Canadiens: 2021-22 Projected Lineup if Nothing Changes

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The Montreal Canadiens have had an extremely busy offseason it seems, but it hasn’t really even started yet.

We got news that Shea Weber is almost definitely out of the lineup for all of next season and maybe far more and that Carey Price is probably going to need surgery and could even be taken in the expansion draft tonight.

The Canadiens also officially made Dominique Ducharme the head coach and signed assistant coach Luke Richardson to a three year contract. There have also been plenty of rumours that Phillip Danault won’t be back next season and will test the waters as a free agent.

Other than that, you know three key players from the playoff run to the Stanley Cup Final likely being gone, or injured, next season, not much has gone on. Of course, the expansion draft is tonight and the NHL Draft takes place this weekend. The Canadiens have 11 picks in the upcoming draft and it appears they will have a boatload of cash to spend when free agency opens next week.

So, before all of the changes take place with expansion selections, trades and free agent signings, let’s take a quick look at where the Canadiens stand right now. We are going to look at what their lineup would look like if they did absolutely nothing between now and opening night.

The only thing we will assume is that all restricted free agents are eventually re-signed but that the unrestricted free agents are not. The purpose isn’t to assume general manager Marc Bergevin will do nothing at all this offseason, but to try and identify where he needs to upgrade.

Jun 18, 2021; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens Cole Caufield Tyler Toffoli and Nick Suzuki Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports /

Tyler Toffoli – Nick Suzuki – Cole Caufield

This line was put together in the first round of the playoffs and they clicked fairly quickly. They stuck together for most of the postseason after being put together and there is no need to change anything heading into next season.

Suzuki took another huge step this season and looks like he is ready to be an elite two-way centre. Saddling him with wingers who can score goals and are smart defensively as well makes this a dangerous line at five on five. Toffoli had 28 goals in 52 games this season and Caufield has the potential to be an even better goal scoring threat.

No matter what happens this offseason, there is no need to try and fix this line.

Jonathan Drouin – Jesperi Kotkaniemi – Brendan Gallagher

There may not be any question marks on line one, but they arrive fairly quickly with the current lineup. With Tomas Tatar and Phillip Danault potentially leaving as free agents, there is going to be a huge shakeup in the team’s top six. Brendan Gallagher has been an excellent defensive winger who can score 30 goals but he needs new linemates.

Jonathan Drouin makes sense if healthy but will he play another game for the Canadiens? Your guess is as good as mine but I’d lead heavily towards no on that one. If he doesn’t play, that puts either Artturi Lehkonen or Paul Byron in the top six and that’s just not going to be good enough to find consistent offence.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi has been through a lot in three NHL seasons. He’s still just 21 and though he has had his ups and downs he has shown enough to be given an opportunity to be a second line centre with offensive linemates. Gallagher is one, but the team needs to find another. I’d say second line left winger is a huge need right now, especially if Drouin is gone.

Jun 18, 2021; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens Josh Anderson Paul Byron Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports /

Paul Byron – Jake Evans – Josh Anderson

The line of Paul Byron, Josh Anderson and Jesperi Kotkaniemi played together a lot in the postseason. They were fine, but they struggled to score goals consistently. With Danault gone, Kotkaneimi moves up the lineup and that opens this third line centre spot for Evans.

If these wingers struggled to score goals with Kotkaniemi as their centre, there is no reason to believe they’ll take off with Evans in the middle. Byron had just five goals in the regular season and though he had a couple of huge goals in the postseason, he really shouldn’t be penciled into a third line from day one of a season.

Evans showed he can handle the defensive responsibility at centre ice, he scored just three goals in 47 regular season games for the Canadiens this year. I’d have no problem with him playing on a shutdown line, but he doesn’t belong in the top nine until he shows a little more offence.

Upgrading third line centre and left wing should be looked at this offseason.

Artturi Lehkonen – Ryan Poehling – Jesse Ylonen

The Canadiens entire fourth line from the playoffs are slated to be free agents next week. Corey Perry, Eric Staal and Joel Armia were a formidable trio in the offensive zone. They all have size and know how to grind it out down low to win puck battles and maintain possession. This made them difficult to play against, but they could all be gone.

Right now, that would leave a fourth line of Artturi Lehkonen, Ryan Poehling and Jesse Ylonen. While Lehkonen certainly belongs on the fourth line regularly, Poehling and Ylonen aren’t proven to be NHL regulars yet. Poehling had a really strong season for the Laval Rocket and Ylonen was pretty solid as well.

If the Canadiens upgrade their third line left wing and centre there will be a natural trickle down here that could leave a shutdown fourth line of Lehkonen, Evans and Byron. That would be terrific and Poehling could battle the three of them for minutes as well, creating some tough competition at the bottom of the lineup. Ylonen could use another year in the AHL before cracking the NHL lineup.

Mar 6, 2021; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens Jeff Petry and Joel Edmundson Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports /

Joel Edmundson – Jeff Petry

The Canadiens will be without top defenceman Shea Weber next season. He formed the top pairing with Ben Chiarot, but without Weber, the second pairing of Joel Edmundson and Jeff Petry would stay together and become the ice time leaders on the blue line. Edmundson fit in well on the Habs this season and might be asked to do even more in year two if Weber is on injured reserve for the season.

Ben Chiarot – Alexander Romanov

Ben Chiarot will have a huge adjustment in year three with the Canadiens. He played his first two seasons almost exclusively with Shea Weber when both were healthy, but that won’t be the case next season. Finding a top four defender that will be around for several years has to be a top priority for the Canadiens this offseason. Otherwise, Alexander Romanov would be first in line to step into the bigger role.

Brett Kulak – Cale Fleury

Brett Kulak has played admirably for the Canadiens the past few seasons. He was picked up for next to nothing from the Calgary Flames but played respectable second pairing minutes with Jeff Pettry before Edmundson was signed last offseason. He would be a candidate to move into the top four with Weber out, but Romanov would adjust easiest to playing his off wing so Kulak stays on the third pairing.

With Jon Merrill and Erik Gustafsson likely leaving as free agents, there isn’t a ton of competition to step into the lineup. Cale Fleury played 41 games last season and is a rugged right shot defender who can move the puck up ice just fine. He played reliable defensive minute for the Laval Rocket this season and could step in if needed.

Carey Price

This could all change if Carey Price is taken in the expansion draft but other than that there isn’t much to say here. If Price is still on the roster he will be the team’s starting goaltender.

Jake Allen

Allen was protected in the expansion draft over Carey Price. Though it was quite surprising it was a calculated move by Marc Bergevin who thinks it is the only way he could possibly keep both of them. They formed a terrific tandem this season and Allen is a perfect backup goalie who played well when called upon and knew his role once the playoffs began and Price was in goal for every game.

Biggest needs in offseason:

Of course, whoever goes to the Seattle Kraken will need to be replaced. That’s obvious. On top of that, I would say the Habs biggest needs right now, in order, are a top four right defenceman, a second line left winger, a third line centre, a third line left winger, and then a top pairing left defenceman.

The real meaning of Carey Price's expansion exposure. dark. Next

It will be interesting to see what happens in the next ten days. After a great playoff run, the Canadiens have some tinkering to do with their lineup. I’d expect they aggressively target a top four right shot defenceman as well as a top six left winger via trade or free agency and try to find a veteran centre to play third line minutes but that could slide into the second line role if Kotkaniemi struggled to score.

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