Montreal Canadiens — 9th Overall
The Montreal Canadiens have been desperate for a No. 1 center for about as long as the rival Toronto Maple Leafs. Toronto will get a player that can be their No. 1 for the next 15 years, but Montreal is still too good for a pick that high. At No. 9, 6-foot-6 center Logan Brown looks like the perfect fit, but they might prefer Pierre-Luc Dubois.
While most NHL scouts see Dubois as a winger in the NHL, the potential to play center is certainly there. Plus, Dubois is a Quebec native and would be the perfect face of the franchise for many years to come. Of course, Dubois is only an option if the Canadiens can move up to No. 4 or 5, depending on what trade they can get done and, if they can’t acquire fourth, if Dubois is still available.
The following trade might be what it takes for Montreal to move up:
With a trade like this, Vancouver could draft a potential No. 1 center in one of Brown, Keller and Jost. Or, they could go for a promising defenseman in Chychrun, Sergachev or Bean. With the 39th pick, targets include the same players I listed for pick 38. At 70, they would have several options as well, including many talented players from Europe.
If Montreal does not want to part ways with that many picks, they could send a prospect to Vancouver instead. Noah Juulsen, Michael McCarron and Jacob de la Rose are all worth trading for.
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