A night in Sherbrooke put a handful of draft-eligible names under the microscope, and Montreal Canadiens assistant general manager Nick Bobrov was right there to see it unfold.
At the center of the buzz was Maxmilian Mares, a 6-foot-6 Czech center who has started to turn heads in Montreal’s scouting circles. Mares skates for the Rimouski Océanic and has piled up six points in five games this season, production that only adds to the appeal of a player whose size down the middle is still tough to find.
That profile has already pushed him onto serious prospect lists. Craig Button placed Mares 13th on his latest ranking of players eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft.
Bobrov watched Mares Thursday night as Rimouski visited the Phoenix in a QMJHL game, one that ended with Sherbrooke taking a 5-4 win in front of its home crowd.
The Canadiens’ interest wasn’t limited to Mares, either. Three Russian Phoenix players were also on the radar: Ilya Kolmakov, Daniyar Aibatov and Ilya Kuzminykh, who scored twice in the game.
That group fits a pattern Montreal has leaned into lately. Bobrov and Martin Lapointe have used their first pick on a Russian player in each of the past three drafts, with Ivan Demidov, Alexander Zharovsky and Gleb Pugashyov all part of that run.
Kolmakov, in particular, is viewed by experts as a possible second-round selection, which would line up neatly with one of the Canadiens’ current picks. Montreal currently holds a first-round pick and a second-round pick.
The Phoenix also had to play without Mason St-Louis, who earned a spot with the club but was out Thursday because of an injury.
Even with the Canadiens past the rebuild stage, the draft remains a major part of the job. Nights like this one in Sherbrooke are the kind that can shape what comes next, and these names are worth tracking.
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Canadiens Suddenly Face A Goalie Decision They Didn't Expect
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Jacob Fowler is the name that naturally enters the conversation if Montreal needs help from Laval, where the young netminder has already made a strong impression in limited looks at both the NHL and AHL levels. If Montembeault is sidelined, the Canadiens could be looking at more than a short-term patch, with a possible extended evaluation in the crease depending on how Dobe holds up in the meantime. [Read more 🡒]