The EliteProspects Rinkside 2020-21 Off-Season Prospect Pool Rankings: the No. 6-ranked Montréal Canadiens

For years, the Montréal Canadiens suffered an inability to graduate prospects from their farm system to the big leagues. Only a select few managed to survive the AHL, much less elevate themselves to the NHL.

That lack of cost-controlled reinforcements lining the margins of Montréal's roster had management scouring free agency to patch over those cracks.

How things change with time. The Habs have transformed their prospect pool from a barren wasteland to the envy of much of the NHL. Their cup now runneth over. If anything, they will suffer that abundance of prospects with too much credible NHL talent and too few spots to accommodate them.

Few teams can brag about having the same potential depth on defence as Montreal. Even in a pessimistic scenario, one of Mattias Norlinder, Jordan Harris, Alexander Romanov, Josh Brook, Jayden Struble, and recent first-rounder Kaiden Guhle should end up in a top-four role on the Canadiens blue-line. And if we deign to be a little more optimistic, it is possible that the Habs have already drafted a good part of their rearguard of the future.

The team doesn’t have the same abundance at forward, but the presence of Cole Caufield, our No.2-ranked affiliated prospect before the 2020 draft, is some kind of consolation.