It’s been a long time coming for Ryan Poehling and the Montreal Canadiens. The team drafted the centre in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft in hopes of shoring up a much-needed area of their prospect pool. But it was initially cautious optimism when it came to what he could become.
Poehling was a two-way player who needed a lot of work on his offensive game to be proficient in both areas. He took a step in the right direction last season with St. Cloud State and his run with Team USA at the World Junior Hockey Championships.