2011 NHL Draft Grades: Montreal Canadiens Opt for Talented D-man Nathan Beaulieu

The second player drafted from the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL, Beaulieu is a great skating defenseman, who also offers upside with a booming shot.

He led Saint John in blue-line scoring with 45 points last year, and also recorded an outstanding plus-44 rating, the top scoring differential ever recorded by a Sea Dogs player. The Montreal Canadians need some youth on the blueline, and gain one of the best defensive skaters in the draft at pick No. 17.

Needs to fill out physically, as he currently stands 6'2" and 175 pounds. He’ll need to be in the 190-200 pound range to hold his ground in the NHL, so he may be a couple years away from really sticking at the top level. His offensive abilities will give him a shot though.

Grade: A. Outstanding value at pick No. 17, and will bring good things to Montreal.

***

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things related to the NHL Draft, from Live Results to Grades and Trade Rumors.

Most recent updates:

• 2011 NHL Draft Round 7 Results: Tracking Every Pick From the Seventh Round
• 2011 NHL Draft Round 6 Results: Tracking Every Pick From the Sixth Round
• 2011 NHL Draft Round 5 Results: Tracking Every Pick From the Fifth Round
• View all updates

What is the duplicate article?

Why is this article offensive?

Where is this article plagiarized from?

Why is this article poorly edited?