A midseason look at Canadiens prospects

Prospects are the ultimate variables in the sports landscape.

Roughly 25 percent of all drafted prospects will eventually play over 200 games in the NHL, but there's simply no way to accurately project their development path on draft day.
Let's take a look at the most promising Canadiens prospects and their production in the first half of their respective seasons.
QMJHL
Joshua Roy: Fifth-round pick in 2021
Roy has flourished since his arrival with the Sherbrooke Phoenix, making his way to the final round of cuts for Team Canada's World Junior Championship team. That is an impressive feat given he wasn't on Hockey Canada's radar prior to the start of the year.
"I worked really hard this summer to improve upon my weaknesses," said Roy. "And I think it's paying off."
With 17 goals and 30 assists in just 27 games, Roy's statement is far from hyperbole. It's a testament to what it takes to separate yourself from the herd.
Roy, who currently sits among the top-5 scorers in the QMJHL, has quickly become one of the most exciting prospects in the CHL, thanks to a renewed sense of responsibility and a significant increase in support from his team.
Xavier Simoneau: Sixth-round pick in 2021
Simoneau is an overager, which means we should expect him to dominate the competition, and that's exactly what he's doing. Prior to an injury that sidelined him, Simoneau was competing for the lead scorer's spot in the league, with an impressive 13 goals and 33 assists in 24 games, one of the best points per game ratios in the QMJHL.
Riley Kidney: Second-round pick in 2021
Kidney completes the trio of Canadiens prospects that feature among the top-10 scorers in the league. Not only is he scoring at a much higher pace than the previous season, but he's also quickly developing into an all-around player that brings elite hockey IQ and versatility to the table.

"There's a little bit of [Nick] Suzuki in Kidney," said Jerome Berube, Head Scout for HockeyProspect.com."He's calm, he's not all over the place, he knows where to be and when. He's got great attention to detail. When we talk about hockey IQ, he's right where you want a player to be."
William Trudeau: Fourth-round pick in 2021
Trudeau is among the most productive defensemen in the league, scoring six goals and 19 assists in 31 games for Charlottetown. And while it's true points don't tell the whole story for defensemen, players must reach a certain threshold to be projected as impact players in the NHL, which is exactly what we're seeing from Trudeau in his Draft +1 season.
Elsewhere in the CHL
Both Kaiden Guhle and Jan Mysak were chosen in the 2020 draft, with the former going in the first round (16th overall) and the latter in the second round (48th overall). And though Guhle is a defenseman and Mysak is a forward, the similarities do not end there.

Both players served as captains for their respective World Junior Championship national teams and have emerged as hard-working, dedicated, intelligent prospects.
Guhle projects as a dynamic, hybrid defenseman who can not only drive scoring plays but also punishes opposing players with thunderous hits that rarely take him out of position.
It's quite easy to find Guhle on the ice; he looks like a man amongst boys.
Mysak, on the other hand, has continued to impress in the offensive zone due to his excellent shot, playmaking skills, and elite hand-eye coordination, which has led to 23 goals and 18 assists in just 31 games for the Hamilton Bulldogs.

But most importantly, both hold the type of potential that can lead them to become impact players for the Canadiens.
The NCAA, AHL, and Europe
The NCAA is a significant step up from the USHL, and while it's undeniable that Sean Farrell, who was named to Team USA ahead of the Beijing 2022 Olympics, was one of the most dominant USHL players of all times, it remained to be seen if his borderline elite skill set would translate to the next level.
But the doubts were quickly erased upon Farrell's arrival in Harvard, as the 2020 fourth-round pick not only drove the offensive play, but followed it up with a strong presence in the defensive zone.
His secret? Confidence.
"I've always been an offensive player," said Farrell. "But over time, I became more confident to make plays, go to the net and shoot more pucks, and that's really helped me over the last couple of years to create more chances and more plays."

Farrell, along with Jordan Harris (third round, 2018), Jayden Struble (second round, 2019), Blake Biondi (fourth round, 2020), and Brett Stapley (seventh round, 2018), represent a solid group of American prospects that should yield several quality NHL players.
The same can be said about the Canadiens' European prospects. Players like Alexander Gordin (sixth round, 2020), Oliver Kapanen (second round, 2021), Dmitri Kostenko (third round, 2021), and Mattias Norlinder (third round, 2019) will provide the type of depth that successful NHL teams use to make deep pushes into the playoffs.
However, goaltending forever remains the most important position in the playoffs, which bodes well for the Canadiens, given they currently own the rights to several quality netminding prospects.
Cayden Primeau (seventh round, 2017) leads the charge and has already earned a few starts in the NHL, but he's far from the only goaltender in the system that shows promise.
Frederik Dichow, a fifth round pick in 2019, has impressed in net and will represent Team Denmark at the Beijing Olympics this year.

The young Dane, along with Jakub Dobes (fifth round, 2020), and Joe Vrbetic (seventh round, 2021) have all made significant strides this year with their respective teams, an encouraging sign since goaltenders need the most time to develop in hockey.
Overview
Owing to 45 draft picks that were stockpiled throughout the last five years, the Canadiens have accumulated a wealth of talent at almost every single position.
And that's not to mention the players such as Cole Caufield, Ryan Poehling and Alexander Romanov who have already graduated to the NHL, as well as Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Laurent Dauphin, Jesse Ylönen, and Lukas Vejdemo, who have honed their craft in the AHL and are receiving opportunities in the NHL.

It remains to be seen whether the litany of prospects will attain their potential, but among the aforementioned players, you'll find elite snipers, top-notch playmakers, stalwart defenders, talented puck-movers and most importantly, skill and depth at every position.
Prospects are indeed the ultimate variables in the sports landscape, but with a lot of hard work, both from the prospects themselves and the scouting teams before the draft, a little luck, and a bevy of picks, you can skew the odds in your favor.
(All statistics are current as of February 1, 2022)