The Montréal Canadiens have committed in no uncertain terms to a long-term rebuild, and it’s well underway at the Center Bell. They haven’t quite stripped this roster down to the foundation, but they’ve nonetheless been rapacious in their pursuit of the futures that they hope will one day form the core of a Stanley Cup contending roster.
As currently constructed, the team’s success hinges upon the performances of Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. They’ve proven themselves capable of taking over the occasional game, but it’s unfair to place the burden of one of hockey’s most demanding markets squarely on their shoulders. Juraj Slafkovsky, Kaiden Guhle, Kirby Dach, and many more will have to come to their aid.
And as that group attempts to form a contending nucleus, we shouldn’t count out Owen Beck, Sean Farrell, and the countless other prospects in this article as potential long-term support pieces that could push this group over the top. The sheer volume of this system is such that even if they don’t rise to the occasion, others will. It’s why we ranked the Canadiens prospect pool as the league’s seventh-best.
What follows is a countdown of Montréal’s 15 best prospects, looking at their strengths, weaknesses, and overall projections. Given the embarrassment of riches in the Habs system, we’ve even gone to the liberty of including a handful of honorable mentions.