Bobrov: ‘We wanted to add a lot of compete and grit’

MONTREAL – The 2025 NHL Draft is now behind us, with the Canadiens having made a total of nine picks in the annual event. Montreal picked up three forwards – including a pair of centers – four defensemen, and two goalies, although the Club did not make a pick in the first round after trading away the 16th and 17th overall picks for defenseman Noah Dobson.

Co-directors of amateur scouting Martin Lapointe and Nick Bobrov, Dobson, and general manager Kent Hughes all met the media this weekend to discuss the Canadiens’ moves and draft picks. Here are a few highlights from their press conferences:

Please note that some answers have been modified for clarity and conciseness.

Bobrov on the organization’s goals at the Draft:

Everybody wants to draft the best player available with each pick. So, we have to figure out who that player is. And they're not always apples to apples; different styles, different sizes. But after the Noah Dobson trade, we felt that finding a forward or several forwards who have top-six talent would add to our depth organizationally. And, you recognize what the realities are in the marketplace. We wanted to add a lot of compete, and a lot of grit to our depth in the prospect pool. But we also wanted a shot at two or three kids who can play with the top players in the world. One of our current players has grown up playing with Alexander Zharovsky – and for quite some time. We've done our homework, and we felt pretty comfortable to do what we've done.

Lapointe on trading up to select Zharovsky:

On paper, he was a second-round pick. But on our list, he was a first-rounder. And the goal, like Nick said, was to draft a top-six player, a top-six talent. For us, that was important. So, we didn’t have an issue paying for that.

Hughes on the rationale for acquiring and signing a player like Dobson at this stage in the team’s progression:

It’s not often that a 25-year-old player, with the experience Noah has and what he’s accomplished, becomes available at age 25. For us, it’s really important for us to have the chance to get someone who’s pretty young, and who we think we’ll be able to sign for the entirety of the prime of his career. We’re not signing him until 38 or 39 years old. We for sure also did a lot of homework on his game, lots of video, just to be sure. We also talked [to people] around him about his character. When you add another player or person to your core, when he hasn’t been in your locker room, you want to be sure it’s the right fit for us.

Hughes on how Dobson’s game will fit in and complement the team and system:

I wouldn't describe him as an overly physical defender. I think he defends with his feet, with his reach, and range. And I think if you look at how we play and how we try to deny pucks a lot, and deny ice, and we send a lot of D back... if their D partner is up defending, holding the blue line and they're going back to retrieve, his ability to retrieve pucks and spring the offense for us was a big piece. We see how Lane [Hutson] has done that for us this year.

Hughes on Dobson reportedly accepting less money to sign with Montreal:

My experience representing hockey players is, once they get a taste of winning, they chase it. They chase it and some of them look back and say, “I wish I figured it out sooner and chased it sooner.” I don't think there are a lot of players in Florida who are regretting that they took less money to stay in Florida. But that's a credit to the Florida Panthers organization for creating an environment where they can win and where they enjoy being there and working together, and that's what we're trying to do here.

Dobson on being willing to sign a long-term contract even though he’s never played for Montreal:

Without hesitation, it was a no-brainer for me. Just the opportunity to be part of the Montreal Canadiens, it’s an honor. It’s the best hockey market in the world. The fans are incredible. I love playing at the Bell Centre. And also the group of players they have already and the talent they have on the team and what they’ve been building. I’m just super excited to join that group and add to it, and I’m excited about what we can do down the road here in the future.

Dobson on who he knows on the team and what it means to be a Hab:

I’m familiar with some of the guys. Nick Suzuki from Hockey Canada, the World Juniors and that stuff. I played in the World Championship with Mike Matheson just a few months ago with Team Canada. Just from playing against the guys, you have that familiarity. Nothing but great things have been said about the organization, the group of guys they have in the locker room and obviously just the opportunity to be a Canadien. It’s not something you take lightly and as a kid in Canada growing up, it’s a dream come true.

Dobson on how he would describe his game:

Obviously, I’ve been able to produce offensively and have great offensive seasons. But I think that’s not what I want to only be known for. I want to be a complete D-man. I can play in all situations, defend well with my hockey sense, my skating, and good stick detail. That’s something that, maybe, can get overlooked with the offensive production, but I want to be known to play a 200-foot game and be reliable in all three zones.