Montreal Canadiens Drafting Beckett Sennecke With 5th Pick Active Option – Hockey Writers – NHL Entry Draft

The NHL season is over, and the Florida Panthers are the Stanley Cup champions for the first time in franchise history. It is the third time in four seasons that the trophy has been awarded to a Florida team. With the season over, the next big event is the 2024 NHL Entry Draft in Las Vegas on June 28 and 29, where NHL teams will begin two days of celebrations by gathering and selecting their team's hopeful savior in the first round. The Montreal Canadiens have the fifth overall pick and will look to improve their forward line with a young goaltender.

The draft is loaded with top talent, and the prospect of the Canadiens getting one is very high, especially if at least two defensemen go in the top four. Montreal probably can't go wrong with their picks this year, but there are some safe and risky picks to choose from.

The Canadiens Made a Safe Pick Last Year

Last year's draft would be the most controversial of Kent Hughes' time in Montreal. The second-year general manager had the opportunity to select a few highly skilled players such as Matvei Michkov or Ryan Leonard. Instead, they went the safe route and drafted defenseman David Reinbacher. The decision surprised and angered many Habs fans who were hoping for the highly talented Michkov or key forward Leonard. Hughes planned to build defense and goaltending by drafting Reinbacher and selecting three goals throughout the draft. Drafting a defenseman early in the rebuild made sense because it takes longer to develop than to advance. What was not heard was that the next draft (this year) was difficult for high-quality defenders; the Canadiens could easily get the forward they wanted in the 2023 draft and the defensemen they wanted in this draft.

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Many would argue that when you draft, you always select the best player available (BPA) and that the Canadiens were drafted out of necessity. This is not the case in last year's draft – Reinbacher may not have looked like a BPA to everyone else, but if the Habs were planning on going defensively, he would be Montreal's BPA. I understand that BPA usually means the next best prospect, regardless of position, based on ability and evaluation, but teams don't usually look at it that way. An NHL team – especially a rebuilder – views BPA as the best player available to help their team in the future. The Canadiens could go fast with a talented forward because they need one of those, but the forwards improve much faster than the defensemen. If they know that the next draft is tough on defense, it should be easy for them to go with high-skilled forwards.

Sennecke is a Very High Risk Draft Pick

Beckett Sennecke is a long, well-rounded, highly skilled wing who combines exceptional size, speed, and puck skills. His skill set is nowhere near being taken out, and he has the potential to become a truly elite player. Although his season wasn't particularly impressive, recording 68 points in 63 games, his playoff performance for the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) was huge as he scored 10 goals and 22 points in 16 games. . Sennecke was a big reason why the Generals had so much success in the second half and a long playoff run. When it comes to pure skill, he's in the same league as Ivan Demidov and Macklin Celebrini; while he doesn't have the same skill or hockey IQ as them, his size and speed put him at about the same level.

The biggest problem with Sennecke – and what puts him in the top tier of forwards – is that despite his size and speed, he's still trying to find his game in his big body. He's grown about five inches over the past two seasons, and his first-half woes are directly attributable to not getting used to his body size on the ice. He was also injured in the quarter-finals of the OHL playoffs, forcing him to miss the finals. There's no doubting his superior skills, and he's a highlight machine, but he still doesn't have the IQ to consistently put it all together. His defensive game is also lacking; like many highly skilled forwards, Sennecke has a lot to learn about the defensive side of the game, and many of today's NHL coaches want good 200-foot games from all of their high-minute players. Because of these flaws, he is a boom-or-bust pick in the draft; he will be an NHL champion or a third line forward.

The Canadiens can't afford to miss a Forward

The Canadiens are in good draft position at fifth overall. They can get an excellent top six with star power; However, in order for them to get what they want, several things still need to happen from one to four choices. Montreal needs to hope that at least two defensemen will be drafted in the top four, and they need to expect that the forward they want won't be drafted in one of the remaining spots. Celebrini will go to the San Jose Sharks first overall – that's a foregone conclusion. The other three positions before the fifth position are still open to interpretation. The number two BPA should be Demidov, but the Chicago Blackhawks may also feel that their BPA is a defenseman like Artyom Levshunov or Sam Dickinson. The Anaheim Ducks are looking for defensemen in Anton Silayev or Zayne Parekh, leaving the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Habs tight end.

The Blue Jackets can go either way with a defender or a forward. Sounds like they want one with size for Cayden Lindstrom or Sennecke to play. According to social media, most Montreal fans seem to be rooting for Demidov, and I'm one of the hopefuls that he could fall to the fifth spot. Let's say Demidov and Lindstrom are listed in the top four. If that's the case, the Canadiens still have viable options, and if they decide to go the risky route like everyone wanted them to do last year – which they probably should this year – then Sennecke is the pick. The Habs can't afford to miss this pick; they need a strong offensive player and potential star Demidov, Lindstrom and Tij Iginla are all safeties. Sennecke, however, is a risky pick that could land them a high-profile star or an overpaid third line in the future.

If you're looking for a complete guide to the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, look no further Hockey Writers.