The Montreal Canadiens have signed exciting prospect Bryce Pickford to an entry-level contract which kicks in next season, and thus […]
The Montreal Canadiens have signed exciting prospect Bryce Pickford to an entry-level contract which kicks in next season, and thus will run from 2026 to 2029.
Pickford, 19, has set the WHL on fire with his impressive scoring rate, to the tune of 25 goals in 31 games. Yes, you read that right, Pickford, a defenceman, has 25 goals banked this year, and currently leads the entire WHL in goal scoring. It should also be noted that he also has 19 assists to his credit, which means he’s also among the top five points producers in the league.
To give you an idea of his level of dominance, the next closest defenceman in terms of goals is Jonas Woo, who has scored 16 goals, nine fewer than Pickford. Woo also happens to play alongside Pickford for the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Pickford was chosen 81st overall in 2025, in the third round, making him a potential steal for a team that has already done a very good job finding high-end talent beyond the first round.
Potential Montreal Canadiens Impact
There’s no doubt Pickford brings a dynamic mix of skills to the table, and though there may have been some criticism as to the decline in the quality of opponents in the CHL this season, it’s only fair to point out other players throughout the country, including the WHL, are dealing with the exact same situation. If it were simply a matter of Pickford taking advantage of the exodus of talent, he’d be surrounded by defencemen in similar situations from a production standpoint.
And yet, Pickford stands alone.
He uses two weapons to do most of his damage in the offensive zone. The first is his excellent wrist shot, which masks the threat via a sneaky release. Accuracy is the name of the game for Pickford’s wrist shot, as he’s become adept at picking out the top corners.
If he has a little more time, Pickford will unleash his slap shot, particularly on the powerplay. It’s not the heaviest shot in the league, but it also displays great accuracy, paired with a relatively short wind-up.
At 6’1″, 185 lb, he’s not the biggest player on the ice, however, he does not hesitate to engage in heated battles when defending, and he does a very good job limiting the damage from opposing players, driving them to the outside of the ice via good gap control and steady positioning.
Most importantly, he’s a right-handed defenceman, the most coveted position in the NHL. Seeing as the Montreal Canadiens traded Logan Mailloux, and are expected to graduate David Reinbacher in the relatively near future, the team lacks depth in their prospect pool among right-handed defenceman, and it’s fair to say that Pickford represents the next great hope when it comes to eventually ascending to the NHL.
Some scouts have suggested he has average hands, but we’ve seen an evolution in his hand-eye coordination this season, as evidenced by a few highlight plays that saw Pickford slice through opposing defenders. If there was one common nit to pick in his game, it would be his skating, which is considered to be good, but not great.
As for his NHL potential, I’ve spoken to a few scouts that agree Pickford could be able to log minutes in the top four if his development goes perfectly, however, some propose he’d be closer to a third-pairing defenceman with impressive offensive tools.
In the end, it’ll be a matter of whether his production can translate to the professional level. To do so, he’ll need a heavy dose of powerplay usage, placing him in a situation that is conducive to exploiting his impressive offensive prowess.
Bryce Pickford Scouting
Via Natural Stat Trick:
Pickford is an all-around defenceman with goal-scoring capabilities. He proactively fills gaps in the defensive zone coverage, many of which he creates with give-and-gos. When a pass comes near, he gets in motion, catches it straight into his shooting pocket, conceals his release, and snipes.
Via Tout Sur Le Hockey:
The difference between his time with the Thunderbirds and the Tigers is his shot usage. With plenty of time on the power-play, we could see the power of his wrist shot. Pickford has a great release, and it works brilliantly. We notably saw it during the WHL final, where he scored six goals in five games against the Spokane Chiefs.
Via Dobber Prospects:
Pickford has offensive upside with his lethal shot. With 11 goals and 12 assists through the first 20 games of the 2025-26 WHL season, the projection for Pickford potentially filling a PP2 role in the NHL one day is becoming more confident.
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