Five Interesting storylines to Look for heading into the Montreal Canadiens 2021-2022 Season

Last season, the Montreal Canadiens were undoubtedly one of the more intriguing narratives in hockey – stumbling through the North division, before marching all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals; where they met their eventual demise in the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Canadiens achieved this feat on the backs of some of hockey’s astonishing young stars, and exemplary veterans, who led the Canadiens on a dramatic run that will be remembered forever in the ‘Centre Bell’s’ ongoing echo’s.

As the Canadiens look to repeat last year’s cinderella run, there will be another number of storylines to follow, especially in Montreal – where all season long, everything seems to be grab the headlines.

After what’s been a busy offseason, let’s take a look ahead towards what some of those storylines might be when the Canadiens hit the ice again, on October 13th in Toronto.

The Progression of the Canadiens Young Talent

It’s no secret that the Canadiens youngest players were an integral part of last year’s team that came within three wins of a Stanley Cup. Most notably, Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield paired up to form a dynamic duo that combined for 28 total points during the playoffs.

Now heading into their first full season together, the expectations for the Canadiens new one-two punch will be tremendous. The anticipation is that Suzuki will become the team’s full-time number one center, while Caufield – in typical Montreal fashion – is supposed to score at least 50 goals.

Realistically, Suzuki should become the Canadiens number one center this season, and Caufield should contribute significantly to the team’s offense – two things the Canadiens will need if they want to make the playoffs, let alone travel back to the Stanley Cup Finals.

But the team’s young talent doesn’t end there – Alexander Romanov and Jesperi Kotkaniemi are another two noteworthy players to keep an eye on as they look to improve upon last seasons ups and downs.

If these four players, and the likes of Jake Evans or even Ryan Poehling, can all take a step forward next season, there is no doubt that the Canadiens can reach the playoffs once again. Assuming the team’s veterans are ready to play – the team could very well use a blend of young and old once again, as they attempt to repeat last seasons heroics.

Whether that will be the case is yet to be seen, but it sure will be something to look for as the team slowly transitions into a ‘newer’ generation of Canadiens hockey.