Ryan Lin a possible right-shot defensive target for Canadiens as their prospect pipeline stays focused on depth

The Montreal Canadiens are set to be in selection mode with the 28th overall pick in the upcoming draft, but their board likely extends beyond that single slot. A new piece of prospect speculation points to a familiar organizational priority for the Canadiens, right-shot defensemen. Finding and developing quality players from the right side is not always straightforward, so team-building often becomes a matter of stacking enough possibilities in the pipeline to improve the odds of a hit.

In that context, Yahoo Sports highlighted Vancouver Giants defenseman Ryan Lin as a potential target if he is still available when Montreal is on the clock. The logic is simple: a draft position that is late in the first round typically requires the club to think several layers ahead, since roster needs still have to be balanced against the availability of specific skill sets.

Montreal has already leaned into that approach recently. In the 2025 draft, the Canadiens selected Bryce Pickford out of the WHL. According to the same report, Pickford, a right-shot blueliner, produced 83 points in 55 games in his last junior season, a scoring output that helps explain why the Canadiens would be interested in repeating the blueprint of taking offensive-capable defensemen and turning them into long-term assets.

Lin, by contrast, is framed less as a guaranteed match and more as a conditional fit, depending on how the board falls. The report treats the Canadiens as “aware” of the challenge of locating the right blend of right-handed defensive prospects, and it suggests that Montreal could look to “stockpile a few in the pipeline” rather than rely on a single selection. In practical terms, that kind of strategy helps protect against the natural variance of draft outcomes, where even strong evaluations can lead to different development paths.

It is important to separate draft talk from certainty. The Canadiens have not publicly confirmed any specific player targets in the lead-up to the selection process, and the Ryan Lin idea is presented as a possibility rather than a report of a confirmed preference. Without NHL team statements or draft-eligibility verification beyond the prospect’s junior association, Lin’s status should be treated as a watch item tied to availability, not as a promise.

The most immediate thing to watch is whether Lin remains available around Montreal’s selection window, and how the Canadiens prioritize right-shot defensemen versus other categories that could be present at 28th overall. If the team leans further into the right-side theme, it would be consistent with the organization’s recent history of selecting an offensive-minded defenseman and continuing to build that profile across its prospect group. If the right-shot market dries up, Montreal could pivot, but the emphasis on the blueline likely remains a guiding principle.