Canadiens Rebuild Checklist: State Of The Rebuild – Draft Capital

Now that the Montreal Canadiens have completed their second complete rebuild season, it’s time to take a closer look at where the organization stands in terms of its long-term plans.

As Jeff Gorton suggested at the end-of-year press conference, this summer is shaping up to be an important phase of the rebuild.

The Habs will have a significant amount of space under the salary cap, giving them plenty of financial maneuverability to pull off a series of trades, UFA signings, or other decisions that could potentially help the team take the next step.

This series will evaluate several categories, including current NHL talent, prospect value, draft capital, trades, coaching, contracts, and management.

We will then run a poll to determine how the fans view their various situations compared to our conclusions.

First up, the Canadiens’ draft assets.

Montreal Canadiens Draft Capital

The Canadiens have 12 picks in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, not to mention another 12 draft choices on the docket for the following year.

But we all know that quantity does not trump quality at the draft.

That’s why it’s important to note the Habs have four first-round picks in the aforementioned drafts, a rather impressive amount of quality for a team that has already included several of their young, talented players in the NHL lineup.

Beyond the first-round picks, the Canadiens also own three second-round and five third-round picks in the upcoming drafts.

The odds of drafting a quality player beyond the first round will go down significantly. Even within the first round, a 28th overall pick will carry much less value than a top-10 pick, but we also have to remember that the Canadiens have recently added many talented players to their prospect pool by drafting well in the second and third rounds, including prospects such as Jacob Fowler, Lane Hutson, Owen Beck, Vinzenz Rohrer, and Adam Engstrom.

If the team does not feel like the picks will yield a quality prospect, they can also use them to acquire NHL-ready talent, as they did in the trades that landed both Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook.