For Montréal, much of the discussion has been about their young stars producing for them. While Lane Hutson was a second-round pick and Nick Suzuki was acquired via trade, the Canadiens picked in the top five from 2022 to 2024, drafting Juraj Slafkovský first-overall in 2022, David Reinbacher fifth-overall in 2023, and Ivan Demidov fifth-overall in 2024. From 2019 to 2025, Montréal had eight first-round picks. Accumulating draft stock is crucial in the early stages of rebuilding.
