Merkley carries high-risk, high-reward disclaimer

During the weeks leading up to the NHL Entry Draft, we’re taking a look at players who might be selected by the Montreal Canadiens. The team has five selections in the first two rounds, including the No. 3 overall pick. Check back daily from Thursday to Monday up until the draft on June 22-23 in Dallas, and weigh in on their potential in the comments section online.

RYAN MERKLEY, DEFENCE

Height/weight: 5-foot-11,

170 pounds

NHL Central Scouting Rank: No. 21 among North American skaters

What the scouts are saying: Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. It seems there’s this defenceman in the Ontario Hockey League whose skills are off the chart. He can skate like the wind, sees the ice well, makes passes that other defencemen wouldn’t see. He put up 67 points in 63 games with the Guelph Storm. The only question mark is whether he understands that being a defenceman means you occasionally have to play defence. Ryan Merkley carries the same high-risk, high-reward tag that was attached to P.K. Subban before the Canadiens picked him in the second round. The one difference between Merkley and the young Subban may lie in their attitude. Anyone who has witnessed a Subban training session has never questioned his work ethic. He made himself an elite defender with a vigorous push from Michel Therrien. The question surrounding Merkley is whether he has the determination to be more than a one-trick pony. If he does, he’s a first-rounder, but there aren’t many scouts who believe he belongs in that group.

Why the Canadiens would be interested: The Canadiens should take a flyer on Merkley if for no other reason than to see if they learned any lessons from the way they mishandled Subban — beginning with the early stages of his career when he stayed in Hamilton for far too long to his inevitable departure because he dared to be different. Then again, maybe the Canadiens should pass because accommodating players who are different isn’t part of the team’s DNA.

Coaching connection: Without beating the Subban comparison to death, it should be noted that Merkley’s coach in Guelph is McGill grad George Burnett, who found a way to get the most out of Subban when he was coaching the Belleville Bulls.