The 2027 NHL Entry Draft is still a long way off, but the early buzz is already starting to build. While names like Landon DuPont and Alexis Joseph are going to command plenty of attention, the Montreal Canadiens have reasons to keep a wider net cast as the season unfolds.
There are several draft-eligible players who could eventually fit different needs in Montreal’s prospect pipeline, and a few of them are worth tracking right now. James Scantlebury, Malik L’Italien, Jaxon Jacobson, Boston Tait and Luca Santala all bring something different to the table, and each one has a chance to push his way into the conversation before June 2027.
Scantlebury has come out flying in his first Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League season with the Quebec Remparts. Through his first four games, he put up five goals and seven points, a quick start that jumps off the page even with the small sample size.
The concern is obvious: at around 5-foot-10, he doesn’t have the kind of frame that usually sells itself to NHL teams. That means his skill, skating and scoring touch have to keep doing the talking.
The Canadiens have shown they’re willing to bet on talent even when size isn’t part of the package, so Scantlebury is the kind of name that could keep rising if the production keeps coming.
L’Italien offers the opposite look. If Montreal wants a defenseman with real size, the Halifax Mooseheads blueliner checks that box at 6-foot-4 and around 197 pounds.
He’s already shown he can chip in offensively too, posting 24 points last season with Halifax. Big defensemen who can move the puck and contribute at the other end always get attention, and L’Italien fits that mold neatly.
Montreal has added plenty of blue-line talent in recent years, but teams can never really have enough promising defensemen, especially ones with this kind of frame and output.
Jacobson is a different kind of offensive weapon. At 5-foot-11, he isn’t towering over anyone, but his numbers with the Brandon Wheat Kings last season made him hard to ignore.
He scored 85 points in 63 games in the Western Hockey League, production that puts him squarely among the more interesting offensive names in the 2027 class. The Canadiens have consistently leaned toward players with high offensive ceilings, and Jacobson fits that lane.
His draft year will be about proving that last season was just the start.
Tait is another defenseman worth watching, and at 6-foot-2 he already brings solid size for a young blueliner. Still, it’s too early to pin down exactly where he belongs on draft boards.
Defensemen can change quickly as they grow into their bodies and their roles shift, which is why Tait feels like the kind of prospect scouts will keep circling back to all season. Depending on how Montreal’s prospect pool looks next June, another young defenseman with size and upside could be appealing.
Santala rounds out the list as another player Canadiens fans should get familiar with. He may not be among the loudest names in the class right now, but that can change fast once the games start stacking up and scouts get a larger sample. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts in his first year in North America, especially with the 2027 class shaping up to be a deep one.
There’s still a lot of hockey to be played before anyone knows where Scantlebury, L’Italien, Jacobson, Tait or Santala will land. That’s part of the fun.
DuPont, Joseph and the top-end prospects will soak up most of the spotlight, but Montreal’s scouting staff will be looking far beyond the obvious names. By the time the 2027 NHL Draft arrives, some of these players could be well on the Canadiens’ radar.
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Even without a deal getting across the line, the episode adds more context to how Montreal has been operating under Hughes and Gorton, especially with the organization still balancing present-day upgrades against the bigger-picture plan. The deadline chatter also sits alongside the broader swirl of rumors around Matthew Knies and the shifting landscape in Toronto, where management changes can alter the way trade talks unfold. For the Canadiens, the takeaway is clear: they were in the hunt, and the price tag was substantial. [Read more 🡒]