If Esposito is still available at 12, I think the Canadiens will have to take him. He is way too good to pass up at 12. Given the state of the Habs' prospects, I think they need to go for a homerun this time, instead of always playing safe at the draft. By all accounts, Espo was a Habs fan growing up. Maybe being drafted by the Canadiens will force him to work hard and acheive what his talent level suggests he should acheive.
Mad is right when he says the Esposito hype has died down. These forums and the hockey world really haven't regarded Esposito as a top 5 pick for maybe the last 10 months. I think that lessens the pressure he would face a little bit and help him focus on what he has to do (albeit, being a first round draft pick has its own pressures). Plus, his character issues are probably overblown. There is a reason why Esposito was named captain of the U18 team over other "character" guys. He also seems pretty intelligent by all accounts.
If the Canadiens had a top 5 pick, of course I would avoid Esposito as the other guys seem like a safer bet. However, at 12, Esposito is definitely worth the risk. I just doubt that he drops that far.