A lot of ink has been spilled through the years assessing Trevor Timmins’ competence as head of scouting and, more recently, as assistant general manager for the Montreal Canadiens.

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A lot of ink has been spilled through the years assessing Trevor Timmins’ competence as head
of scouting and, more recently, as assistant general manager for the Montreal Canadiens.
(https://www.nhl.com/fr/canadiens/team/trevor-timmins) In April of 2020, Corey Pronman of The
Athletic polled 15 NHL scouts on a variety of subjects, including the best and worst teams when
it came to scouting and drafting. They placed the Canadiens in the bottom three of the entire
league in these categories, alongside the Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers (from ‘NHL
Scout Poll,’ The Athletic NHL, 4/6/20).
Despite this less-than-enviable position in the poll and some lackadaisical draft choices in the
past 20 years, it is clear that Montreal has drafted exceptional talent in that span. Here is a look
at the five best draft picks from 2000 to 2009, taking into account impact on the Canadiens
franchise, as well as individual and collective accomplishments.
No. 5: Jaroslav Halak
Jaroslav Halak was drafted 271st overall by the Canadiens in the 2003 NHL draft. As a seventh-
round selection, Halak is a tremendous pick by Timmins and his team, as the Slovakian goalie is
still playing in the NHL at a high level in 2020.
Montreal Canadiens’ 5 Best Draft Picks
2000-10
BY ALEXANDRE DESROCHERS AYOTTE (HTTPS://THEHOCKEYWRITERS.COM/AUTHOR/ADAYOTTE/) MAY 4TH, 2020
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2. Jaroslav Halak, Montreal Canadiens (mark6mauno/Flickr)
Halak is most famous among Canadiens fans for backstopping the team’s deep playoff run in
the spring of 2010, winning two Game 7s against Alex Ovechkin’s powerful Washington Capitals
and the defending champions Pittsburgh Penguins. Halak posted a .923 save percentage in 18
games that spring, coming short against the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference
Finals.
Related: Carey Price’s Many Backups (https://thehockeywriters.com/carey-price-backup-
goalie-history/)
Rumors of, and calls for, Halak’s return to the Canadiens as Carey Price’s backup for the 2020-
21 season have started emerging as the search for a decent backup have failed since…
Jaroslav Halak. However, he was re-signed by the Boston Bruins for the upcoming season
(https://thehockeywriters.com/boston-bruins-halak-re-sign-price-sweeney/), putting an end to
rumors and hopes alike.
No. 4: P.K. Subban
Drafted in the second round (No. 43) of the 2007 draft, P.K. Subban developed into a
dominating force on Montreal’s blue line. As an offensive D-man with silky skating, a wicked
slapshot and a contagious personality, Subban quickly became a fan favorite at the Bell Centre.
During his tenure, chants of “P.K.! P.K.!” became a staple of the famed amphitheatre.
P.K. Subban

3. P.K. Subban (Eric Bolte-US PRESSWIRE)
Subban’s growth with the Canadiens hit a high note in 2012-13, when he won the Norris Trophy
for best defenceman in the NHL. After putting up 38 points in the lockout-shortened season,
Subban exploded with three consecutive seasons of more than 50 points.
In the spring of 2014, he guided the Canadiens to a deep playoff run, putting up an impressive
14 points in 17 games as Montreal reached the Eastern Conference Final.
PK Subban’s 2OT winning-goal in Game 1 of the NHL Playoffs, Montreal Canadiens versus
Boston Bruins
The Canadiens fell short of reaching the Cup Final in 2014, in part due to Carey Price’s injury in
Game 1 of the Conference Final against the New York Rangers. However, Subban’s
performance electrified the city for a few months, and was the last time the Canadiens had
relevance in the playoffs.
Related: Subban-Weber Trade Revisited (https://thehockeywriters.com/subban-weber-
trade-revisited/)
Subban was traded by Marc Bergevin (https://www.nhl.com/news/canadiens-trade-subban-to-
predators-for-weber/c-281082734) in the summer of 2016 for current team captain Shea Weber,
in a deal that shook the hockey world. He went to the Stanley Cup Final that year with the
Nashville Predators, putting up 12 points in 22 games and building an interesting rivalry with
Sidney Crosby, but falling short of the championship.
P.K Subban unleashes the 2OT winner past RaskP.K Subban unleashes the 2OT winner past Rask

4. No. 3: Tomas Plekanec
Tomas Plekanec was drafted 71st overall in the 2001 NHL Draft from Kladno in the Czech Elite
league, where he had put up decent numbers as a teenager. After playing a few seasons with
the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL, Plekanec developed into a strong NHL player with defensive
acumen and offensive upside.
Tomas Plekanec of the Montreal Canadiens. (Amy Irvin
(https://www.facebook.com/38Photography) / The Hockey Writers)
In fact, Plekanec, nicknamed Pleky, became one of the touchstones of the Canadiens roster for
more than a decade. His reliable two-way game and steady offensive output made him a fan
and coach favorite during his tenure with the Canadiens from 2003 to 2018. He also
represented the Czech Republic internationally every year from 2006 to 2018, including twice in
the Olympics.
The culmination of his hockey career came on Oct. 15, 2018, when he played his 1000th game
in the NHL, a feat only 337 players in the history of the game have accomplished. Pleky‘s total
of 1,001 games in the NHL is a testament to his durability, work ethic and constant desire for
improvement.
No. 2: Max Pacioretty
Max Pacioretty was drafted 22nd overall by Montreal in the 2007 NHL Draft out of Sioux City in
the USHL, where he had been named rookie of the year. He became a perennial 30-goal scorer
on the Canadiens team, putting up more than 60 points and 30 goals five times in his tenure