After stockpiling centres over the past two drafts, the Canadiens finally have potential answers to their longest standing need. Now they need to address another significant organizational hole: Top-four, left-shooting defencemen.



Victor Mete emerged as a legitimate top-four option in the second half of the season. In the system there is the promising Alexander Romanov, but he still has another season left in the KHL before joining the Canadiens, and there’s no guarantee he’ll fill the role. After Romanov, there’s not much. Jordan Harris, a 2018 third-round pick, pieced together a solid freshman season with Northeastern, but he’s still years away.



I don’t endorse drafting to fill a need, but with the No. 15 pick in this year’s draft, the need might be worth addressing. Here are five prospects who would accomplish that – my top five defencemen in the draft after Bowen Byram (a possible top-five pick).



Phillip Broberg...