"Which team has the best record of identifying potential National Hockey League talent at the entry draft?

Fans might be surprised to learn the answer is the Canadiens.

Montreal has drafted 29 current NHLers - players who appeared in at least 50 games last season, or have played more than 150 games total - although most of the players originally selected by the Canadiens are now plying their trade elsewhere.

The Canadiens top Buffalo (27), the New York Islanders (26) and the Colorado Avalanche, whose 25 draftees date back to the team's former incarnation as the Quebec Nordiques.

While there is a perception the Canadiens haven't done well at the draft table, the team's scouting staff has been able to identify a steady stream of talent, despite the fact Montreal's first-round picks are usually in the middle of the round.

There are nine current NHLers who were selected in the first round by Montreal, but only three of those players are still in the organization. The prize in the group is goaltender Carey Price, who was selected fifth overall in 2005. That's the highest pick the Canadiens have had since selecting Petr Svoboda fifth overall in 1984. The other first-round picks on the current Canadiens roster are Andrei Kostitsyn (10th overall in 2003) and Max Pacioretty (22nd overall in 2007)."