Top prospects for Montreal Canadiens

NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, the top five prospects for the Montreal Canadiens, according to NHL.com.

1. Juraj Slafkovsky, F

How acquired: Selected with No. 1 pick in 2022 NHL Draft

2022-23 season: Montreal (NHL): 39 GP, 4-6-10

Slafkovsky made it about halfway through his first NHL season as an 18-year-old before a knee injury in mid-January sidelined him for the rest of the campaign. The 6-foot-3, 238-pound left wing brings an irrepressible enthusiasm for the game to the rink and appears to be well-suited for the pressure and attention that comes with being a No. 1 draft pick in Montreal, the Canadiens' first since Doug Wickenheiser in 1980.

"I know what I need to work on, what type of player I am, I know my size and everything, I just need to make it work all together," Slafkovsky said in April. "In this League it's very specific, and I'm just trying to find a balance between all the things I can do. And the coaches are helping me to find the best version of myself so I can help the team win."

Projected NHL arrival: This season

2. David Reinbacher, D

How acquired: Selected with No. 5 pick in 2023 NHL Draft

2022-23 season: Kloten (Swiss National League): 45 GP, 3-19-22

Reinbacher (6-2, 194) became the highest-drafted Austrian defenseman ever, and tied Thomas Vanek (Buffalo Sabres, 2003) as the highest pick from Austria when Montreal selected him on June 28.

"I talked to his coaches from Kloten at the draft and he started out as a number six, maybe seven defenseman, and by the end of the year he was in the top pair," Canadiens director of player development Rob Ramage said at development camp in July.

Montreal passed up the opportunity to pick highly touted Russian forward Matvei Michkov (chosen with No. 7 pick by the Philadelphia Flyers) and some fans expressed their displeasure on social media, including messages addressed directly to the 18-year-old defenseman.

"I don't know what you'd tell fans that are upset other than, 'Hey listen, we're really confident in the player that we drafted,'" Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said. "And I would hope that they would take the time to allow him to perform on the ice and figure out what we have in terms of a player here because we think that we've got a really, really good player that will play for us for a long time."

Projected NHL arrival: 2025-26

3. Lane Hutson, D 

How acquired: Selected with No. 62 pick in 2022 NHL Draft

2022-23 season: Boston University (NCAA): 39 GP, 15-33-48

The Canadiens hit paydirt when they selected Hutson late in the second round last year. The 19-year-old defenseman's smaller size (5-9, 158) makes his freshman production over 39 games at Boston University (15 goals, 33 assists) even more impressive.

"He always seems to find someone, and things happen when he has the puck in the offensive zone," Ramage said. "He just put up big numbers. Every game I went to he impacted, game-winners, the whole nine yards. Typically the best player on the ice."

Projected NHL arrival: 2025-26

4. Owen Beck, F

How acquired: Selected with No. 33 pick in 2022 NHL Draft

2022-23 season: Montreal (NHL): 1 GP, 0-0-0; Mississauga (OHL): 30 GP, 17-24-41; Peterborough (OHL): 30 GP, 7-18-25

Beck (6-0,190), who won a gold medal with Canada at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, got an opportunity to make his NHL debut with Montreal via an emergency recall and played 9:48 in a 5-0 loss against the Ottawa Senators on Jan. 28.

"Whenever you get a taste like that, and you get to see where the NHL guys are, you get a little self-evaluation of where you need to be," Ramage said.

The 19-year-old center had a 58.6 percent success rate in the faceoff circle and 66 points (24 goals, 42 assists) in 60 regular season games in the Ontario Hockey League last season. After being traded midseason he had 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in 22 playoff games for Peterborough, which advanced to the Memorial Cup.

"A complete player, very smart, reliable, consistent, his coaches love him," Ramage said. "He's a coach's dream. He's a leader, very, very serious, conscientious; this guy's going to play."

Projected NHL arrival: Next season

5. Joshua Roy, F

How acquired: Selected with No. 150 pick in 2021 NHL Draft

2022-23 season: Sherbrooke (QMJHL): 55 GP, 46-53-99

A late bloomer, Roy (6-0, 190) was an MVP finalist in the QMJHL last season to follow up his 119 points (51 goals, 68 assists) in 66 games with Sherbrooke in 2021-22. A highlight of the 20-year-old's campaign was playing on the same line as 2023 NHL Draft No. 1 pick Connor Bedard (Chicago Blackhawks) and winning his second straight IIHF World Junior Championship gold medal for Canada.

"I have to work on my defensive game," Roy said at development camp in July. "I've had to work on that for a long time. I've worked on it and it's getting better, but there's still more improvement to do, and being more involved physically. Those are the things that I think I need to improve in my game."

Projected NHL arrival: Next season