Now two years into their ongoing rebuild, the Montreal Canadiens have plenty to be excited about going forward.
Along with a large pile of draft picks and plenty of young players already on their roster, the Canadiens also have a sea of up-and-coming talent in their system.
From highly touted names to unlikely rising stars, here are five Habs prospects who have taken a big step this season.
Lane Hutson (Boston University – NCAA)
Perhaps the most exciting prospect in the Canadiens’ system, defenceman Lane Hutson won a cavalcade of trophies in his freshman season in the NCAA, including the Hockey East Rookie of the Year Award.
Proving to not be a one-trick pony, the puck-moving blueliner, drafted 62nd overall by Montreal in 2022, looks to be adding another dimension to his game in his sophomore campaign.
With a gold medal with USA at the most recent World Juniors and 11 goals and 36 points over 26 games with Boston University, Hutson is a stud that could be NHL-bound as early as next season.
Jacob Fowler (Boston College – NCAA)
Selected in the second round (69th overall), Jacob Fowler was the first of three goalies taken by Montreal in the 2023 Draft.
Since then, the 19-year-old has been better than expected during his first NCAA season at Boston College.
Rather than needing an adjustment period upon moving to a higher level, Fowler is posting slightly better numbers than he did last season, logging a 0.924 SV% and 2.23 GAA over 26 NCAA games.
The Florida native was also Hutson’s teammate as Team USA’s backup goalie at the World Juniors, backstopping the team to three wins in the tournament.
Joshua Roy (Laval Rocket – AHL)
While he slipped to the fifth round of the 2021 NHL Draft, forward Joshua Roy has emerged as one of the Habs’ brightest offensive prospects.
After dominating the QMJHL with 119 and 99-point seasons, the Saint-Georges-De-Beauce, Quebec native made the jump to the AHL this past fall. In the midst of his first season with the Laval Rocket, the 20-year-old has 32 points in 40 games.
Roy earned his first Canadiens call-up last month, looking solid with a goal and an assist over seven games.
While he may be sent down again in the future, all signs point to the 20-year-old evolving into a full-time NHLer somewhere down the line.
Filip Mesar (Kitchener Rangers – OHL)
Some fans were disappointed to see forward Filip Mesar get sent down to the OHL after a very brief stint with the Laval Rocket.
But since rejoining the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL, the Slovakian center, selected 26th overall by the Canadiens in the 2022 Draft, has been dynamite.
With 38 points in 29 OHL games, Mesar is proving that he has what it takes to make a significant impact at the professional level.
Bound for Laval next season, Mesar could eventually carve out an NHL path that would see him playing alongside countryman and friend Juraj Slafkovsky.
Owen Beck (Saginaw Spirit – OHL)
Traded from the Peterborough Petes earlier in the season, Beck has been on fire since joining the Saginaw Spirit. With a whopping nine goals and 25 points in his first 15 games with Saginaw, Beck has brought his OHL point total up to 54 over 40 games.
Canadiens fans already got a glimpse of the centre last season, when he made his Habs debut and suited up for a game against the Ottawa Senators back in January.
If Beck, who represented Canada at this year’s World Juniors, keeps netting points at this rate, he could be back in the NHL sooner than later.
Follow Channels and Categories