At the time of the 2017 NHL Draft, the Montreal Canadiens had just finished their season with a six-game series loss to the New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs. The team headed into that year’s round of selections with a centre core led by Phillip Danault, a predicament they sought to resolve through shrewd late-round drafting.
By the time the Canadiens walked up to the podium for the 25th overall pick, only two first-round centres remained in Ryan Poehling and Morgan Frost. Insistent upon solving the centre depth issue through the draft, General Manager Marc Bergevin opted for the American-born player with the broader build, hoping that the team could turn his pro frame and mature off-puck game into a decent top-six piece for the team down the road.