While checking in on 2014 first-rounder Nikita Scherbak this season with the Everett Silvertips, the Montreal Canadiens amateur scouts' eyes evidently kept drifting to defenceman Noah Juulsen.
The Habs spent their No. 26 overall selection at the NHL draft in Sunrise, Fla., on Juulsen, a 6-foot-1, 174-pound defenceman that still has to fill out physically but had a promising season in the Western Hockey League. The Abbotsford, B.C., native posted 52 points across 68 games for the 'Tips, which compares favourably by the standards of a second-year defenceman. Juulsen also showed strong intuition with being able to angle forwards and anticipate opportunities to gain leverage to deliver a heavy check, suggesting that he will develop a more rugged element to his game once he adds muscle mass.