Will Charles Hudon be on the Montreal Canadiens Next Season?

Before the likes of Ryan Poehling, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Alexander Romanov joined the Montreal Canadiens; there was a point in time where Charles Hudon was one of the top prospects in the organization. Along with an abundance of wingers on the NHL roster, will Hudon be able to become a mainstay?

Where does Charles Hudon stand among roster players on the Montreal Canadiens?

With a year remaining on his current contract and an AAV of $800 000, Charles Hudon will be looking for a new deal, whether that be with the Montreal Canadiens or elsewhere. Determining his value can be convoluted, given the discrepancy between his play in the AHL and NHL. Hudon is often the top player on his team, as well as in the league when he’s sent to the minors.

Looking at this season alone, the 25-year-old has 35 points in 46 games played with 27 of those points being goals. However, when looking at his time in the NHL, Hudon has not been able to find much consistency since his 30-point year (10 goals, 20 assists) in the 2016-17 season. Since then, he had struggled with 5 points in 2018-19 and 2 points in 15 games before this season came to a halt, although he has played as of late.

While some of his struggles can be associated with not being given enough ice time for a fair chance to increase his numbers, Hudon has not shown a significant ability to translate the style of play he has been known to show in the AHL into the NHL.

There may not be room for Charles Hudon as prospects such as Jake Evans and Jesse Ylonen, possibly making a push for a roster spot next season. There is also the possibility of Ilya Kovalchuk making a return to the team.

The Impact of Losing Charles Hudon

It may be a tough pill to swallow for some as Hudon has been with the Montreal Canadiens for a long time. However, he has fallen down the depth chart.

The left-winger is not as high on the Canadiens depth chart as he once was with younger, more talented options possibly taking the helm. It may be further difficult for Hudon to find a full-time position on the team.

Hudon’s saving grace may be his performance in the last 15 games. Although his point totals may not be where he would like them with only a goal and assist in that span, his play should a noticeable jump. He was finding ways to further utilize his speed and a shot that nabbed him 27 goals with the Rocket.

If the season had not come to a halt, perhaps we would have seen more and gotten a better idea of where Hudon stands in the organization in the remaining 11 games of the Montreal Canadiens season. If the season does, in fact, resume later this year (which remains to be seen), this may Hudon’s last chance with the Canadiens.