If the season ended today, the Canadian, due to his favorable results for a rebuilding club, would get the 11th overall pick in the 2024 draft.
The Chicago Blackhawks, back in the cellar of the standings, would have a 25.5% chance of winning the lottery and adding another extraordinary young center in Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini, 25 points in just 15 games in his first season in the NCAA at Boston College.
The Anaheim Ducks, already well-endowed in young centers with Mason MacTavish and Leo Carlsson, would be second in the race for the first pick, followed by the San Jose Sharks.
CH is almost at the same point as last year after 29 games. He’s 12-13-4 for 28 points, up from 14-13-2 for 30 points in 2022. The organization hasn’t taken any shortcuts to accelerate its progress, but it’s not on purpose to weaken the club and promote its positioning in anticipation of the lottery.
Montreal remains one of the youngest clubs in the NHL and Slafkovsky, Caufield, Guhle, Barron and company are learning the trade on the job, not without accumulating an interesting background, while waiting to be joined by David Reinbacher, Lane Hutson, Adam Engström and maybe Owen Beck, Joshua Roy, Filip Mesar, Sean Farrell or whatever.
Let’s explore ten drafts, between 2020 and 2011. There are 19 first-line forwards or first pair of defensemen among the 30 players drafted in the top three (63%), compared to 6 for the 30 players chosen between 10th and 12th. rank (20%).
Mikko Rantanen (10th), Filip Forsberg (11th), Noah Dobson (12th), Jonas Brodin (11th) and perhaps eventually Matthew Boldy (12th) and Evan Bouchard (10th), can be considered high impact players.
At these ranks, the chances are high to draft a player who will never be considered among the top two lines or top four defensively (17 of 30, for 57%).
Produced at a 49-point pace as part of a second line in New York.
Now the Kings’ leading left winger, 22 points in 26 games.
Senators’ leading center, 26 points in 23 games.
Progressing well on the wing of the Jets’ second line with 19 points in 26 games, slightly better than Lafrenière.
This young 21-year-old goaltender is having another very good season in the American League while waiting for an opening.
Stagnating, center of the third line in Florida.
Best Points Per Game Average in the NHL after Kucherov and McDavid with 34 points in 22 games.
Relapse in production this year, hurts. Disappointment.
Showed great promise at the center of the second line in Montreal before getting injured in the second game.
Continues his development in the American League, where he does rather well with 12 points in 15 games.
More difficult development. Only 50 NHL games in four years, none this year.
Power winger on top line, 31 goals last year.
One of the best defensemen in the NHL, despite the Sabres’ struggles, scoring 73 points last year.
A top striker, but slowed by injuries recently.
Production in free fall after a promising start this season. A second, third center. On the way to another season of around forty points.
Elite offensive defender, 30 points in 26 games, best defensively since coaching change.
Supportive forward, never reached the 25 point mark.
Number one defenseman on the Islanders, fifth in the NHL in ice time at 25:18, 29 points in 28 games.
Center number one or two, responsible defensively, 80 points last year.
Career plagued by injuries, 77 points in 222 games. Will he play again?
Number one defenseman, 73 points last year, on the ice more than 25 minutes per game.
Found a niche in Philadelphia, scoring 27 goals last year, this colossus finds himself on the third line at the moment with 17 points in 29 games.
Passed to Winnipeg in the exchange of Pierre-Luc Dubois, four points Wednesday in his first game against the Kings, potential first or second line winger, must stay healthy.
One of the Hurricanes’ good forwards, 71 points last year, on his way to 59 this year.
Superstar, already 320 career goals.
Talented, but enigmatic, a scorer of 30 goals per season, when inspired.
Second-line center who still leaves his coaches hungry.
Marginal forward, despite great promise at the start of his career, on a third line by default in Buffalo.
A failure, tossed between the American League and a supporting role in the NHL, hurts indefinitely within the Lightning organization.
Fourth-line center since the start of his career, and will remain there.
Already one of the greats in history.
Relaunched his career in Vegas, where he just won the Stanley Cup in a starting center role.
After a few detours, first center in Washington, despite 14 points in 25 games.
Superstar, on his way to a second consecutive 100+ point season.
After a modest start to his career, he plays in a second trio in Arizona, capable of scoring around twenty goals per season, with a very advantageous size.
We saw it briefly with the CH last year. Now a full-time forward in the American League at 26 years old.
Leading defender with the Panthers, but career undermined by injuries. Peaked with 57 points two years ago.
The trade to Florida in 2021 revived his career. A 30+ goal scorer on his way to a 108 point season at age 28.
Superstar, already four seasons of 100+ points in his career.
A colossus with little offensive talent. Now playing in Finland after a lackluster career of less than ten years in the National League.
Good offensive winger, capable of amassing a point per game. Plays to the left of Phillip Danault on the second line of the Kings, his third club.
A failure. In the American League full-time for a third straight season, at age 27.
Superstar in the tradition of McDavid, Draisaitl, Matthews.
Number one center for the Panthers, not as explosive offensively as the names mentioned above, but brilliant defensively.
A disappointing career for a third overall pick, despite almost 300 points in 512 games.
Difficult start to career in Dallas, detour to the KHL, now a leading forward in Colorado as part of a second line.
Career curtailed by injury at the age of 25 before he had time to break through.
His 72-point season in Montreal was his best, and also an accident. Good attacker of 40, 50 points, however lacking a great understanding of the game.
Big disappointment, expectations inflated excessively, in the KHL since 2018, where his production is OK at best.
Often injured supporting defender. Away from the game since November 2022 in fact.
Interesting offensive potential, 30-goal season at age 22, but his demons chased him from the NHL. Now in the KHL.
Marginal defender unable to break through. He recently blamed his struggles on anxiety issues. He admitted to playing the majority of his matches on an empty stomach, unable to eat 24 hours before matches.
A first-line winger, three seasons of 30+ goals, 84 points, including 42 goals, in just 69 games two years ago, unfortunately traded by the Capitals before even setting foot in North America.
Expectations blown out of proportion after a first season of 85 points in 40 games with the Remparts at age 17, marginal center for a few seasons in Buffalo, Colorado and Columbus before returning to Russia.
Number two center, his surprising production of 104 points last year is the exception that proves the rule.
Very good career within the first trio of the Avalanche, tenacious, productive, capable of scoring around thirty goals in his prime, but away from the game since 2022.
A first line winger, seasons of 92 and 115 points in Florida, more difficult since his trade to the Flames and this monstrous contract.
One of the most underrated defensemen in the NHL, probably due to his modest offensive production, but he has remained a number one for several years in Minnesota.
Failure. Only 20 career NHL games for this jumbo-sized defenseman. He retired in 2019.
Excellent offensive defender in the junior ranks, unable to replicate his exploits at the professional level. Tossed between the American League and the NHL between 2012 and 2019, he went into exile in Russia for two years, returned to the American League for two seasons between 2020 and 2022 and is currently playing in Austria.
Not surprisingly, 2022 early second-round pick, center Owen Beck, has earned a spot with Team Canada ahead of the World Championship. He had been urgently recalled by the team at the end of the tournament last year, so had every right to expect to return. Let’s see what role we reserve for him given the abundance of good offensive centers. Goalkeeper Jacob Fowler and defender Lane Hutson with the Americans, and forward Filip Mesar with Slovakia, are expected to play leading roles with their teams. Like Beck, Hutson and Mesar will be making their second appearance at the World Championship. Juraj Slafkovsky would be eligible, but his place will remain in the CH’s first trio.
