Stu Cowan: Canadiens may have one thing to chew on at NHL mix
Taking a participant out for dinner in Buffalo means a crew has curiosity in him, however generally an excessive amount of might be learn into that call.
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Juraj Slafkovsky by no means bought a dinner out of the Canadiens finally 12 months’s NHL Scouting Mix in Buffalo.
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The Canadiens nonetheless made him the No. 1 total decide finally 12 months’s NHL Draft.
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“I feel they had been ,” Slafkovsky advised reporters in Buffalo finally 12 months’s mix. “I didn’t have the dinner, however I feel the speak we had tasted higher than the dinner.”
This 12 months’s mix is happening this week in Buffalo and it runs by way of Sunday, giving groups a chance to conduct interviews and get bodily and medical assessments of the highest prospects forward of the June 28 draft in Nashville. They’ll additionally take gamers out to dinner.
The Canadiens have the No. 5 decide this 12 months.
The Canadiens took Shane Wright — the highest prospect heading into final 12 months’s draft — out for dinner in Buffalo however didn’t choose him. Wright fell to No. 4, going to the Seattle Kraken after the New Jersey Devils chosen defenceman Simon Nemec at No. 3 and the Arizona Coyotes took Logan Cooley at No. 4.
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Slafkovsky was considered one of solely 5 gamers chosen finally 12 months’s draft who performed within the NHL this season and he was the chief amongst that group in video games performed (39) and factors (10) earlier than struggling a season-ending knee harm. Wright ranked second (two factors in eight video games). David Jiricek (Columbus Blue Jackets), Marco Kasper (Detroit Pink Wings) and Owen Beck (Canadiens) are the others.
The Canadiens did take Wright out for dinner final 12 months in Buffalo and he requested for permission earlier than ordering a steak.
“It was fairly costly, like 60 bucks or one thing,” Wright stated afterward “They stated, ‘Go forward, have it.’”
The Canadiens additionally took Cooley out for dinner.
“It went very well,” Cooley stated afterward. “Nevertheless it’s type of arduous to inform what everybody’s considering proper now.”
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Cooley was additionally interviewed by the Canadiens final 12 months and stated they requested essentially the most bizarre query.
“The requested me if I used to be an animal what would I be,” Cooley stated. “I stated a lion as a result of I feel everybody desires to be a king of the jungle and so they stated I couldn’t decide it.”
Cooley picked a shark as an alternative.
Canadiens GM Kent Hughes was requested in regards to the animal query when he met with reporters Thursday in Buffalo.
“I feel final 12 months about 80 per cent of gamers stated they had been lions or tigers,” he stated. “Perhaps everybody knew we had been going to ask that query this 12 months, however we bought higher solutions.
“Somebody texted me to inform me we had been the hardest (interview) once more this 12 months,” Hughes added. “I actually didn’t really feel there was a participant who was uncomfortable in an interview, so … possibly we’re a bit softer this 12 months.”
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Hughes stated the Canadiens have made some adjustments this 12 months in how they’re taking a look at draft prospects.
“We determined to make use of movies every so often, to see how the gamers learn the video games,” the GM stated. “Not for everybody, it is determined by the participant. We additionally modified some questions and the emphasis we placed on some questions, since we solely have 15 to twenty minutes (for every interview).”
Taking a participant out for dinner on the mix means a crew has curiosity in him, however generally an excessive amount of might be learn into that call — as was the case with Slafkovsky and Wright.
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The Canadiens did take Cole Caufield out for dinner on the mix earlier than deciding on him within the first spherical of the 2019 draft.
“My most vivid reminiscence of Cole is we took him for dinner and he ordered this huge sundae for dessert and it was big,” Trevor Timmins, the previous assistant GM with the Canadiens, recalled earlier than the 2021 draft. “A pile of ice cream and chocolate and butterscotch sauce throughout it and all of us joked about that. However he burns that off fairly fast. So I at all times joke with him about that. However very comfortable that he’s a part of our group.”
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The Canadiens picked defenceman Jayden Struble within the second spherical of the 2019 draft (forty sixth total) after the 6-foot, 205-pound defenceman impressed them throughout testing on the mix. Struble, who performed 9 video games with the AHL’s Laval Rocket this 12 months, completed first within the bench press, grip power (proper and left hand), the standing lengthy bounce and considered one of two Wingate Cycle Ergometer exams on the mix.
The Canadiens had been very comfortable when Caufield was nonetheless round after they picked fifteenth total in 2019.
“What’s impressed us essentially the most is we spent quite a lot of time with him in his draft 12 months,” Timmins stated. “We took him for dinner. He’s at all times smiling. He’s an lively, happy-go-lucky younger man. He’s a pleasure to be round. He brings everyone up that he’s round.”
Regardless of the Canadiens paid for that huge sundae Caufield ordered was nicely price it ultimately.
Caufield can now afford his personal sundaes — and steaks — after signing an eight-year, US$62.8-million contract this week.
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