Habs – Season 21 Top 10 Prospects

10. Thatcher Demko – another solid season for the Boston College goalie – adding the Mike Ritcher Award as well as being a finalist for the Hobey Baker – but unsure of his immediate future at this time. Should he stay in school one more season, he has the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Jimmy Vesey and become an UFA at the NHL level.

DHL ETA: Season 26

9. Madison Bowey – his first pro season saw him produce 29 points in 67 regular season games at the AHL level while posting a very respectable +23. Likely to spend the bulk of next year in the AHL as well but should be an injury call-up next season.

DHL ETA: Season 24

8. Ilya Samsonov – in order to jump up this list all Samsonov needs to do is play in North America. Samsonov only played two games in the World Junior Championship, winning both, with one of the games coming against a high powered USA team where he saved 26 of 27 shots and stole the game for the Russians where they won 2-1. Winning that game put the Russians into the gold medal game where they played the other goalie and lost. Locked into a contract that prevents him from leaving the KHL until 2018, but very capable of being a star goaltended upon his arrival.

DHL ETA: Season 28

7. Haydn Fleury – expected to begin his AHL career/development next fall after competing for Red Deer (including the Memorial Cup) and Canada at the WJC in 2015/16. He already possesses pro size but needs time to transition to the speed of the pro game as he focused the past couple of seasons on honing a more complete game.

DHL ETA: Season 26

6. Sonny Milano – teenaged Milano played on a variety of different stages this season – WJC, AHL and NHL – and performed admirably at each stop. Another year primarily in the AHL wouldn’t hurt but Milano has the puck skills and finesse to earn a mid-season promotion with upside to a top 6 role.

DHL ETA: Season 24

5. Pavel Buchnevich – although he struggled to adjust when traded to SKA St. Petersburg, Buchnevich still possesses excellent speed and a very good set of mitts. A tad on the lean side, Buchnevich must become more disciplined to fully reach his potential of being a top-6 forward capable of carrying the play.

DHL ETA: Season 24

4. Joel Eriksson Ek – not the greatest of seasons but Eriksson EK struggled to find regular ice time for Farjestad in the SHL and was underwhelming at the WJCs as well. As he matures he will add some much needed weight but he is a good-sized player who can be dominating on the puck and in offensive situations. Although loaned to Farjestad this past season, we believe he will start the 2016/17 season in the AHL and potentially see time in the pros before season’s end.

DHL ETA: Season 23

3. Kyle Connor – not sure who’s Cornflakes he pissed on but Kyle Connor seemed to be persona non grata in just about every hockey circle. Following up his league leading USHL 2014/15 season, all Connor did was lead the NCAA in scoring as a freshamn and then lead the University of Michigan to the Frozen Four. What did he achieve personally – nada. No invite to the WJC and he was screwed out of the Hobey Baker Award. Given that it appears his Michigan linemates – J.T. Compher and Tyler Motte will also likely jump to the pros (both of which are Montreal prospects here in the DHL) – we were extremely happy to see Connor sign a pro contract this week. Connor should become a top line forward option in relatively short order.

DHL ETA: Season 24

2. Max Domi – everything asked of Domi has been answered with a resounding yes and commitment to exceed. Although he struggled in the middle of the season, Domi endured and finished strongly enough to be invited to join the Canadian team at the upcoming World Championships in Russia. Domi showed more discipline this season and when combined with his tremendous playmaking skills, he has shown the potential to become a core building block for the Habs

DHL ETA: Season 22

1.Sam Reinhart – similar to Domi, Reinhart improved throughout the season and has earned his ticket to the World Championships. Demonstrating more finishing skill than first envisioned, Reinhart should partner with Domi and Andre Burakovsky to provide the Habs with a solid top-6 line option as soon as next season. A leader at every level, Reinhart is fast tracking to become the next captain of the Habs.

DHL: ETA: Season 22

Additional prospects expected to graduate to Montreal for Season 22 include Alexei Marchenko and Daniel Carr.

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