Montreal Canadiens at a Crossroads: Analyzing the Three Directions the Franchise Can Go From Here

The Montreal Canadiens approach the deadline clearly labeled as sellers.

They sit at the bottom of the NHL standings today and though they could leapfrog a couple of teams in the near future, they won’t be climbing very far before season’s end.

The team took a sharp nosedive this season after nearly climbing to the top of the mountain just last summer. The fall from Stanley Cup Final to 32nd overall has been drastic.

The questions now become about what happens next? Often when teams reach the Stanley Cup Final they start to push to get back there. But teams who sit at the bottom of the standings often sell and look well down the road for success.

Well, the Canadiens have been at both ends of this spectrum recently. Now, with a new general manager and a new Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations, or whatever Jeff Gorton’s title is these days… it kind of reminds me of Randy from Trailer Park Boys. Wasn’t he the executive weekend assistant trailer park supervisor for a while?

Anyway, whatever the titles are, Gorton and Hughes have to decide where this team goes from here. They really have three directions they can steer things in the near future.

The busiest times for changing an organization are at the NHL Draft, which is in Montreal this July, and the trade deadline, which is on Monday. What the management team decides to do in the next couple days will reveal their plan more fully.

What are their options? They have three distinct routes they can direct this franchise in the future. Let’s take a look at what those are and how it could all play out between now and puck drop on the 2022-23 season.