The biggest question about the upcoming NHL draft is what the Montreal Canadiens will do with the third-overall pick. While reports continue to circulate that they are enamored with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and would be willing to select him right after Carolina takes Andrei Svechnikov, there is still some smoke coming out of the idea of trading down. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic has heard rumblings about it again, and wonders if the Arizona Coyotes would be a fit with the fifth-overall pick.
One team the Canadiens won’t be able to swap with are the Detroit Red Wings, whose GM Ken Holland has just told Marc Antoine Godin of The Athletic that he doesn’t expect to move up tonight from No. 6. For what it’s worth, Craig Morgan of AZ Sports doesn’t believe the Coyotes are interested either, given that there would be a cost attached and there should still be plenty of talented players at No. 5.
The Red Wings desperately need some game breaking talent injected into their system as they continue to try and turn things around, and there should be several options at the sixth-overall slot. Last season they picked Michael Rasmussen, a huge center from the WHL, leading many to believe that it will be a defenseman pulling on the winged wheel tonight. Obviously nothing is set in stone until Holland and his group walk to the podium, but they seem happy to pick right where they are this time around.
I would be shocked if the Red Wings didn’t take Bouchard, Bodqvist or Dobson. They have the worst d-corps in the league and are in desperate need of help. Hronek and Saarijarvi are their best d-prospects and they still don’t look like they’ll be much more than PP QBs.
Cholowski is their top D prospect, I think wings take dobson or Hughes. Hughes Michigan link and offensive skills give him the edge
Personally I’d prefer Dobson over any other d-man.
Zadina fell in their laps due to the idiot in Montreal. When the Canadiens call the other GMs must celebrate.