2024 NHL MOCK DRAFT: MONTREAL CANADIENS

The Montreal Canadiens predictably had another losing season, but they will really have a chance to improve their prospect pool and their team at the upcoming 2024 NHL Draft, as they have 2 first-round picks, 1 second-round pick, and 2 3rd-round picks. The Blackhawks also have their own 4th and 6th round pick as well as two 5th round picks and three 7th round picks. Montreal has a total of 11 picks in the 2024 draft, including 5 in the first three rounds and 7 from rounds 4 through 7, so they will have plenty of chances to select impact players in the draft. Montreal Canadiens have the 5th overall pick in the draft.

Related: 2024 NHL Mock Draft: Anaheim Ducks

5. Sam DICKINSON, D, London Knights (OHL)

Many expected London Knights defenseman Sam Dickinson to take a big step forward and earn more meaningful minutes and responsibility this season. He definitely showed why they acquired him from the Niagara Ice Dogs as he continued to show great potential in his rookie season. In his draft year, Dickinson has elevated his game to new heights as a competitive, two-way defenseman. Dickinson finished the regular season fourth among defensemen in the Ontario Hockey League scoring 70 points and fourth in assists with 52. In addition, he’s taken the second most shots of any defenseman with 232. Dickinson already excels with his strong defensive game and IQ without the puck. He defends extremely well against the rush and within his own zone, something that other defenders are inconsistent with this early on in their development. That aspect to his game is nearly pro-ready as he already has that advantage over other defenders his age. He’s already showing that he’s consistent with his positioning and decision-making, utilizing his size to his advantage to get the inside edge to break up plays down low or along the boards. He’s able to execute breakups effectively, knowing when to step up and get into the passing lanes with an active stick or tie up an attacking forward to regain possession and quickly clear the puck out. He’s excellent with his gap control, keeping the puck carrier to the outside and using his size and speed to neutralize them getting to the middle of the ice and even boxing them out in front of the net. When he’s on the attack, he reads the situation well, knowing when to back off and prioritize defense when he needs to. Even if there’s a breakup or a turnover, he has quick awareness and reaction time to get back and get into position. There isn’t any doubt that Dickinson can be a very impactful top pairing defenseman and he along with 2023 1st round pick David Reinbacher will make the Montreal Canadiens a tough team to play against in 2 or 3 years.

26. Igor CHERNYSHOV, LW, MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)

Chernyshov brings a lot of qualities that should translate to higher levels of hockey. He is an above-average skater with good size, and this makes him an effective straight-line attacker in transition. While many of his transition routes are rather simple, he does not hesitate to put his shoulder down and drive to the net, creating scoring chances for himself on the rush regularly against MHL competition. His greatest strength lies in his elite hockey sense, particularly at high speeds. His adept use of strong edge work, even when flat-footed, allows him to navigate open lanes with precision and speed. This ability to make split-second decisions and capitalize on openings sets him apart as an elite player. Chernyshov plays a very direct style, charging the net frequently whether he has the puck or not. He has had a rather slow start to this year production-wise, but his skill set looks well designed for the pro game with the ability to make strong plays and smart decisions at a higher pace than most teenagers. If you had to build a perfect model for a modern NHL forward, Chernyshov would meet almost all of the requirements. His gameplan is easy to project to the NHL level, especially if he can take his offensive skillset to the next level in the coming years. In the best-case scenario, he’s on your top line eating 20 minutes of ice time each night split between the power-play, penalty kill, and 5-on-5. Chernyshov is a poor man’s version of Juraj Slafkovsky, the number 1 overall pick by the Montreal Canadiens in 2022, so adding a playing with a similar skillset should make the Canadiens a lot tougher to play against.

58. Raoul BOILARD, C, Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)

Raoul Boilard has been really impressed with his growth as a player in the QMJHL this year. He stands out due to his improved puck-handling skills, excellent vision, and confidence when attacking the middle of the ice, and he is a faceoff wizard to boot. Also, Boilard possesses great hands, effortlessly maneuvering through tight spaces and executing precise passes through open seams. Boilard drives his line, no questions about it. Defensively, Boilard is reliable and benefits from consistent scanning habits, enabling him to intercept passes and break up plays effectively. However, there is room for improvement in his skating and his agility. Additionally, considering Boilard’s size at 6’2″ and 190 pounds, he needs to engage more physically along the boards and down low in the defensive zone, adding another dimension to his game. Boilard continues to be one of the more complete centers coming out of QMJHL, as he provides the Drakkar with consistent offensive creativity while being an absolute magician at the faceoff circle. There are parts of his game that need immediate attention (defense positioning, initiating physical contact, and his skating stride) but in general, Boilard projects as a bottom to middle 6 center with offensive upside. He thrives in high-pressure situations and his ability to work his way out of tight spaces and his net front skills highlight a diverse offensive toolkit. Boilard will need the attention of a skills coach to refine his abilities but I am confident Boilard has what it takes to be an NHLer at center ice. Boilard is a faceoff specialist with great hockey sense, a strong motor, and decent playmaking; although his skating needs some work, he has all the makings of a good third-line center in the NHL, which is what the Montreal Canadiens need.

70. Evan Gardner, G, Saskatoon Blades (WHL)

Rapidly improving netminder who is far and away the best goaler in the West. Since he was playing behind a veteran netminder, and a terrific defensive team that limits offensive chances, his views displayed enough size to reply on positioning and athleticism with excellent results. Some teams may be hesitant to draft him high because they think he is a product of his team in front of him, but he has been outstanding when called upon in net for the Saskatoon
Blades, posting a 21-5-0 record, with a 1.91 GAA and a .927 SV%, and 4 shutouts. In the playoffs, Gardner had a 10-1-3 record, with a 2.33 GAA and .910 SV% and 1 Shutout. His performance this season certainly has helped his draft stock and could make him and early 3rd round pick. Montreal Needs a goalie of the future and Evan Gardner could be one of those goalies that could compete for that role.

78. Alfons FREIJ, D, Växjö Lakers HC J20 (J20 Nationell)

Freij has been a riser on our board all season long, due to his combination of three elite elements: his reading of the game (especially with play in front of him), his mobility, and his playmaking ability. He is a dynamic creator from the blueline in all three zones. In the breakout, he takes charge – wanting the puck on his stick – and is as much a threat to carry the puck up the ice, integrating liberal lateral and gear shifts into his rushes, as he is to spring the attack with a seeing-eye stretch pass. In the offensive zone, he frequently activates up the boards, creating lanes through defensive structures with both his feet and hands, and placing accurate passes onto the tapes of teammates in high-danger areas: he’s one of the draft’s premier playmaking defensemen. His defensive game is characterized by a tight gap, calculated stickwork, and a lack of physicality, which will be one of the main elements needing progression before his jump to the NHL. The cream of the Swedish crop, Freij has been purely dominant at the J20 level. There are a lot of great passing defensemen in this year’s draft and Freij is amongst the best of them. Factor in his mobility and he becomes a possession demon, few things can ever keep Freij from putting the puck where he wants it. What separates him from his peers, is the compliments to that game. He knows when to simply shoot the puck and rarely if ever overpasses, he’s active defensively and demonstrates a great understanding on how to build on the advantages he creates. He’s everything you want out of your offensive defenseman and is a defensive quarterback at its purest. His aggressive style of play leads to him being overeager at times, but as he reigns himself in, he can become one of the best defensemen in this class. While he’s exclusively played J20 competition this season and the lack of experience against adult competition will hurt his eventual draft stock, the creativity, intelligence, high-end tools, and promising development curve make him an highly attractive prospect to teams in need of a defenseman. The Montreal Canadiens already have some really good defensive prospects, but adding a prospect like Alfons Freij, a jack-of-all-trades type defenseman, could really turn them into a legit contender, not too far down the road.

102. Sebastian SOINI, D, Ilves (Liiga)

Sebastian Soini is a Finnish blueliner, who’s put up a solid season playing mostly in Mestis, the second Finnish pro league. The most notable thing with Soini’s play has been his composure under pressure. He can make good decisions with the puck in his own end and that combined with his good frame (6’2″ & 194 lbs) is something that NHL organizations like to see. Soini is strictly a defensive defenseman with a profile that NHL clubs will love, as he is a right-handed defenseman, who is a good skater, and has proved he can play composed and mature hockey amongst the men. Soini uses his size to his advantage when clearing opponents from the net. He has good gap control that allows him to defend the rush effectively. Although Soini is not the flashy pick, he is a player you will want on your team if you are trying to build a winning team, which is what the Montreal Canadiens are trying to do.

130. Nikita Telegin, C, Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk (MHL)

It took until early March to put on the sweater due to an injury that kept him out play for most of 2022 season. This is a big rangy centreman with quick, soft hands and a powerful skating stride. Let season, he was the dominant force on each shift, Outstanding on face-offs, and a forceful presence doing the dirty work, unearthing loose pucks. A good three-zone center that generates chances with hard work. Telegin is already an alternate captain for his team in the MHL, and has shown maturity beyond his years. Telegin would be an awesome player to add the the bottom 6 and would bring a little bit of feistiness to the Montreal Lineup.

134. Hiroki GOJSIC, C, Kelowna Rockets (WHL)

Hiroki Gojsic is a 6 foot 3, 191-pound center, who plays for the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL and has put together a great season, tallying 21 goals and 50 points in 68 games. The Large center showed a knack for finding open space to let loose his lethal wrist shot in prime scoring areas. His size and shoot-first mentality enabled him this season to excel in the top six for Kelowna, alongside Washington Capital’s draftee, Andrew Cristall. Although his production was solid, there are questions about his game still, such as his first two-step lateral mobility and off-the-puck offense. Conditioning seems to be an issue, and there doesn’t seem to be an acceptable amount of desire, often disinterest, rendering his size ineffective on the forecheck, losing out to much smaller and determined opposition. Gojsic is a high-risk high reward pick at this point but with his size and potential, he has a better chance of excelling as a winger because has all the makings of an effective winger, but isn’t good enough defensively to be a center in the NHL.

166. Yegor GRAF, LW, SKA-1946 St.Petersburg (MHL)

This left winger displays smooth puck-handling hands even under pressure and is surprisingly strong on his skates considering he is so skinny. He tends to bounce off opponents trying to check him and on the attack. He already has an arsenal of various shots and is a good playmaker, you would love him to shoot more. He’s able to draw opponents to him, and then lets go imaginative passes to his linemates streaking to the open ice areas and displays a wicked release on his wrister which he can let go on the fly, from either foot. Graf has good lateral agility but could to his game he could improve his speed, and add strength, so he is not ridden off the puck so easily. Playing in the Russian MHL, he scored 13 goals and 38 points in 39 games during the regular season but only had 1 point in 11 playoff games. Graf could become a late-round steal with his offensive upside, but he will need to improve on his play off the puck and improving his defensive play. Montreal loves drafting small wingers and Graf fits this criteria to a tee.

Round 7

198. Javon Moore, 6’2/181, LW/RW, Minnetonka High (USHS-MN)
Javon Moore is a super athletic winger with all the natural tools to be a good winger in the NHL, but it is tough to say how his game will translate from High School to more competitive ranks. Even if Moore doesn’t live up to his top 6 potential, Moore has the size and skills needed to a good 4th line grinder in the NHL.

210. Finn McLaughlin, 6’2/194, D, Fargo Force (USHL)
Finn McLaughlin is a Tall, Lanky defenseman, who is viewed as a project defenseman, but being that this is the 7th round, it is worth the risk. Montreal adds a valuable depth piece to their already stacked defensive prospect core.

217. Charlie Cerrato, 6’0/190, LW, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
Charlie Cerrato struggled to find a spot on a stacked U18 US National Team, but in the 2023-24 season with the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL, he put up 50 points in 45 games. It will take some time to get there, but there is
is potential for him to be a top 9 forward on Montreal in the future.

Draft Recap

A-

Sam Dickinson (D)
Igor Chernyshov (LW)
Raoul Boilard (C)
Evan Gardner (G)
Alfons Freij (D)
Sebastian Soini (D)
Nikita Telegin (C)
Hiroki Gojsic (C)
Yegor Graf (LW)
Javon Moore (LW/RW)
Finn McLaughlin (D)
Charlie Cerrato (LW)

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