Introduction
The largest gap between two players in this year’s Top 25 Under 25 occurs between positions 43 and 42, a clear separation between players with next to no shot of putting on a Montreal Canadiens jersey for an NHL game, and those who have a path to playing in the world’s top league. It will be a difficult route for these players, and most of them won’t make it, but there’s bound to be a player or two in this range who achieves his dream.
Not surprisingly given the type of player the Canadiens targeted in the NHL draft this year, a few of the new prospects find themselves in this tier. Part of that is the great deal of development they still need to undergo, and there’s also the fact that we don’t know a whole lot about them to rank them above players we’ve followed for a season or two. These newest additions are the most likely candidates to move up next year, but for now they sit on the outskirts of the Top 25.
#42 Tyler Thorpe
RW – 18 – Vancouver Giants (WHL)
Tyler Thorpe was the first selection of the fifth round, passed over as one of the youngest prospects the previous year. From his draft season to last, he became a more offensive player, expanding his point total from six to 44. Much of that offence came from an improved shot, and getting himself into position to accept passes. Despite being a big player at 6’5″, at this stage he doesn’t use his frame for much more than taking advantage of his reach to whip the puck on net.
The first step was putting himself on an NHL radar to get drafted, and he did that with his offensive totals. Now that he’s caught the attention of the Canadiens, he will need to add a lot of elements to his game, most importantly improved skating ability and more physical play. That’s a lot to ask of a prospect, but a big forward who can shoot the puck was a good base to start from.
Panellists generally felt he belonged around this spot in the countdown, with a fairly tight range of responses. His average ranking of 40.083 was nearly four points higher than Makar Khanin at 43rd.
#41 Sam Harris
LW – 20 – University of Denver (NCAA)
Harris was profiled in the Long Shots article a year ago, and now rises seven positions to move up a category. His 56 points in 56 USHL games two seasons ago didn’t do much to sway panellists, but having a bit of offensive success at the collegiate level helped him jump over a few players. He was also more in the spotlight as a member of the NCAA-champion University of Denver in 2023-24.
It will be difficult for him to get opportunities to show more offence on an NHL prospect-laden roster, but that is what voters will be looking for from Harris in his sophomore season. He already brings a high-tempo style to the team, and having his first season of experience under his belt should help him refine that assertive style more for this campaign.
#40 Rhett Pitlick
LW – 23 – University of Minnesota (NCAA)
Fellow NCAA left-winger Rhett Pitlick has developed his game like Harris is expected to do. Yet even leading the University of Minnesota in points (36 in 39 games) and finishing second in goals (19), he slots in no higher that 40th, dropping further down the order each year since his initial debut at 23rd. He will turn 24 during the upcoming season, his final one in the NCAA after spending two seasons in the USHL after being drafted back in 2019, and that played a large part in how he’s viewed.
It also doesn’t help that some of the other forwards who’ve come out of the NCAA system haven’t exactly taken the pros by storm. We saw yesterday how low Ty Smilanic ranked after struggling to make an impact in the ECHL, and Brett Stapley has moved on to Slovakia after a couple of season in North America’s third-tier league. It’s difficult to get a read on this type of player before seeing him alongside his peers in a pro environment.
#39 Luke Mittelstadt
LD – 21 – University of Minnesota (NCAA)
The block of NCAA players is completed by Luke Mittelstadt, a defenceman whom several panellists had slotted into the low 30s. There is some NHL pedigree in his family with brother Casey being a regular member of the Colorado Avalanche, which may factor into his standing. But there’s also some promising offensive talent that elevates him above some other prospects.
His time in the NCAA is resulting in important work to his defensive and transition games, which is always the hope for offensive-minded players who opt for that route. Mittelstadt needed to make major improvements to many parts of his game, and he has three more seasons to build on the progress he’s shown. Right now it’s difficult to see him knocking a defenceman out of the picture to claim a spot on the Canadiens, but we’ll all re-evaluate that stance when we do this again in a year’s time.
#38 Jacob Perreault
RW – 22 – Laval Rocket (AHL)
Would Jacob Perreault have come in at 38th had he been selected by Montreal at 27th overall in 2020? We probably would have given him some more leeway in that case. Our experience with him is as a player who notched a mere two points in 13 games with the Laval Rocket after replacing Jan Mysak on the roster, not having that period of first-round shine colouring our judgment.
There have been better offensive numbers in the minors for Perreault, including in a partial season right after he was drafted, so there’s some talent there. But the downward trend in his production is concerning — and clearly was for the Anaheim Ducks who traded him away at 21 years of age as well. A critical issue seems to be his aversion to working on his defensive game. Perhaps being rejected by one NHL club will be the fire he needs to take the necessary steps.
#37 Logan Sawyer
LW – 18 – Brooks Bandits (BCHL)
Montreal used its second third-round pick on Junior A centre Logan Sawyer. He had impressive offensive totals in the Alberta Junior Hockey League before his Brooks Bandits team merged with the British Columbia Hockey League, helping him earn his selection at 78th.
Sawyer plays with high energy and has good offensive talents, but was able to work around some of his flaws versus weaker competition. He wasn’t forced to develop his puck-handling skills and now dangles the puck far from his body in possession, which isn’t going to work at higher levels, and he’ll have less success with his telegraphed shot.
He won’t be playing at the same level again this year as was the initial plan, but rather will begin his NCAA career, as Mark Divver reported yesterday. Whether that was his decision or a recommendation from the Canadiens, Sawyer will begin the process of removing aspects of his play that don’t work while adding things that will. He will be one of the most interesting prospects to watch this season to monitor how that progress goes.
#36 Owen Protz
LD – 18 – Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
Despite being selected 24 picks later, Owen Protz ranks above Sawyer in the debuts for both players, higher on seven of the 12 ballots used for the ranking, with my placement at 27th being the highest.
Protz’s main quality is his shutdown defensive play. He’s very effective in that role despite a lack of footspeed because of his great body-positioning and read of the game. Even though he’s a bruising defender, he also shows good offensive instincts, whether that’s getting his shot through traffic or finding teammates with passes when the shooting lane isn’t available. The more I read about his game, the more it seemed that his only real limiting factor was his skating ability, and even then his intelligence helped him get the puck over each blue line decently well at the Junior level.
Skating deficiency was a flaw the Canadiens were unfazed by in this year’s class, hinting that they feel confident they can help these prospects overcome that obstacle. In Protz’s case, even small improvements in his mobility are going to have a big impact on his various talents, and I believe there could be a good player at the end of that development path.
#35 Quentin Miller
G – 19 – Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL)
The trade of William Rousseau from the defending Memorial Cup-champion Quebec Remparts opened up the starting role for Quentin Miller in 2023-24. He didn’t take the job as seamlessly as most were expecting, posting a 3.04 goals-against average and .901 save percentage. He himself was traded during the season, and had a better showing in Rimouski, a 15-game stint that ended with a .917 mark.
Even with the good play of Jakub Dobes in the AHL, the impressive play of Yevgeni Volokhin in Russia, and headlines grabbed by Jacob Fowler in his NCAA career, Miller kept himself in the conversation with that end-of-year run, rising five spots from 40th last year. To turn that into a trend, he will need to at least maintain that performance.
#34 Jared Davidson
C – 22 – Laval Rocket (AHL)
Jared Davidson’s CHL eligibility ended before his draft rights did, and that meant the Canadiens could see him play an AHL season before having to give him an NHL contract. He was only able to play 38 games last season, but he scored 11 goals, and that landed him his two-year entry-level deal.
Goal-scoring was how he got drafted in the first place, changing his game in the WHL to put the puck in the net more often, and the Habs saw enough offensive promise to keep him around for a bit longer. A rise of two spots from last year to this is a vote of confidence from the panellists as well.
It’s going to be another season of development for the AHL affiliate as several of these prospects we’re ranking are in the first phase of their professional careers. Davidson’s progression will involve working on his defence and developing strategies to use his shot more often.
There is another sizable gap to our last group of players before the official Top 25 Under 25 starts to get revealed. Tomorrow we’ll profile the eight players who make up the Near Misses.
Click the play button below to listen to our latest entry in the Top 25 Under 25 podcast series: the projects.
1:00 – Tyler Thorpe
3:50 – Sam Harris
6:40 – Rhett Pitlick
10:30 – Luke Mittelstadt
12:20 – Jacob Perreault
13:45 – Logan Sawyer
16:00 – Commercial
16:10 – Owen Protz
17:15 – Quentin Miller
20:00 – Jared Davidson
