Before we begin counting down the top five, a look back at some of the top young players in the Montreal Canadiens organization.
The Montreal Canadiens had an incredible draft in 2007, selecting three players who eventually became top-end NHLers with their first three selections. That was the beginning of a turnaround for the franchise after a difficult stretch in the late 90s and early 00s, and helped to bolster their ranks for the future.
After that exceptional draft, things went downhill for the Habs. A terrible draft in 2008 was followed up with a draft class that initially seemed to have potential, but, like everything else about the Canadiens’ 2008-09 centennial season, wound up not living up to the initial promise.