My guess at Habs draft board

I think the management really wants to end up with Lindstrom. But he probably won’t be there like last year with Will Smith. Obviously having Celebrini would be ELITE but same for him he won’t be on the board. Like Bedard last year. We’re not drafting Levshunov because he’s a DMEN. Doubt they like Eiserman because he’s a one dimensional player. Pretty useless without the puck. Not the type of player this management draft. Catton is too small and a Krebs 2.0. They want big horse and size, highly doubt we end up with him also. Helenius has been mid in the WJC. I could see us ending up with him.

And finally, if Lindstrom and Celebrini gone, and we are on the clock at #5, I think we’re going to take Demidov. The Russian factor stopped us from taking Michkov last year when Smith and Bedard were off the board. Don’t think it’s going to stop us now.

I think when Gambling go with what you know
If Tij is off the board and there is no Catton or Hellenus cause not as many D went top 15 as Analysts think lets say
Then MTL will be left with a lot of choices between Defense and if that's the case Cole Hutson is walking the same path his brother did with similar results.
He's set to walk into Lane's role as their systems PP QB as Lane's leaving as Cole's joining Boston U so we know what to expect from the system.

Whether we keep or trade him
The safest bet if you cant get Iginla or even Greentree is to target Cole Hutson who's bigger then his brother was his draft year and plays more of a Defensive Game using his 2 line pass to activate rushes but like his brothers can turn on the jets and score

I dont think thats it at all as we took Kony and Kostenko the past 2 years
We just arent willing to gamble a 1st on a player who might not play here for 4-5 years after his draft.
Demidov is good but like 230 some Junior players are in the KHL this past year and 35 i think were 17
Demidov wasnt one , nor was he one of a similar amount in the Russian version of the AHL.
Instead he was in a really young Junior league as most of the 18-20 year olds were in the KHL or AHL equivalent in Russia

For that reason and the fact Hughes always chooses Size and Skill over Size or Skill
I'd say smart money is on Lidstrom , Dickinson and Silayev being the guys who are likely to go top 7 who will be left.
After Levshunov i figured for Defense its an either or with Dickinson and Silayev as 3 D going top 7 is unlikely

Lidstrom im assuming is who Hughes wants but a 6'7 Mobile D is something you dont pass on if waiting for him to turn Pro in North America and leave Russia has you feeling weary.
Its not really an issue for MTL or a big deal to wait that long as he'd join us as we're starting to contend

On the 20th rank + add Sacha Boisvert, please!

Habs rarely draft Russians, especially in the first round. Don't see them taking Demidov unless they have almost no other options. Management has said they want big fast players but not drafting someone with more talent because they are "smaller" isn't their style either, they will draft the BPA, then make trades later once they figure out what they have and what they want to keep, even if the BPA is a D man