NHL Draft Betting: Who Will the Montreal Canadiens Select at Fifth Overall?

With the Stanley Cup Finals over, the next big date on the NHL calendar is the NHL Draft. The first round of the draft will take place on June 28th at 7:00 PM Eastern Time on ESPN.

Betting on the draft has become big in other sports, and now, the NHL has its turn. NHL Draft betting odds are available on FanDuel Sportsbook.

The fifth selection belongs to the Montreal Canadiens, who are in the middle of a rebuild that could still take a few years to finish. Let's take a look at some of the players they will likely be deciding between.

Matvei Michkov, RW, St. Petersburg (Kontinental Hockey League)

Matvei Michkov is very much a wild card in the 2023 draft. It could be argued that he is the second-best player in the class.

A lot of draft decisions come down to taking the best player available, but that's a bit too simplistic when it comes to Michkov. His contract situation in the KHL makes things complicated as whoever drafts him may have to wait three years before adding him to their roster.

We covered Michkov's profile in an article on the betting odds for the second pick. Taking him with the fifth pick makes more sense than using the second pick on him, because the opportunity cost at No. 5 isn't as great. It's also likely that whoever is taken here won't be on an NHL roster for at least a year, so the fact that Michkov will take some time is less of a big deal.

Montreal seems to be exercising some patience in their rebuild, so selecting Michkov makes some sense.

David Reinbacher, D, Kloten (Swiss National League)

If selecting Michkov is trying to hit a home run, picking David Reinbacher may be the equivalent of settling for a single.

Reinbacher put up respectable numbers for a defenseman playing in a men's league in Switzerland, tallying 22 points in 46 games. However, his game figures to be more predicated on playing solid defense. He's 6'2" and 187 pounds, which is enough size in the modern game to be relied on defensively.

Montreal is really lacking in young prospects on their blueline who you can project to be part of a contending team. That could tilt them toward taking Reinbacher, especially if Michkov is off the board.

Dalibor Dvorsky, C, AIK (Swedish Hockey League)

Somewhere in the middle on the risk profile between Michkov and Reinbacher, Dalibor Dvorsky is definitely an interesting bet to go in this fifth slot.

Dvorsky is a Slovakian prospect who spent his developing years playing in Sweden. He is fairly young compared to most of the top prospects in this draft, but he was already testing himself against pros in one of the best leagues in the world. When he played against competition his own age, he dominated. He recorded 13 points in seven games at the most recent under-18 tournament.

Montreal could use a center, as Nick Suzuki is their only long-term center on the roster.

The Canadiens drafting Dvorsky would likely require two things - none of the other centers fall in the draft and Montral they would rather take him than wait for Michkov.

William Smith, C, US National Team Development Program

Coming in with the fourth-best odds is William Smith. He's a player projected to go in the top 10 who perhaps has the widest range of outcomes among the top options in the 2023 draft.

Smith has a profile and has had the type of rise that could lead to him being selected earlier than this pick. According to this Draft Stock tool, he might go as high as the third pick. The USNTDP has seen a lot of success stories in recent years, and seeing their players go higher and higher in the draft is a growing trend.

We also see Smith with an outside chance of going second, according to the odds. The odds reflect that he could go higher than this, but according to that app, his median position in mock drafts is sixth.

If Smith is around when Montreal is picking, he could be the guy they nab. He fills the center need, as Dvorsky would. The question is if Smith will still be around when it's the Canadiens' turn to pick, whereas Dvorsky almost certainly will be.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.