foot-11 | 176 pounds | Shoots right | Drafted: No. 110 in 2023

Quentin Miller, G

December 23, 2004 | 6-foot-3 | 185 pounds | Catches left | Drafted: No. 128 in 2023

Logan Sawyer, C

May 6, 2006 | 6-foot-1 | 173 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 78 in 2024

Luke Tuch, LW

March 7, 2002 | 6-foot-3 | 209 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 47 in 2020

* Listed in alphabetical order

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Player eligibility: All skaters who are 22 years old or younger as of Sept. 15, 2024, regardless of how many NHL games they’ve played, are eligible. Player heights and weights are taken from the NHL.

Tool grades: Tool grades are based on a scale with six separate levels, with an eye toward how this attribute would grade in the NHL (poor, below-average, average, above-average, high-end and elite). “Average” on this scale means the tool projects as NHL average, which is meant as a positive, not a criticism. Skating, puck skills, hockey sense and compete for every projected NHL player are graded. Shot grades are only included if a shot is notably good or poor.

Tier definitions: Tiers are meant to show roughly where in an average NHL lineup a player projects to slot in.

(Photo of Juraj Slafkovský: Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)