The Habs hope to have found the eventual replacement for Andrei Markov in the top pairing with fellow Russian Mikhail Sergachev, a 6-2 220 pound defender who stepped seamlessly into North American hockey last season, accomplishing the rare feat of winning the OHL Defenceman of the Year honours as a rookie. Despite surrendering both of their second-round picks in a deal for Chicago’s Andrew Shaw, Montreal still added two players ranked top 60 by McKeen’s in the third and fourth rounds in William Bitten and Victor Mete.
| RND | PICK | RNK | PLAYER | POS | CTY | HT/WT | TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | 14 | Mikhail Sergachev | D | RUS | 6-2/210 | Windsor (OHL) |
| 3 | 70 | 47 | Will Bitten | C | CAN | 5-10/170 | Flint (OHL) |
| 4 | 100 | 55 | Victor Mete | D | CAN | 5-10/175 | London (OHL) |
| 5 | 124 | NR | Casey Staum | D | USA | 5-11/185 | Hill-Murray (USHS-MN) |
| 6 | 160 | 117 | Michael Pezzetta | C | CAN | 6-1/205 | Sudbury (OHL) |
| 7 | 187 | NR | Arvid Henrikson | D | SWE | 6-3/180 | AIK (Swe) |
Bitten is a whirling dervish on the ice…creating offensive opportunities with a non-stop motor and quickness, and was a solid third-round pick considering he was a top-line player on Canada’s U-18 team. Mete represented even better value in the fourth round…the only drawback to the hard-nosed defender’s game is a lack of height. He was London’s main shutdown defenceman on the PK and late in games protecting a lead, and is not without some offensive upside thanks to his elite skating ability. Casey Staum is another undersized defender with elite speed who will have a five-year window to show the Habs he has pro potential.
Michael Pezzetta is a former first-round OHL draft pick with good size, speed and competitiveness. Montreal obtained a seventh-round round pick to draft 6-3 Swedish defender Arvid Henriksson…described by head scout Trevor Timmins as a raw sleeper pick with decent long-term upside.
Grade: A-: Sergachev was considered by most scouts to be the second-best defenceman in the draft, and when you include the acquisition of Shaw, addition of two more picks ranked in McKeen’s top 60 and a late sleeper pick in Pezzetta, Habs fans should be pleased with this draft.