The Montreal Canadiens took a unique approach to the 2018 NHL Draft. When teams almost always take the “best player available” during the NHL Draft, the Canadiens were clearly narrowing their search that weekend to the “best player available that plays the center ice position.”
The Canadiens headed into that weekend with 11 draft picks. General Manager Marc Bergevin and draft guru Trevor Timmins drafted seven centers with those 11 picks. They were obviously looking to fill an organizational need that was long overdue. The Habs lacked true depth at the center ice position for decades and finally decided to do whatever it took to fill that need.