Canadiens Could Get Huge Value From Top Selection

The Montreal Canadiens' top pick in the 2025 NHL Draft surprised many, though his potential could leave those who passed on him looking silly.

Apr 16, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; View of a Montreal Canadiens logo on a jersey worn by a member of the team in the second period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images / David Kirouac-Imagn Images

The Montreal Canadiens were without any first-round draft selections after trading both to the New York Islanders for defenseman Noah Dobson, but they did trade picks to move up and select Russian winger/center Alexander Zharovsky, betting on his wizard-like puck skills and growth potential.

While he hasn't officially started his draft plus one campaign, he did get some exhibition action against KHL competition, in which he was slotted as the third line center. This is a move that could have many Canadiens fans' ears perking up, thanks to their need for a second-line center.

His talent is undeniable, and the fact that he played center, even though it's just preseason action, certainly is encouraging, with regard to his two-way play. He also wasn't a liability in the faceoff circle, and his willingness to play with some fire and grit looked like there could be some weight to the idea of him being a center.

Zharovsky's talents sparked the team at Elite Prospects, specifically David St-Louis, an NHL Analyst and Prospects Writer, to make a video on the potential future NHL star. Proving that Zharovsky isn't just being appreciated by the Canadiens' brass, but the scouting world as well.

Though he is quite light for NHL forward standards (163 pounds) according to Elite Prospects, Zharovsky isn't likely to play in North America for at least another year, if not two. In the time he spends developing over in Russia, Zharovsky could easily add 15-20 additional pounds of muscle to his frame, and at six-foot-one, he may even grow a little taller.

So, while he appears like a finesse player, whose game thrives on great rushes up the ice, and great one on one skills, Zharovsky plays with some bite and that, along with some added strength could see him attack the middle of the ice, and display some great sequences where he drops his shoulder and challenges defenders physically.

Growing and nurturing his defensive skills will be integral in his bid to play for the Canadiens in the future, and if he can do that, while improving and finding new ways to manipulate defenders and goaltenders, he could prove to be another fantastic value selection for the Canadiens, who were drafted beyond the first round.

The Canadiens' scouting team and development staff have developed into a well-oiled machine, and the club is hoping that, like Lane Hutson before him, Zharovsky will make them look like geniuses.

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