Focus on local talent that could be on the Canadiens’ draft radar

Prospects who could catch the Habs’ eye when they make their second pick in the first round on Thursday or the second round on Friday.

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Canadians have a chance to make Prime Minister François Legault happy this week.

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The superfan was so upset about the dearth of Quebec talent in the NHL, especially in Montreal, that he commissioned a 15-member panel to study the state of hockey in the province.

It will be years before we see if the group’s recommendations bear fruit, but there are some local prospects who could catch the Canadiens’ eye when they make their second first-round pick on Thursday (26th overall) or when they open the second round on Thursday. Friday. with the 33rd overall pick.

Recruiting talent from Quebec has not been a priority for Canadians since the draft was last held at the Bell Center in 2009. Montreal drafted Louis Leblanc 18th overall and he would play just 50 NHL games.

In the 12 years since then, the Canadians drafted just nine players from Quebec and none were drafted beyond the fourth round. The only players in the group to make it to the NHL were Charles Hudon, a 2012 fifth-round pick who played 125 games with the Canadiens, and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, a 2019 seventh-round pick who played four games the season. pass.

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This time, there are a number of players from Quebec who are projected to fall in the 25-35 range and also meet the future needs of Canadians:

Nathan Gaucher: The word most often used to describe Gaucher is dependable and that’s why Quebec Remparts head coach Patrick Roy used the 6-foot-3, 207-pound center in all situations. Gaucher isn’t a flashy scorer, but he uses his size to control the puck and offers a clean presence on the power play.

Tristan Luneau: The Canadiens have several promising young defenders, but most of them are left-handed shots. Luneau and his fellow prospects Maveric Lamoureux and Noah Warren play right side and offer some size. Luneau, who was the first overall pick in the 2020 QMJHL draft by Gatineau Olympiques, is 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds. He has a high hockey IQ and the skating skills you’d expect from someone whose mother is a skating coach. He had minor knee surgery after being named the QMJHL’s top rookie defenseman in 2020-21, but has made a full recovery.

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Maveric Lamoureux: Drummondville Voltigeur is a draft, but there is a solid foundation with his size (6-foot-7, 200 pounds) and physical game. He can separate opponents from the puck and his strength and range allow him to win battles on boards. His skating is described as “surprising for his size” and he makes a good first pass. He needs to work on his gap control and learn to be more active offensively.

Noah Warren: The Montrealer is another physical presence at 6-foot-5 and 214 pounds. His stock was up after a solid performance in the CHL Top Prospects game, where he delivered jarring shots over Shane Wright and Matthew Savoie. He has a complete game marked by consistency and smart decisions.

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