Edited Feb. 18, 2018 at 1:10 p.m.
***2017-2018 MID-SEASON UPDATE, 2018-01-13***
1.
Charlie Lindgren
Having proved he belongs in the NHL when he was called up early in the 2017-18 season, showing a SV% of .924 in 8 games. His NHL career stats so far are 11games with a record of 6-4-1, SV% .929, GAA 2.21. He has the size/frame, speed , and skill of a goaltender who can become a #1 G on an NHL team, although with Carey Price locked up for 8 more year, chances of that being in MTL is pretty slim. On the negative side, unlike the previous year, Lindgren has not been doing great with the Laval Rocket. he's showing a sub-par SV% of .898 in 22games. Although the Habs AHL affiliate has been terrible since coach Sylvain Lefebvre took over the team, there are still a few concerns if Lindgren can stay consistent.
Grade - B+
Projection - Solid NHL caliber Goaltender pushing for a starting position, hopefully to give MTL a goaltending tandem similar to what VAN had when they had Schneider and Luongo. At worst he becomes an NHL Backup that flip flops between AHL
2.
Ryan Poehling
Habs 2017 1st round pick. Is the #1 Center for his NCAA St-Cloud State team. Has 17pts (5g and 12a) in 16games. His coach went on the record to compare him to Mikko Koivu and Jordan Staal. At this years 2018 World Juniors, Poehling didn't put up amazing offensive stats, 3pts (1g and 2a) in 7games, and although he was the 2nd youngest player for team USA, he was one of the teams most used forwards, averaging 18:10 minutes. He was the most used penalty killer on the team, usually given multiple shifts in the same short-handed sequence. And when they needed to preserve a lead in the final few minutes, it was also him on the ice double-shifting. If he can fine tune his offensive game, he will definitely become a top 6 center for the Habs, but I wouldn't go as far as saying their #1 C, but above Danault imo.
Grade - B+
Projection - Top 6 two-way center, not someone who will light the lamp every night, but that could become the poor man's Patrice Bergeron at best, bottom 6 shutdown center at worst
3.
Nikita Scherbak
I had him ranked #7 on this list at the beginning of the season, due to his poor 2016-2017 season in the AHL with the St-Johns IceCaps and his inconsistent play, comparing him to Alex Semin. However, due to his start this season, I had no choice to rank him high, simply because he probably has the highest potential of all the Habs prospects. He is one of the very few shining stars of the Laval Rocket, putting up 24pts (6g and 18a) in 19 games. He is a big speedy RW, with a strong sense of creativity and a great wrist shot. He didn't really have a chance to prove himself with MTL yet, since he go hurt when he got called up, but he has since recovered, and back to tearing up the AHL. It's only a matter of time before he gets another chance.
Grade - B
Prediction - Top 6 scoring winger at the best (longshot), off to the KHL at worst
4.
Victor Mete
Talk about a hidden gem! With the Habs with so few (almost none) puck moving Defensemen, Mete is a breath of fresh air. Aside from perhaps Jeff Petry, Mete is the only Dman on the Habs roster who can actually skate the puck out of his own zone (and then not have to dump it away afterwards) and create offensive chances at the other end. He is an excellent passer and has the creativity to compliment a PP unit. Size is still an issue, and when playing against larger opponents the problem is clearly magnified, but you can start to see Mete adapting to larger players with his stick checking. At the World Juniors, although he did not score a goal, Mete had a fantastic tournament, 3 assists in 6 games with a +11 and averaging 20:15 minutes per game. If Mete can bulk up a bit more, and perhaps find a bit more confidence to shoot the puck every once and a while, a top 4 Dman he will become.
Grade - B
Prediction - Torey Krug type player if he can bulk up at best, #7 D similar to Yannick Weber at worst
5.
Noah Juulsen
He has been injured with a broken foot for most of the beginning of the season. So he's a bit hard to assess to see how well he's been progressing. He has since come back and has played a total of 19 games with the Laval Rocket, putting up 1 goal and 1 assist. I'm not going to say much because I believe there should be a grace period of games to allow a player to get back into game shape, especially when that player also missed training camp. But going all the way back to the 2017 World Juniors, you can see there is top 4 potential with Juulsen.
Grade - B-
Projection - #4-5 defensive puck mover at best, 1st pairing AHLer / #7 NHL defensmen call up at worst
6.
Joni Ikonen
The Habs 2017 2nd round pick. He was the only other Habs prospect, other than Mete and Poehling, who was at the 2018 World Juniors. He had a decent tournament for team Finland, 1 goal and 1 assist in 5 games , averaging 14:12 minutes per game. He played on the second line most of the tournament, while also getting time on the 1st PP unit with KHL young star and NSH prospect Eeli Tolvanen. As a rookie in the SHL, Ikonen has struggled to find his game posting only 7pts in 33 games, although this shouldn't come as a surprise since Ikonen has a very small frame for his height and is playing against men for the first time. When he starts to bulk up and fill out hopefully things will change. Habs management still said he was the best prospect out of the development camp this past summer, so there is still hope.
Grade - C+
Prediction - Top 9 support / scoring winger in the NHL at best, stays in Europe at worst.
7.
Jake Evans
Where the F%^$ did this guy come from?! A "nothing special" 7th round pick in 2014, has somehow emerged as a legit center prospect. He was leading the NCAA in scoring for the longest time but has since fallen to 2nd when he was invited to represent team Canada at the Spengler Cup (and they won gold...Yay!). He did not have a huge impact on team Canada, registering 0pts in 4 games. but it was a tremendous learning experience as it was his first time playing outside the NCAA. At the moment, Evans has 28pts (7g and 21a) in 22 games for Notre-Dame as their #1 Center. I almost didn't put Evans on this list because if the Habs do not sign him by August 15th, 2018. Evans becomes a UFA. So hopefully when the NCAA season is over, Habs can put pen to paper and lock him up.
Grade - C
Prediction - you're guess is as good as mine.
8.
Michael McNivien
2016-17 CHL Goalie of the year, basically carried his team (Owen Sound Attack) all year, 54 games played with a record of 41-9-2. He has since moved on to the Pro's and started out in the ECHL, but unseated Zach Fucale as the back up in Laval in the AHL behind Lindgren. His stats are not great, but so are Lindgren with the Rocket. Goaltender's take time to develop, more so than defenders. So Habs will be patient with him.
Grade - C-
Prediction - Solid NHL caliber Goaltender pushing for a starting position at best, ECHLer at worst
9.
Will Bitten
Literally a carbon copy of Brandon Gallagher in terms of style of play and size. Has proven to score at the CHL level, 65pts (30g 35a) in 67games during his 2015-16 season. He's lost a bit of his scoring touch this season, so far only 13 goals in 41 games, but still producing at over a point a game production with 45pts. He was MTL's 3rd round pick in 2016, and so far so good.
Grade - C-
Prediction - Brandon Gallagher style player 2nd line winger at best, ECHLer at worst.
10.
Cale Fleury
MTL's 3rd round pick in 2017, a solid two-way defender, can skate, has good size (6'1 201Lbs) for a 19 year old. Has put up 30pts (8g and 22a) in 41 games with the WHL Regina Pats. will definitely be taking a closer look at him at next years development/training camp.
Grade - D+
Projection - depth defensemen at best, AHLer at worst.
Honorable mentions (All have a Grade of "D"): Brett Lernout, Simon Bourque, Jeremiah Addison, Lukas Vejdemo, Cayden Primeau,
Josh Brook (Habs 2nd rd pick in 2017, was injured and only started playing in December, which is why he is only in the Honorable mentions, although he is playing very well lately, 16pts in 17games +31!
Graduated from the prospect pool into NHL regulars:
Artturi Lehkonen
Charles Hudon