The link to my ranking of the Montreal Canadiens’ top 10 prospects is below. A review of TSN Chief Analyst Craig Button’s top 50 prospects league-wide, published earlier this year, reveals the sheer number of elite players gracing my rankings. Four of these ten players also appear on Button’s list (forwards Michael Hage & Alexander Zharovsky, and d-men David Reinbacher & Bryce Pickford). But for his then-recent NHL promotion, goaltender Jacob Fowler would have increased that number to a league-leading five prospects. The sole reason he was left off Button’s ranking was that his list dealt with players not in the NHL at the time, otherwise he would have rated Fowler as the league’s #3 prospect.
Provided he continues his strong play, it appears as though Fowler is in Montreal to stay, forming an excellent young tandem with Jakub Dobes. Swedish d-man Adam Engstrom looks to join Fowler at the NHL level this season, although he is projected to begin the season in Laval of the AHL. Also, and to virtually everyone’s surprise, Hage decided to return to the University of Michigan, foregoing the opportunity to compete for a roster spot with the Habs this season. He is projected to land in Montreal in 2027-28, perhaps along with d-man Pickford. Following up a 45-goal season for Medicine Hat of the WHL, Pickford is set to continue developing his considerable skills in Laval this season. The thought of him appearing on a power-play unit with Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov in the future is very tantalizing, to say the least.
https://thehockeylawyer.net/team-stats/montreal-canadiens/