Are the Habs looking to draft Matthew Tkachuk like player?

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Ryan Hall
June 25, 2023 (11:50 PM)

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Will the NHL playoffs conclude and the Stanley Cup awarded to the Vegas Golden Knights one could not help but notice that the most talked about player during this playoffs was Florida Panthers superstar Matthew Tkachuk.

Tkachuk's tenacity, physicality and point-getting talent was something to watch as he took the Panthers on his back along with his goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and carried the team to the Stanley Cup finals.

During Game 2, however, Tkachuk suffered a devastating injury when he broke his sternum after taking a monster hit. He tried to play and did it for two games. In the end, it was too much pain for him to handle. He had to sit out the final game.

In the next 72 hours, the NHL draft is about to take place and his style of play is making waves. One player that continues to come up in conversations is Ryan Leonard.

The 18-year-old centre from Amherst MA, has been ranked between 5 and 7 across the board according to eliteprospects.com. At 5'11" and 181 pounds, the right shooting settlement has an extremely high hockey IQ and a dangerous shot. His skating is also great. He's hailed as a versatile player.

It's said that the Montreal Canadiens seemed to be a team that could look at him would help bolster their lineup and make them strong down the middle. Leonard could be the solution the Canadiens are looking for as they go through a rebuilding phase.

It remains if general manager Kent Hughes would be willing to draft a sentiment having the 5th overall choice in this year's draft.