If picking striker Shane Wright looks very likely for the Montreal Canadiens with the first overall pick ahead of the next National Hockey League draft, it would be very difficult to imagine who the other player might be. The player to be selected by CH, 26th overall, is late in the first round.

The Habs group should take advantage of this other option after trading striker Tyler Toffoli to Calgary Flames last February.

Repetition is still an imprecise science, it makes sense to believe that this Canadian next hope could be between 11th and 27th among the best skaters in North America.

This is a trend that has been observed at least for the past three years.

Like Jacob Pelletier

In 2021, defender Carson Lampus was drafted 26th overall by Minnesota Wild. The Winnipeg Ice producer, despite being ranked 11th among the best skaters in North America, was shunned by many teams before being chosen by Wild.

19-year-old Lampos responded with 47 points, including 10 goals in 51 regular season matches, with his junior list in 2021-22.

The previous year, in 2020, the St. Louis Blues also picked North America with the 26th overall pick, picking striker Jake Nebors. He ranked 26th in the North American skaters rankings.

In his case, he spent most of his last campaign with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL. However, he was entitled to play his first nine games in the NHL, with the Blues.

Quebec striker Jacob Pelletier was named 26th overall by the Calgary Flames in the 2019 draft. In the final list of the best North American skaters, he ranked 27th.

If the Flames don’t want to speed things up for Pelletier, the forward now looks set to play in the NHL next season. For good reason, he just scored 62 points in 66 MLS games with the Stockton Heat.

checklist

While waiting for the first round, on July 7 at the Bell Center, here’s a list of 17 players appearing between 11th and 27th on the final list of North American skaters for the next draft.

There are also three players from the Junior Hockey League in Quebec, striker Nathan Gaucher, from Quebec Remparts, as well as defenders Maverick Lamoureux (Voltigors de Drummondville) and Tristan Lono (Olympique de Gatineau).

Jimmy Singerod (Right winger)

– Jäger Ferkus (Right Wing)

David Jewett (midfield)

Denton Matichuk (Defender)

Owen Pickering (Defender)

– Nathan Gocher (Midfielder)

– Rieger Lorenz (left wing)

– Ryan Chesley (Defender)

Sam Rinzel (Defender)

Maverick Lamoureux (Defender)

Frank Nizar (Midfielder)

Rutger McGarraty (Right winger)

– Matthias Sapovalev (Midfielder)

Tristan Lono (Defender)

Lynn Hutson (Defender)

– Jack Hughes (center, son of General Motors Kent Hughes)

Adam Ingram (midfield)