The Montreal Canadiens don't appear satisfied with their position in the first round of the upcoming draft.
The Canadiens are doing whatever they can to move up from fifth overall, reports The Athletic's Arpon Basu. Montreal is reportedly trying to trade places with the San Jose Sharks at No. 4 and has reached out to the Anaheim Ducks about the cost of moving up to No. 2.
The likelihood of a swap isn't high, but Montreal is definitely making an effort, Basu adds.
While the Chicago Blackhawks are virtual locks to select Connor Bedard with the No. 1 overall pick, the Ducks are almost as likely to take Adam Fantilli second. The reigning Hobey Baker Award winner is the consensus second-best player in this draft, and he'd be the projected first pick in most other years.
The Canadiens could end up with a promising player at No. 5, like Winnipeg Ice standout Zach Benson or KHL phenom Matvei Michkov. But moving up would give them a chance at an even more tantalizing prospect, like USNTDP star Will Smith or even the likes of Fantilli or Swedish center Leo Carlsson.
Montreal - led by general manager Kent Hughes and executive vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton - chose Slovak forward Juraj Slafkovsky first overall last year.
The 2023 draft is scheduled for June 28 and 29 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
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