How Canadiens Built NHL’s Brightest Future! Prospect Rankings #2

Picture this. Your favorite team is fresh off a playoff run. Boast the slew of proven young stars. They’ve bolstered their weak points with savvy trades during the offseason. They have the defending CER trophy winner and the current CER favorites. And somehow they have the second best prospect pool in the NHL. Of course, I’m talking about the Montreal Canadians and those lucky fans who get to root for them. And wouldn’t you agree that they have the NHL’s brightest future? Welcome to a San Jose Sharks fans perspective of the loaded Montreal Canadians prospect pool. This system ranges from the blest of blue chip talent to countless other NHL caliber prospects. This video is part of my series where I’m ranking my top five NHL prospect pools. And as I said earlier, I believe the Montreal Canadians have the second best prospect pool in the entire NHL. see my grading criteria in this series first video linked below. Here are my top 10 prospects in the Canadian system. And Habs fans, am I on point here or am I way off? Comment your thoughts below. Starting out at number one, we have Ivan Demidov. And that is also the same spot I put him when I graded my top 50 prospects in the entire NHL. Demod is the epitome of high octane and skill beyond belief. Feels like every shift is doing something that leaves my mouth on the floor. The numbers he put up last season in the KHL were insane. Let me preface these numbers by saying that the KHL is a brutal league to score in. And on top of that, Demov averaged less than 14 minutes of on ice time per game. Even with those limitations, he not only had a great season, but exceeded the lofty expectations I had for him. If you’ve watched any tape on Demod, you know that every game, every shift, he jumps off the tape. His ridiculous ability to puck huddle in tight spaces, set up teammates, or finish it off himself are such a deadly and rare combination of skills that for me there is no question he will be the player drives offense for you at the next level. Frankly, I’m still blown away that you guys were able to get Demov number five in the 2024 draft. But whatever magic Kent Hughes is operating out there in Montreal, pray that he keeps it going. As for Deminov, there isn’t a player I’m more excited to watch this year and is easily my Calder favorite. Next, I have Jacob Valor, who is a stud of a goalie prospect. He’s actually my second favorite goalie prospect in the entire NHL, just behind Yarlav Ascarov. His numbers at Boston College this year were insane. A 940 save percentage and a Hobie Baker nominee. Are you kidding me? Fowler’s critics will say he’s too small, but they must not have seen what Dustin Wolf just did this season. And apparently we’re calling 6’2 too small. Now Valor also looked pretty sharp in his limited games with Laval in the AHL. I’m so excited to see what he can do with the whole season in the AHL. And for me, Valor for sure has number one goalie potential in Montreal. At three, I have David Ryan Bacher. And anyone that’s followed Ryan Bacher’s career know that the last couple years have been hampered due to injury. That is unfortunate because those years are super important for development. But I’m still high on him and everything that I’ve read says that he’s back at 100%. At the time he was drafted, I was a huge fan of his in the Swiss League. Ryan Bacher has great defensive tools and plays a very reliable and mature game. He possesses really solid speed and physicality. Once again, the injuries have been super frustrating because whenever Ryan Bacher’s been on the ice, he has looked the part. I’m not sure if Ryan Bacher will turn into a first pairing Dman, but with no adopts and Lane Hudson, Montreal doesn’t really need that out of him. Another intriguing player I’m stoked to see play in Laval this year. Man, Laval might actually be a really interesting and fun team to watch this year. At four, I have Michael Ha, who impressed me by putting up over a point per game on a pretty bad Michigan team. His specialty is using his amazing puck handling to deak out and expose defenders before setting up his own teammates for goalc scoring opportunities. On the rush is where Hage is most dangerous. While not a lock, I could definitely see him grow into a second line center role in Montreal. And you know what? I have a hot take here. With Ha returning to Michigan, look for him to make some noise in the Hobie Baker race. Alexander Zarovski is next. And even with Montreal trading away both their first for Noah Doson, they still got a first round caliber player and Zarovski. For those of you who haven’t already spent some time watching his game, the one takeaway you will have is how ridiculously skilled this dude is. I can’t tell you how many times I was shocked at his ability to maneuver through tight spaces and still maintain control. Zarovski is a high upside player who has to add some weight to his frame. I just had a thought. Between Demod, Paige, and Zarovski, Montreal has to have the best puck handling prospect court in the NHL, right? Let me hope you agree. At six, I have Owen Beck. And if anyone on this entire list is going to make the NHL, it’s Owen Beck. He’s the kind of guy who’s going to be in the NHL for a very long time due to the fact he possesses such a well-rounded toolkit. Beck can make an impact on the ice even when he doesn’t show up on the score sheet. He’s got great acceleration, which is a really good compliment to his 200 foot game. I was constantly impressed with how responsible he looked on defense, but on top of that, Beck showed up on offense as well. I really do believe that Beck has the opportunity to grow into one of the most impactful thirdline centers in the entire league, and we’ve seen from the Florida Panthers how crucial that is. At seven, Oliver Kaan is another solid 200 foot center, putting up nearly a point per game in the SHL was very impressive. While not the fastest skater, Kappan more than makes up for it with his agility. He’s really good at pulling in defenders and capitalizing on the open ice by finding teammates and scoring positions. Kinan is the type of player you want on your power play and your penalty kill. I haven’t seen a ton of people talking about Kaan yet, which is kind of surprising me, but don’t expect that to last for long. And man is Montreal loaded at the center position. Okay, call me crazy, but next I have LJ Mooney. and haters will look at his eyes and immediately write him off, but please, if you’re one of those people, first watch his game. Mooney is as speedy and dynamic as they come. Also, he might be the feistiest 5’7 hockey player I’ve ever seen. The pace and explosiveness he plays with constantly catches opposing defenders off guard, which he’s able to often turn into scoring opportunities. Mooney’s first instinct is always to pass and create for his teammates, but he’s got a good shot. Also, I know you can’t count on a guy putting on a couple inches, but if Mooney does grow, man, this could be another gem in the rough. And the last time Montreal took a chance on an undersized American, it worked out for them. Next, I have Bogdon Keshkov, who is kind of in the same vein as a player like Lane Hudson, an undersized Dman with some great offensive instincts. Despite being undersized, by the way, I don’t consider him undersized at 6 feet, but I’ve seen a lot of people throw that at him. But despite that, Kanyeshkov plays with a surprising amount of physicality. This last year in the KHL was kind of a down year for him, and I do believe that he has signed for another season out there in Russia. So, his NHL future may be a little up in the air right now. Nonetheless, still a very intriguing prospect. Lastly, at 10, I have Adam Angstrom. And I’m kind of worried I have him a little too low on this list due to how easy he made adjusting to the AHL look. 27 points from a Dman is no joke. I kept waiting for him to be called up to Montreal last year with how well he played in the AHL, but I guess the Habs are pretty set on that blue line, huh? Angstrom plays with a lot of speed and is great at turning defense into offense in the transition. We’ll see what his future holds in Montreal. Bankstrom has always been able to step up his game when asked. Like I always do, I want to give three honorable mentions. Atos Quu and gosh, I can never say this guy’s name right, but Florian Jeka, let me know if I got that right. and Sam Harris. Clear strength of the system is in its absurd high-end potential, especially with Demov and Fowler. And I love how to every position you either have a elite blue chip prospect or guys just waiting to take the next step. A lot of systems that I look at, most of their guys are years away from making an impact in the NHL. But I really think that Montreal system is a lot closer. Most of these guys are ready to make an impact this season or in just another year. When you have the second best prospect pool in the NHL, it’s really hard to find a weakness. But if I had to nitpick, you’d say it’s probably in the depth, even though that’s not really weakness, but you look at San Jose’s or Chicago, and you’d probably say there’s a little more depth in those systems. But what I care most about is high-end potential, and there’s no denying it. Montreal can hang with anybody there. But there you have it. That’s my case for why the Montreal Canadians have the brightest future in the NHL. And even though they don’t land at number one this year in my prospect pool rankings, when combined with their amazing proven young stars already and other elite players in their organization, you can’t deny that they are set up for the best future. Thank you all so much for watching. If you enjoyed the video, please consider liking and subscribing. Also, if you like hockey content, check out some of my other videos. All right, have a good one, guys. Bye. [Music]

Discover how the Canadiens are BUILDING one of the NHL’s brightest futures with a stellar prospect pool! Ranked #2 in my 2025 Top 5 Prospect Rankings, Montreal’s lineup—led by stars like Ivan Demidov and Jacob Fowler—paves the way for glory. This map-inspired breakdown explores their journey to the top. Subscribe for more NHL prospect rankings and hockey insights! Hit the bell to stay updated.
Drop your thoughts on Montreal’s future in the comments!
#NHL #Canadiens2025 #HockeyProspects #MontrealCanadiens #nhlprospects

4 comments
Leave a Reply