Here are the Montreal Canadiens and NHL news items you may have missed on a very busy NHL Draft weekend.
Montreal Canadiens News
- The Canadiens made several trades over the weekend, though none of them to acquire an NHL player. Rather, they moved up to pick Gleb Pugachyov, as well as Timofei Runtso. In total, the team would go on to make eight picks.
- No. 26 Overall – Gleb Pugachyov – Right Wing – 6’3″, 224 lb.
- No. 57 Overall – Timofei Runtso – Defenceman – 6’3″, 194lb
- No. 93 Overall – Cooper Cleaves – Defenceman – 6’3″, 203lb
- No. 117 Overall – Brayden Klimpke – Defenceman – 6’0″, 174lb
- No. 189 Overall – Parker Trottier – Left Wing – 6’1″, 186lb
- No. 190 Overall – Wesley Royston – Right Wing – 6’4″, 186lb
- No. 221 Overall – Jean-Samuel Daigenault – Defenceman – 6’3″, 194lb
- No. 224 Overall – Tyler Deakos – Right wing, 6’1″, 175lb.
- The recurring theme when evaluating the players chosen by the Canadiens was the fact that none of them stood below 6’0″. In fact, five of the players stand at 6’3″, or taller. A focus on physicality was definitely on the menu for the Canadiens. [Canadiens Draft Recap: Aggressive Trades And Violent Prospects]
- ICYMI: Even though they did not pull off a blockbuster trade, it was not for a lack of trying. The Canadiens reportedly submitted a “massive offer” for Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko. While the actual assets involved were not revealed, it does align with the team’s desire to add high-end talent to the lineup. [Canadiens Submit “MASSIVE” Trade Offer For Marchenko]
- The Habs are convinced they’ve drafted another “unicorn”, as described by Martin Lapointe. While Pugachyov is a heavy hitter, he’s not simply a goon. He’s an excellent skater with offensive potential.
Martin Lapointe et Nick Bobrov s’adressent aux médias au terme du #RepêchageLNH 2026
Martin Lapointe and Nick Bobrov address the media at the conclusion of the 2026 #NHLDraft#GoHabsGohttps://t.co/MDZgHtDtCJ
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) June 27, 2026
- Pugachyov spoke to the media on Saturday, predicting it will take him roughly two seasons before he makes his way to the NHL.
Gleb Pugachyov s’adresse aux médias via Zoom après avoir été sélectionné au 26e rang au total par les Canadiens
Gleb Pugachyov addresses the media via Zoom after being selected 26th overall by the Canadiens #GoHabsGohttps://t.co/VuFEtVEUFS
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) June 27, 2026
- It should be noted that there’s a possibility we’ll eventually see a Pugachyov, Ivan Demdidov, and Alexander Zharovsky trio in Montreal.
Montreal made it clear to Gleb before the draft that they wanted him. And now that Demidov–Zharovsky–Pugachev trio is looking really interesting pic.twitter.com/CXDYZZTj6P
— Uggg (@Uggg_uggg) June 27, 2026
- ICYMI: It’s not always easy to get a good read on the prospects who are developing in Russia, which is why we turned to various scouting outlets to acquire as much information as possible on Pugachyov’s potential. He’s fast, he’s a hard worker, and he absolutely loves violence. [Scouting Profile: Canadiens Add Physicality With Pugachyov]
Sportsnaut Network
- On Friday, the Devils selected Alexander Command with the 12th pick in the first round out of Sweden. On Saturday, they added another six prospects to the pool. [New Jersey Devils]
- Garnet Hathaway is the newest member of the Florida Panthers and, after being acquired in a trade with the Flyers on Thursday, is returning home. Kind of. Hathaway was born across Alligator Alley from the Panthers’ Sunrise arena, but the native of Naples did not stay in southwest Florida long. [Florida Panthers]
- The Avalanche signed former Canadiens defenceman Brett Kulak to a five-year contract extension. The Canadiens ended up selecting Lane Hutson with the pick they acquired in exchange for Kulak, making it an excellent deal for both the team and the player involved, as he’s gone on to play for Stanley Cup contenders ever since he left Montreal. [Colorado Avalanche]
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