With the 2006 NHL Entry Draft only a week away it’s time to take a look at what the Canadiens scouting team might be interested in with the six picks they have. The past two drafts have both been under general manager Bob Gainey and with his first round picks we have seen two players from the WHL selected, will he continue this trend again? With the sixteenth overall pick the Canadiens will have several options in the hopes that a Bryan Little or James Sheppard drops to them, but regards of who drops where, it’s safe to say the Canadiens will take the best player they feel they can get.

If you look back at the former first round picks of the Canadiens since Andre Savard and Trevor Timmins have joined the organization, it’s an impressive group of skill, character, and work ethic. Mike Komisarek, Alex Perezhogin, Chris Higgins, Andrei Kostitsyn, Kyle Chipchura and Carey Price make up an interesting core of first round picks that could have a major impact on the Canadiens future. Hab fans will be eagerly waiting to see who is added to the list of first rounder picks come June 24th. Here’s a look at some of the players the organization may be looking at with each pick.

Canadiens 2006 Draft Order

1st round- 20th overall

2nd round- 49th overall *

2nd round- 53rd overall

3rd round- 79th overall

4th round- 109th overall

5th round- 139th overall

6th round- no pick (traded to Hawks for Simpson)

7th round- 199th overall

*Comp picks awarded to Boston at 37th, Oilers at 45th and LA at 48th overall.

1st Round, 16th Overall

Patrik Berglund- C (6’4 187) The second rated player from Sweden made a name for himself with a strong performance at the U-18’s this year as well as spending some time in the tier-2 league. The big skilled center could interest the Canadiens if they like his blend of size and skills.

David Fischer- RD (6’3 185) The smooth skating defensemen hails from the USHS and is headed to the power house University of Minnesota next year. Would be a surprise if picked so high but his skating and size will get scouts attention at some point in the first round.

Chris Summers- LD/F (6’2 180) The Canadiens are known to place an emphasize on skating and Summers should catch their eye with his great skating stride. Not only can he play defense but he also can lineup as a forward as well, which makes him even more interesting. Played as a forward at the U-18’s but throughout the season was used as a defensemen while playing for the Junior National Program in the USA.

Claude Giroux- RW (5’10 170) Lack of size will hurt him at the next level but the undrafted CHLer exploded this season to lead all rookies in scoring in the QMJHL for Gatineau and what a season he had. Not only does he have offensive skills, especially playmaking abilities but he works hard and has the willingness to get his nose dirty to make the play.

2nd Round, 49th Overall

Brain Strait- LD (6’1 200) A teammate of Summers, Strait is another defensemen from the National program in the US, which should enjoy a banner year at the draft table with a host of impressive players. Strait is more of a defensive defensemen that will take the body and play hard in his own end. He’s headed to Boston University next year.

Jonas Ahnelov- LD (6’3 205) A late birth date, Ahnelov already made his debut in the SEL and is among the highest rated Swedish defensemen. He’s got the size that will likely get him noticed early on draft day since he’s still growing into his frame. It’s expected that he will see more ice time in the SEL next year which is great for his development and progression.

Andrei Popov- RW (6’0 187) Had a good showing at the U-18’s for Russia. The slick winger has the offensive skills to go higher and the fact that Russia has signed the Player agreement should make the selecting of Russians easier to swallow, but he’ll need to add strength to his frame and develop more of an aggressive physical style for North American hockey.

Carl Sneep- RD (6’4 210) Another player from the USHS a league the Canadiens don’t draft from all that often with just two picks in the last four drafts, but it’s hard to overlook Sneep and his impressive size and physical abilities. The fact that he played against a lower level of competition might see him drop later in the draft but if the Canadiens are interested in him no need to wait, just take a shot on the high risk defensemen that is headed to BC next year to play in the NCAA.

3rd Round, 79th Overall

Mike Weber- LD (6’2 199) Yes another defensemen from the USA but this time it’s not from the USHS or National Program since Weber plays in the OHL for Windsor. The late birth date means he could play in Hamilton a year sooner then most other ’06 drafted players. The hard working defensemen is solid in his own end, plays a safe smart game.

Derrick Lapoint- LD (6’3 175) And another defensemen from the USA as Lapoint played in the USHS and was named to the Mr. Hockey award for the top hockey player in Wisconsin. A high risk, high reward type of defensemen, Lapoint will likely take a long time to get there since he is likely headed to the USHL next year and then on to the NCAA to play for North Dakota.

Felix Schultz- C (5’10 182) Solid playmaking center that works hard, with decent skating and speed, Schultz had a solid rookie year in the QMJHL and at the U-18’s for Germany. His lack of size might hurt his draft stock and add to it that he played on the a bad Saint John’s team means he might be under scouted.

Kevin Montgomery- LD (6’1 185) Yet another defensemen from the US National Program, Montgomery describes himself as a two way defensemen. He was expected to play for Ohio State next year but there are rumors that he may end up playing for the London Knights of the OHL.

4th Round, 109th Overall

Robert Nyholm- RW (6’1 194) Didn’t have the best U-18’s so hopefully that causes him to drop out of the first day of drafting. A strong player, Nyholm skates well with good speed, seems to be a hard working player that will play a solid two way game.

Hugo Carpenter- C (6’1 200) The large center made big strides this season with Rouyn-Noranda over his rookie season last year, finished 3rd on the team in scoring. Was not overly impressive at the U-18’s for Team Canada, which could see his stock drop next weekend.

Theo Peckham- LD (6’1 216) Strong physical presence, solid in his own end as a stay at home defensemen. Not flashy and likely won’t be known for his offensive skills but he can play a good physical game and works hard but would benefit from a quicker first step and better mobility.

Niko Hovinen- G (6’6 200) Could easily be long gone by this pick but the fact that he wasn’t on Team Finland for the U-18’s might hurt his stock a bit. Considered to be in the raw stages of his development but his size makes him and interesting goalie since even in the butterfly he can cover a lot of space up high.

5th Round, 139th Overall

Alec Richards- G (6’4 188) Another big goalie that plays for Yale of the ECAC and has studied under former NY Rangers great Mike Richter. Played well on a bad team, takes up a lot of space in nets and moves quickly for a player his size. Not that great of a puck handler will need to work on that.

Martin Bartos- LW (6’1 182) Had a good showing at the U-18’s for the Czech team, played on a bad Saint John’s team in the QMJHL where he had a decent season but missed some time. Seems to have offensive skills and natural strength to play in high traffic areas.

Jonathan Matsumoto- C (5’11 204) Was not drafted last year but should have been and likely will be this year. Hard working, smart all round player with good hands but his best asset is likely his vision and playmaking skills. Enjoyed a solid season with Bowling Green.

Alexi Sopin- RW (5’11 191) Was not selected in last years draft but now that the Player Transfer Agreement has been signed by Russia, the Canadiens may want to take a look at Sopin. A speedy player with good offensive skills but doesn’t appear to play much of a physical game which could cause him problems in North America. Played well at the U-18’s for Russia and even saw time in the RSL this year.

7th Round, 199th Overall

Jesse Dudas- RD (6’1 214) Good size, strength and skating abilities, hasn’t had much success in the WHL so far but played well at the U-17’s two years ago. Seems to be a hard working two way defensemen that could turn out to be a good late round pick down the road.

Maxim Noreau- RD (6’0 200) Led his team in scoring for the defense, had a very good sophomore season for Victoriaville. Decent size and offensive skills but might get overlooked due to playing on a bad team.

Evgeny Ketov- LW (5’10 176) Was a teammate of Alexi Emelin this year in Lada, likely got to play due to the financial problems that the team endured. Seems to have decent offensive skills and should continue to see ice time with Lada which will be great for his development, as well as playing for the Junior National team again.

Eric Castonguay- LW (5’11 192) A teammate of Mathieu Aubin’s, Castonguay has good hands and the ability to put the puck in the net. Needs to get stronger physically but skates well with good speed. Was third on his team in scoring and has shown decent improvement over his rookie season.