The influx of young players into a National League formation usually empties the bank of hopes in the lower circuits.

But that’s not the case in Montreal, despite the presence of about fifteen players aged 25 or under with the Canadiens at one time or another during the winter.

The abundance of youth in the organization is no coincidence. Between 2008 and 2011, four vintages, the CH drafted 25 players, including only seven in the first three rounds. A dry period followed, especially since the only two choices in the top twenty, Louis Leblanc (18th in 2009) and Nathan Beaulieu (17th in 2011), did not have the hoped-for career in Montreal.

But in the five most recent vintages, between 2019 and 2022, the Canadian has obtained 49 choices, including 23 in the first three rounds.

Already seven players drafted since 2018 play for the Canadian: Jordan Harris, Jesse Ylönen, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, Cole Caufield, Kaiden Guhle, Sean Farrell and Juraj Slafkovsky, not to mention Arber Xhekaj, signed during his junior years.

An eighth, defenseman Alexander Romanov, brought in Kirby Dach and a ninth, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, was lost to the Carolina Hurricanes and earned first- and third-round picks, sadly wasted on getting Christian Dvorak.

Due to the massive influx of these young players over the winter, there will be little room for new faces next year. However, let’s see how some of them, the first in class, have progressed during the year.

(Thursday defenders, Friday attackers)

The left side of the defense, a gap in the Canadian not so long ago (remember Victor Mete in the first pair and Brett Kulak on the second), no longer lacks talent. Mike Matheson, Kaiden Guhle, Jordan Harris, Arber Xhekaj and Joel Edmundson (if not traded) will fight for three spots next season, and some of the hottest prospects play in that position.

Almost everything has been said about Lane Hutson, drafted at the end of the second round in 2022 (62nd overall). He went from 5-foot-8, 150 pounds to 5-foot-10, 165 pounds and just smashed legendary Brian Leetch’s record for most points by a defenseman in the year following his NHL draft .

Hutson, 19 since February, has 48 points, including 15 goals, in 38 games and is one of 10 finalists for the Hobey-Baker Trophy as college MVP. His team, Boston University, takes on Minnesota next week in the NCAA semi-finals. The young man will play another university season next year despite his dominance at this level.

Drafted 30 rows further, in the third round (92nd overall), Adam Engström, a 19-year-old left-handed defender, also attracts less attention, but he has just finished the season strong in the Swedish first division (SHL).

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound guard finished first in scoring for his team, Rögle, in the playoffs with five points, including three goals, in nine games.

Engström earned praise from the opposing coach after his club were eliminated two days ago. “I’m amazed to see such a young defender dominating like this in the playoffs,” Skelleftea coach Robert Ohlsson said, without being asked specific questions about the CH prospect. “He gave me challenges during the series and I’m happy to see Swedish hockey produce a defenseman of this caliber. »

Scalded cat fears cold water, is entitled to affirm the reader and fan of the Canadian. Mattias Norlinder had received even more glowing remarks from Sweden a few years ago. Some had even dared to compare him to the famous Niklas Lidstrom. Norlinder is still with the Laval Rocket at 22 and it would be amazing to see him break through in Montreal one day.

It is therefore necessary to keep a reserve dose in the case of Engström. On the other hand, Norlinder was playing in the Swedish second division, at MODO, when his exploits first became known in North America, at 19 years old.

Norlinder was a numerical superiority specialist and had deficiencies in defense. He represented Sweden at the World Junior Championship in his early 20s, but in a limited role as part of a third pair, and was shut out in seven games.

Engström was playing on the first pair at the World Junior Championship over the holidays and had just turned 19, and he had three points in seven games while taking on top opposing lines. He will stay at least another season in Sweden. We will be able to judge his true potential at his first training camp in Montreal.

A third left-handed defenseman, 20-year-old Quebecer William Trudeau, drafted in the fourth round in 2021, has exceeded expectations this season. We were hesitant to send him back to the junior ranks in October. He stayed with the Rocket, without playing much at first, then he became a pillar in Laval. He’s amassed 21 points in 53 games so far and is entrenched in the top pair of defensemen. Jayden Struble and Gianni Fairbrother, still injured, the poor, are further in the hierarchy.

The relief is thinner on the right. Justin Barron is progressing well in Montreal. He is the only defender under 25 in Montreal. After him, there is only one worthy hope among right-handed defenders, Logan Mailloux.

This 6-foot-3, 208-pound colossus was playing his first full season in three years with the London Knights of the Ontario Junior League. This late first-round choice, 31st overall, in 2021, was particularly formidable on the power play, where he scored 12 of his 25 goals, and obtained 25 of his 53 points, in 59 games.

Mailloux has a powerful shot. He still has several aspects of his game to refine and he will be in good hands at Laval next year.

Sean Farrell played a lackluster game at his NHL debut on Tuesday in Philadelphia. The poor guy arrived like a hair in the soup, without any training with the team. He also played in a dysfunctional trio, with Jonathan Drouin in the center and a very uninspired Denis Gurianov. The three were often bogged down in the defensive zone and weren’t in possession of the puck very often. Farrell was not villainous, but not transcendent. We nevertheless noticed his passion in forechecking, and a certain creativity.

He will likely be given better tools Thursday night for his first game at the Bell Centre. Farrell, 21, 53 points in 34 games at Harvard, NCAA, was practicing to the left of Jake Evans and Brendan Gallagher Thursday morning. Evans and Gallagher formed with Jesse Ylönen the best trio of CH for a few games. Ylönen should end up on the right of Drouin and Gurianov against the Panthers.

1- With 82 points, including 38 goals, in 60 games in Seattle, in the Western Junior League (but at 20), Jared Davidson, a fifth-round pick from CH last summer, is aiming for the Memorial Cup before going to the pros. Guillaume Lefrançois spoke to him.

2- Nicholas looks at the changes to the wide end position in the NFL today, led by Dalton Schultz.

3- Katerine Savard finished second in the 100-meter butterfly on Wednesday night in Toronto during the Canadian trials, and therefore secures her place at the World Championships in Tokyo. Simon Drouin summarizes.