Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes left many fans wondering what his exact goals were at the 2023 NHL Draft, as some players were selected that weren’t on even draft analyst’s radars.
The goalie cupboard was re-stocked, and a potential, future number-one defenseman was taken with the Habs’ first-round pick. But late in the draft, Hughes and co. opted to take a flier on an overaged player, Luke Mittelstadt in the seventh round, hoping that he can be a late bloomer that provides a ton of value at that junction of the draft.