By Canadian Press

Canadiens take American winger Cole Caufield 15th overall at NHL draft

Jun 21, 2019 | 10:26 PM

VANCOUVER — The Montreal Canadiens took American Cole Caufield 15th overall at the NHL draft on Friday.

The five-foot-seven right-winger from Wisconsin had 72 goals and 100 points in 64 games with the U.S. under-18 team last season.

The Canadiens have nine other picks this year, starting with the 46th selection.

Last year, Montreal used the third overall pick to draft Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The Finnish centre had 11 goals and 23 assists in his rookie season before having arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in April to correct what Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin called a “chronic, minor injury.”

Kotkaniemi wasn’t the only young star to impress in Montreal this year, however.

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Ryan Poehling, picked 25th overall by the Canadiens in 2017, joined the team for its last game in April after wrapping a successful NCAA career at St. Cloud State University. The 20-year-old centre scored a hat trick in the outing, helping the Habs to a 6-5 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Montreal narrowly missed the playoffs, finishing just two points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets with a 44-30-8 record.

One of the team’s leading scorers was Jonathan Drouin, who came to the Canadiens in exchange for a top prospect.

Montreal had picked defenceman Mikail Sergachev ninth overall in 2016 and the Russian spent a single season between Montreal and Western Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires before he was dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning in June 2017. 

Drouin, a 24-year-old left winger, tied a career high with 53 points last season, but was critiqued for putting up just three points in his final 18 games.

Montreal is set to host the 2020 draft.

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press