Introduction
Not making it as high as the official Top 25 Under 25 but still some distance removed from being at the bottom of the prospect barrel we find the Near Misses. It’s a category that used to be made up of significantly flawed players who needed major breakouts to get on the prospect radar, but now is really just an extension of the main list of potential future NHLers. Every player profiled here has multiple talents that could lead to time in the world’s top league, with a few kinks to work out or one limitation that holds them from moving higher.
We find several AHLers in this section because they have a larger body of work to evaluate and performances that can be directly compared to peers who played on the same team in a competitive, professional environment. It’s also the case that a Laval Rocket team filled with prospects was one of the very best in the minors last season, proving the quality of the talent.
#35 Yevgeni Volokhin
Goaltender – 20 – Spartak Moscow (KHL)
Yevgeni Volokhin has the most impressive professional résumé of any Canadiens goaltending prospect, but lacks the statistical prestige or size to place him as an NHL definite. He spent most of his playing time in the KHL last season with HC Sochi. He has dominated at the Junior level in Russia, but he looks to be the third goalie on his new team’s roster, so a return to the VHL might be in the cards.
He’s a physically small goaltender, and you can see it on the ice. He’s listed at 160 pounds despite being 6’3″. His stride is smooth and and he’s an excellent skater. He’s a butterfly goalie who goes down a little too soon, getting scored on over the shoulder more than anywhere else, and high glove is a weakness that will be exposed. His athleticism is impressive. He might be long, but he’s not awkward.
Volokhin is going to be a long-term project for the Habs. They probably don’t expect him to be an NHL goaltender, but goalies often come out of nowhere. This year will be interesting if he can finally find some consistency in one location. Last year he spent time with three different clubs across three different leagues, so hopefully he can settle into an everyday starting role.
#34 Luke Tuch
Forward – 23 – Laval Rocket (AHL)
Luke Tuch’s first full professional season had plenty of highs and plenty of low spots as well, as you would expect for someone adjusting to the next level of hockey. Injuries limited him to just 44 games, including sustaining a facial injury in the first game of the year as he took on Jeffery Viel in a spirited fight. That intensity and willingness to get into the physical stuff every night was the hallmark of Tuch’s game.
Alongside Florian Xhekaj and Vincent Arseneau to start the year his trio made up one of the nastiest groups to play against. They hit everything with a pulse on the ice, finishing checks with authority, and Tuch had no problem making sure that opponents knew he was on the ice. While not the tallest or quickest player, he used impeccable timing to deliver devastating bodychecks along the boards, creating turnovers and opportunities galore. It isn’t exactly beautiful hockey, but it was effective as his forecheck made defenders start rushing plays so they wouldn’t end up a smear on the boards.
He now enters his second full season with Laval and will again feature as a regular for Pascal Vincent, but that guarantees little for the Boston University product. Never noted as a high-end scorer, he tallied eight goals and 14 points total for the Rocket. To contrast that, a younger Florian Xhekaj playing a similar role scored 24 goals and ascended the depth chart quickly.
With a healthy season Tuch should be in a spot to keep himself firmly in the eyes of the Canadiens’ brass. If his footspeed can take another step and he continues to demonstrate strong defensive instincts then it is even possible we might see him get some NHL games as well. Of course there is a laundry list of players in front of him, but inside one year we’ve already seen what Vincent can do for a player willing to work at getting better.
#33 Arseni Radkov
Goaltender – 18 – Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)
Arseni Radkov is one of the most intriguing goaltenders the Canadiens have in their prospect pool. He’s not one of the biggest names on this list, but he has serious potential. At 6’4″ and 200 pounds he meets the physical criteria you look for in a modern goalie, and at 18 (just turned on August 5), he’s already an NHL-sized goaltender.
He looked fantastic at development camp in July, showcasing why the Canadiens traded up to draft him. He has strong lateral movement, smoothly moving across the crease with excellent puck-tracking ability. He stands tall in his net, but his five-hole hasn’t seemed to be an issue.
Radkov’s MHL team struggled last season and his goals-against statistics suffered, but his save percentage was excellent at .918. Even more encouraging, he is a goaltender who shines when the game is on his shoulders. In his 15 starts, he faced more than 35 shots eight times and faced more than 45 on three occasions. During a game in January, he made 66 saves on 70 shots in an overtime loss. He seems to thrive under pressure and seems to play better when the team needs him the most.
It’s always difficult to project a goaltender. Their development paths are almost always years longer than their offensive and defensive counterparts, but on the surface Radkov has all the tools to become an NHL goaltender. He’s moved over to North America for 2025-26, choosing to suit up with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL, where he will likely start. He’s already committed to the University of Massachusetts for 2026, so Habs fans should expect to be waiting a few years before even seeing him in the AHL.
#32 William Trudeau
Defenceman – 22 – Laval Rocket (AHL)
William Trudeau is such a difficult prospect to place in the grand scheme of things because he is consistently good while only rarely showing a glimpse of a higher level of talent. He is a prospect who shows nothing but all the things you look for in a defenceman, only lacking the sizzle of Lane Hutson’s playmaking or Adam Engström’s speed.
For three consecutive seasons in the AHL, Trudeau has firmly planted himself as a quality, top-four defenceman, starting with when he made the Rocket opening-night lineup after an incredible pre-season with the Canadiens. He just works wherever you plug him into the lineup; he can be the offensive outlet or the defensive stalwart all depending on who his partner is. He has been a quarterback on the top unit of the power play and the first penalty-killer over the boards.
His skating is fluid and there isn’t any wasted movement as he effectively moves the puck and covers space inside the defensive zone at all times. He is more likely to be a secondary-assist generator, but he is also able to showcase another level to his offensive instincts and that keeps him from being forgotten for too long. He can show tremendous patience to wait for shooting or passing lanes to open up, something many young blue-liners struggle with. He also does this while maintaining his defensive responsibilities. He is the jack of all trades in this prospect pool.
His ceiling is absolutely that of an NHL defenceman, and if it weren’t for the absurd depth of the Canadiens’ defensive group he could have seen time in the NHL already. He’s a coach’s dream for his versatility, but finds himself stuck in the shuffle as other dominate the discussion.
Having signed a new one-year deal, it suddenly feels like a make-or-break season for him. With Noah Dobson in Montreal now, spots are again at a premium, but with absence of Logan Mailloux opens the door for Trudeau to take a bigger role with the Rocket.
#31 Bryce Pickford
Defenceman – 19 – Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
An offensive-minded, snarly defenseman, Bryce Pickford could have broken into the Top 25 of a few lists over the last five years. He played with the Medicine Hat Tigers last season and was a point-per-game player until the playoffs, where he exploded for 24 points in 18 games en route to the Tigers’ narrow loss in the Memorial Cup Final.
He is a goal-scorer who favours the rush. He has end-to-end speed and gets past defenders with his hands and his acceleration. His shot is probably his biggest strength, but his skating impresses as well. He makes a living by making goalies uncomfortable with his aggressiveness. He likes to attack the net, collapsing down from the blue line and activating offensively on the rush.
As an NHL player, Pickford would have to adjust his game slightly. He’s already shown that he likes to play the body, and he’s good when battling in the corners, but he’ll have to get better. He shows a willingness to block shots, clear the crease, and battle in the corners, and these will be the skills he needs to hone to become an NHL regular.
He projects as a bottom-pair energy defenceman with offensive upside. He lacks the playmaking skills to be truly effective during long, offensive-zone possessions, but he has the potential to be an asset on the rush. He will be a crucial piece for Medicine Hat this season as the Tigers are still going to be among the top teams in the CHL.
#30 Owen Protz
Defenceman – 19 – Laval Rocket (AHL)
Owen Protz is another defenceman whose mentality is among his most attractive qualities. He is a big, physical defender who plays the game hard. He’s a meat-and-potatoes defensive guy who lacks the skating ability to be an offensive weapon but thrives in his own zone. He spent last season with the Brantford Bulldogs, where he played important shutdown minutes.
His skating is absolutely his biggest weakness. His straight-line speed is seriously lacking, and he doesn’t possess explosive acceleration. He might not be a fast skater, but he’s not a bad mover. He has agile hips, and his crossovers and turns aren’t clumsy. He’s fairly well balanced as well, so it’s possible his skating can improve enough to be NHL-calibre.
Where his skating lacks, his details shine. He possesses an impressive defensive toolkit and has the ability to make difficult, physical plays. He’s a monster in the corners, and at 207 pounds, he’s already an NHL-sized player. He has a good, strong stick and good instincts. He doesn’t find himself out of position very often because he can’t afford to; he doesn’t have the speed to rectify such mistakes. Where he really shines, though, is along the boards. He loves to utilize the hip-check on incoming forwards and crashing into the corners.
Protz projects to be a bottom-four shutdown defenceman. He already plays a simple game and has good defensive instincts, so if he can get his skating to an NHL level and continue to iron out his faults through the neutral zone he’ll be the kind of defender that every team wants on its bottom pairing.
#29 Filip Mesar
Forward – 21 – Laval Rocket (AHL)
Filip Mesar might be the most divisive prospect I’ve encountered while covering the Laval Rocket for the last decade or so. He has so much potential with his skill set, but seems unable to win over a majority of fans. The issue is two-fold as Mesar is not an overly large player at just 5’10” and he has constantly battled injuries since being drafted by the Canadiens in 2022. When he was healthy for the Laval Rocket last year you could see what makes him so tantalizing, and when he was battling something, you could understand the frustrations.
He put up 18 points in 42 games in his first full professional season in North America, not a mindblowing amount but it requires some context. Even after coming back from lengthy IR stints, he played the end of the season with torn ligaments in his ankle and lingering shoulder pain. It limited his game, which relies a lot on agility and edgework, in addition to his effectiveness on the puck as a distributor.
Mesar found a budding partnership on a line with Owen Beck and Jared Davidson early in 2024-25, acting as their distribution centre in the offensive zone. Beck thrived as someone who always found himself in the right spot and Davidson as someone who got into the dirty areas. All Mesar had to do was get them the puck. The young Slovak thrived at that, using great awareness to find his linemates and getting them the puck before defences could react, even if he had to do it while falling over.
While Mesar can dazzle when he is on his game, there is a reason why Vincent opted for other options in the Calder Cup playoffs and even down the stretch in the regular season. When he was off his game, he wasn’t factoring into the Rocket’s gameplan in a noticeable way, which again could be due to his injuries. Doubling down on this issue is that down the middle there is a swath of players who aren’t going to make room for him to grow into a role. In Laval alone he finds himself behind Beck, Lucas Condotta, Jared Davidson, and Alex Belzile as regular centres while the Habs also added Joe Veleno in the off-season and have a roster option in Oliver Kapanen as well.
Even if he slides to the wing the Canadiens and Rocket are going to need to see the pre-injury Mesar full-time. His entry-level deal is entering its second year and the Rocket are stacked with vets to help prospects like him find their footing. With a year of adjustment out of the way, hopefully he can remind everyone why he was a first-round pick.
#28 Jared Davidson
Forward – 23 – Laval Rocket (AHL)
Brendan Gallagher regen. That is how I would describe Jared Davidson as he finished up his second professional season with the Laval Rocket. A stunningly proficient scorer in the WHL, Davidson made the jump with relative ease to the AHL where his feisty playstyle made him an instant fan-favourite and total pain in the ass for opponents. With 24 goals and 21 assists in 69 games for the Rocket, Davidson was among the most consistent players on the team in his sophomore year.
The Rocket scored goals in bunches all year, and no one loved getting into the dirty areas of the offensive zone quite like Davidson, a menace in the high-danger area all year. He would barrel into the offensive zone to grab pucks between the dots, and quickly put the puck over the shoulder of opposing goalies. His shot has nothing but aggression behind it as he shifts his weight and angles his shots well to put pucks clear past goalies with ease. Even more impressive is that he is often doing this while coming into the zone on a change or from the neutral zone on a rush. If he is open, he wants the puck and he wants to score.
He played all over the lineup last season from the fourth line to the first and all stops in between. Nothing ever changed in his game; he played like a rabid honey badger at every single turn and that will continue to be what propels him toward his first NHL games.
Davidson’s style of play and penchant for scoring goals with a heavy shot is exactly what cemented Emil Heineman on the Habs’ fourth line last year, which could very easily be his spot if he has a strong camp in the fall. It speaks a lot to the depth of the prospect pool as well that a 20-goal AHL forward did not crack the Top 25 this year, when in years past Davidson would have seen a surefire top-15 placement.
#27 Aatos Koivu
Forward – 19 – TPS (Liiga)
Aatos Koivu would have been in the Top 25 if voting had taken place after the World Junior Summer Showcase where he was one of, if not the best player of the tournament. His six goals made him the top scorer of the tournament, and he had the same point total as Jack Berglund (seven in six games). However, Koivu’s season in Liiga looked like a step backward in development when his scoring plummeted as he adjusted to the professional level with eight points (1G, 7A) in 32 games.
Looking behind those numbers by comparing points per 60 minutes with other Finnish Canadiens prospects in their draft-plus-one season, Koivu performed better than Oliver Kapanen at the same stage of his career. It’s also important to note that he dealt with a case of mononucleosis during the season, preventing him from performing at his best.
Koivu did show in the WJSS that he is a shooter first. His shot can come from anywhere on the ice and it is fast, surprising, and accurate. It is his bread and butter, and it will give him a long career. The question is at which level.
#26 Tyler Thorpe
Forward – 19 – Laval Rocket (AHL)
Tyler Thorpe possesses multiple tools that make him an NHL-projectable player. At 6’5″, he’s one of the biggest players in the prospect and also one of the most physical. He has a long stride that allows him to beat clunky defenders through the neutral zone, and his catch-and-shoot ability could be considered elite for his size. He has a fair handle of the defensive aspects, though his two-way game wouldn’t be considered one of his strengths. He knows the areas where he’s most successful, and he sticks to them. Thorpe was a nightmare for the opposition on the boards last season in the WHL, and in his single game with the Rocket he was noticeably physical in the defensive zone.
He is an interesting player to project. At this point, he seems like a guaranteed fourth-liner, but his ceiling is mysterious. After undergoing a late growth spurt, it’s taken him a couple of years to adjust his skating to his body, but it seems the work has been done. Thorpe is a player who’s shown consistent improvement throughout his development. If that continues then you wonder what kind of player he could turn into. At the very least, his size and mentality should take him to the show.
After physically dominating the WHL last year, he will join a Laval Rocket team stacked with big, aggressive forwards. The potential problem lies in the opportunity he’ll have there. I’d be shocked if he starts anywhere other than the fourth line to start the season, and even then, if you look at the Rocket’s forward corps it doesn’t leave a lot of room for an unproven fifth-round pick.
Click the play button below to listen to our latest podcast episode, where Matt Drake and Patrik Bexell discuss the players featured in our near-misses category.
01:00 – 35. Yevgeni Volokhin
07:20 – 34. Luke Tuch
11:00 – 33. Arseni Radkov
14:45 – 32. William Trudeau
17:30 – 31. Bryce Pickford
— Commercial Break —
21:00 – 30. Owen Protz
25:45 – 29. Filip Mesar
30:00- 28. Jared Davidson
32:45 – 27. Aatos Koivu
42:15 – 26. Tyler Thorpe
With the 30 players who didn’t make the cut now revealed, the official countdown of the top 25 players under the age of 25 is about to begin. The list includes NHL players, familiar prospects, and three new draftees, and we’ll start with an in-depth look at the 25th-ranked player on Monday.
This article is a collaboration between William Shoukri, Scott Matla, and Patrik Bexell.
