Ask Trevor

Canadiens assistant general manager Trevor Timmins answers questions submitted by fans on Facebook and Twitter.

1. Question from Shane From Brandon, via Twitter.
"In my opinion, Carey Price is your greatest pick. How on earth did you decide on #31? Next to Crosby, he was the best pick of the draft."
We had a list of players at that time. Going into that draft, it was during a lockout year. The entire NHL had lottery picks. Luckily, we ended up with the fifth overall pick. The lottery] was a bit of a nailbiter. We had players who we thought were blue chip or would have franchise potential, and Carey Price was one of them. Luckily, when our pick came, he was still there, but it was still a difficult decision to make at the time for our group. I have to commend Bob Gainey for stepping up and letting us make that pick. At the time, we had Jose Theodore, [Mathieu] Garon in the system. To pick a goalie, you couldn't just look at the close future; you had to project and look down the road. Luckily for us, we selected Carey where we did, and we all know what's happened since then.
**2. Question from [Jeremy, via Twitter.
"Do you think that letting European prospects develop overseas (rather than in the AHL) is a good thing or a bad thing?"
That's on an individual basis. What's good for one player isn't necessarily good for another player. We believe in our development system in the American Hockey League, and the Junior system over here as well, and the way the Europeans run things. We've had success with Artturi] Lehkonen playing in Frolunda; they have a really good development system there - especially their off-ice training. He's a special case that happened for us. I can't say that will never happen again with other prospects, but again, it's on an individual player basis.
**3. Question from [Anthony Brayall, via Twitter.
"How is Martin Reway doing?"
That's an excellent question, I was asking that myself today. Martin is back in Slovakia. He is recovering from a major health problem. He's on medication right now, and he's back training. We're hopeful he'll be in good enough condition - moreso, we hope that he's healthy enough to live his life normally - eventually come off his medication, and be able to be here for our rookie camp and rookie tournament coming up in September, where hopefully fans will be able to get another look at him.
4. Question from Cory, via Twitter.
"Do you think Joni Ikonen is going to be a stud? Would you rather him play his Junior in North America?"
We're not into drafting racehorses here, but he's going to be a good hockey player. In fact, he is a good hockey player; it's not a question of whether he's going to be or not. He was the top centerman for the Finnish under-18 national team, and he'll be at the Finish under-20 World Junior camp. Hopefully, we'll get to see him coming up the first week of August in Plymouth, where he will suit up for the Finnish national under-20 team, and play against the likes of Canada, the United States, and Sweden World Junior teams.
5. Question from Roch Savard, via Twitter.
"Do you do interviews with all prospects (like Nico Hischier, Nolan Patrick, Cody Glass, etc.) just in case?"
Our area scouts do interviews throughout the course of the season, as do I and Shane Churla. When we come to the NHL Combine, we try to interview as many players as we can. We don't interview the guys at the very top of the draft class, as there was basically no chance of us securing a pick that high. If it ever came to it where we thought we might get that high-ranked selection, we would interview them at that time on a more in-depth basis. For example, with Ryan Poehling, we interviewed him at the combine, and our management staff was there. Unfortunately, Marc Bergevin had to leave at the time, so we brought him back to our hotel at the draft and had Marc spend some time with him.
6. Question from Dalton Uffcrab, via Twitter.
"I'd like to #AskTrevor how far Nikita Scherbak is from the NHL. And what's his ceiling?"
That's a very good question. I have a quote that Bill Belichick uses: "Talent gets you to the floor, character gets you to the ceiling." We're hoping that Nikita can continue to take that character and lift his game up to eventually play at the National Hockey League level. I want everyone to understand that Nikita is what we call a "late birth." He was born between September and December. Instead of going back and playing two years of Junior after being selected by the Canadiens, like a "regular" birth would, he only went back and played one year. The same was true of Nathan Beaulieu and Brett Lernout. That first year at the American Hockey League level is very difficult, because "late birth" players] are the youngest players in the League. Usually, that is a full development year for them; it's a learning experience. Then, the next year, you really see them start to take off. In the second half of last season and the playoffs, Nikita really stepped up his game. His ceiling is up to him. We drafted him for his talent - he has top-six talent potential - and whether he reaches that potential is up to him. We're trying to give him everything we can - all the resources, experience and knowledge - for him to reach that level. We'll see how Nikita does at training camp, and moving forward.
**7. Question from [Thomas Valin, via Twitter.
"What are the most important characteristics you look for in a prospect?"
We can all agree that it's changed in today's NHL. Today's NHL game requires more speed, and that means that you have to think the game more quickly. We're looking for players who can skate and think the game very quickly. Also, now, the undersized players have a better chance of playing; we're seeing more and more of them, like Paul Byron, for example, being able to execute without getting hooked and held. Size doesn't matter as much in today's game.
8. Question from JO-YVES, via Twitter.
"Did you have any Quebecers on your radar at the Draft, and if so, which ones?"
I'm assuming by "Quebecers" you mean francophone players that live in the province of Quebec. Of course we do. I can't tell you which players, but you can assume the ones that were drafted were among them. We did try to move up in the second round to secure one, but we couldn't find a dance partner to make that trade. We put a lot of emphasis on getting francophones as high on our list as we can, without jeopardizing our draft board with players that have more of a floor and ceiling of talent.
9. Question from teems.zoro, via Twitter.
"Greatest strength to look for in a defenseman?"
That's another good question, and relates to another one I just answered. The greatest strength to look for is skating. Nowadays, defensemen have to pivot and get back to retrieve pucks as quickly as they can, and try to give themselves as much time and space to move pucks quickly up the ice. You need defensemen that can really skate; skating is the top asset now. Again, the ability to think quickly under pressure, and to have good vision - to see developing plays up the ice. Nowadays, coaches want defensemen to get back, get the puck and move it up ice as quickly as possible, and initiate that transition game.
10. Question from Pat Nadeau, via Twitter.
"Who's the best player you've drafted, and the best player you didn't draft (but could have)?"
The best player has to be Carey Price. I want to point out that we also drafted Jaroslav Halak in the ninth round of the draft. He was a heck of a goalie for the Habs, as well.
11. Question from Brian Curley, via Twitter.
"How are you liking the development of Jake Evans, and what do you think he projects as?"
Good question - Jake is here at our Development Camp. He only gets to our summer Development Camps because he plays college hockey at the NCAA level. He plays for Notre Dame and he'll be going back there this year as a senior. I imagine he'll be the captain. What I like about Jake's game is that he is a really cerebral player. He really thinks the game well, he has a high-end hockey sense and is a strong playmaker. Jake has to continue working on his explosiveness and quickness, and he's in the right place to do that. Hopefully, we'll see him in a Montreal Canadiens uniform next year.
12. Question from Random ADHD Thoughts, via Twitter.
"How does the 2018 draft class compare to 2017?"
It's a difficult comparison to make. We'll have to get through the season next year and see how much these young players, that we saw as underagers this year, develop and what their ceilings are going to be. It's difficult to compare draft classes until five, six, or seven years down the road, when you see where those players end up: whether they make the NHL, they're minor-league players, or they never play a game as a pro.
13. Question from Reeves Matheson, via Twitter.
"How much can you bench?"
(laughs) It's not how much you can bench, it's the quality of reps that you do! Don't forget that. (laughs) Once in my life, I did 500 pounds, but that was a long, long time ago.