Corey Pronman, one of the most respected prospect specialists in the hockey world, has released his recent farm system rankings for all the teams in the NHL. You need a subscription to check out the entire list, which is well worth the price of admission. Pronman and company do great work, and produce very interesting content.

The Canadiens ranked 17th, down from 10th last year.

Here's what he had to say about the Habs.

The Habs have moved picks and drafted late in the first round in recent years, and they lack the high-end talent people have become accustomed to seeing from the Habs. Forwards such as Nikita Scherbak, Charles Hudon and Martin Reway are intriguing, as is recent top-rounder Noah Juulsen, who turned heads at the recent World Junior camp, while former top defensive pick Tinordi has stagnated.

Considering the Habs are a competitive team, and didn't add a second-round pick to their prospect pool this year, it's a reasonable ranking.

The rest of the division received the following ranking; Toronto Maple Leafs 2nd, Buffalo Sabres 3rd, Detroit Red Wings 7th, Tampa Bay Lightning 14th, Boston Bruins 18th, Florida Panthers 22nd, Ottawa Senators 23rd,