2023-05-09 17:58:42
We all dreamed of seeing Connor Bedard in the uniform of the Canadian, but chance decided otherwise and with the fifth choice, it becomes more complicated. The CH staff has no right to be wrong.
Fifth place is a critical position in a draft. There is always a way to hit a home run, especially since it is said that the 2023 vintage is of high quality, but the risk of going astray exists. It is therefore very easy for a general manager and his team of recruiters to look bad.
The Canadian was often mistaken with his first choice with the Jesperi Kotkaniemi (3e en 2018), Ryan Poehling (25e en 2017), Noah Juulsen (26e en 2015), Nikita Sherback (26e in 2014), Michael McCarron (25e in 2013), and we might add more with Nathan Beaulieu, Louis Leblanc, Danny Kristo (2e in 2008) and David Fischer (20e) rather than Claude Giroux, in 2006.
These choices have seriously plagued the Canadian over the years. This time, we know at least one thing, it is that the CH will probably pick up an attacker, because that is where the wealth of the 2023 auction lies.
I would have liked a goalkeeper to stand out and be available, but regardless, you have to choose the best talent and many believe that following Bedard, it is the Russian Matvei Michkov. He might slip due to his contractual situation which binds him to SKA Saint-Petersburg in KHL until 2026.
It might cool the teams drafted in the second, third and fourth ranks, namely Anaheim, Columbus and San Jose, not to mention the Russian problem. If Michkov really was the best, I wouldn’t hesitate to draft him. I know it’s risky, but if we can get our hands on the second best player, we have to select him.
I think we have to attack the repechage with the same mentality as when Marc Bergevin chose Logan Mailloux at 31e rank in 2021. We know his story, but today, several teams regret having ignored him. It was a risk, but so far it seems to be a robbery from Bergevin. In 2005, many blamed the general manager of the Canadiens for having drafted Carey Price in fifth place, when I was in position as number one goalkeeper in Montreal, but it was the right decision.
When you have the chance to fish out an exceptional fish, you have to take it. Hughes will have to select the best prospect in fifth place and if we have to wait until 2026 to see Michkov land in Montreal, I have no problem with that. Let’s go!
Bedard changes the game
Photo Getty Images via AFP
Connor Bedard will dramatically speed up the rebuilding process in Chicago.
The Chicago Blackhawks’ reconstruction plan has just accelerated with Bedard. I’m still happy to see such a star end up in a big market. It’s good for the NHL and it’s good for hockey. Free agents will be more attracted to Chicago and within three years the Hawks should be among the top 10 teams in the NHL.
It is certain that Bedard will not be very well surrounded in his debut, but he seems very mature, a bit like Sidney Crosby in his debut. I believe he will develop in the right way, and Luke Richardson seems like an ideal coach for him.
I would be more worried regarding Bedard if he was immature like Alex Ovechkin was in his early days. Like the Hawks today, the Capitals were pitiful back then and Ovi took a beating despite a 52-goal rookie season at age 20.
One thing is certain, hockey is a winner with the arrival of Bedard in the NHL. It remains to be seen if he will be able to assert himself immediately or if it will take three years as in the case of Jack Hughes in New Jersey.
– Interview by Gilles Moffet
ENTREFILETS
Panther madness
The Panthers are creating quite the buzz in Florida and with a win tonight they might sweep the Maple Leafs in four games. No one had foreseen this scenario. What has changed in this team is the leadership; first that of the trainer, Paul Maurice, then that of Matthew Tkachuk and goalkeeper Sergei Bobrovsky who delivers the goods, finally. They say that the enthusiasm in the locker room is at its height and we believe we can go all the way.
Panic at the Leafs
The Leafs may have made it through the first round, but they are on the brink at 0-3 in their series once morest the Panthers. Over the years, they have mostly learned to lose the important games and it continues. The pressure is enormous and we feel a wave of panic, starting with the general manager, Kyle Dubas, who threw a bottle of water in his dressing room. When the GM panics, it’s a very bad example for the players.
Gerard Gallant
For the third time in six years, coach Gerard Gallant has been unfairly fired, this time with the Rangers. He probably would have preferred to receive sandpaper players at the trade deadline rather than two stars like Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane, but that was the choice of his boss, Chris Drury. In a market like New York, the latter must choose the right man otherwise he will jump too. In my opinion, Joel Quenneville would be the ideal candidate if he obtains his pardon from the NHL.
Bad memory
I suffered when I saw Golden Knights goaltender Laurent Brossoit writhing in pain on Monday night. I wouldn’t be surprised if he tore his groin, because he injured himself exactly the same way I did in 2013. I looked on YouTube and the footage shows an identical movement. I wanted to bring my leg back and push, then the groin gave out. That’s what ended my career eventually. It shows how important it is to have depth in front of the net these days.
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