Montreal Canadiens: Three Non-Habs To Watch Closely This Season

The Montreal Canadiens have given us plenty of reason to tune in to their games over the first handful of contests. There is something to be said about the insanely low expectations they began the year with, but they have surely exceeded them early on.

The team was picked to finish last in the Atlantic Division by just about everyone. They still may end up in the division basement, but they at least promise to be far less boring than the team we watched last season.

The 2021-22 version of the Canadiens lacked intensity, pride seemingly, and they appeared to be dumbfounded that they went from the Stanley Cup Final to just another team, to the absolute bottom of the NHL standings.

Watching them this season, they may find themselves in the loss column on many occasions, but they will at least provide some entertainment along the way. The young defenders have been incredibly fun to watch as they prove to be NHL ready.

The dynamic duo of Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield are always a few stickhandles away from lifting us all out of out seats. Juraj Slafkovsky’s passion and joy for the game is only rivalled by Alex Radulov in recent years. His charisma is infectious and it is fun to watch.

However, the Canadiens can not play every night. So, what do Habs fans do when the Canadiens have a night off? There are a handful of interesting storylines to follow in the NHL that are taking place outside of the city of Montreal. There are definitely some intriguing non-Habs players to keep a close eye on this season.

Who are the players you want to watch that are not playing for the Montreal Canadiens, but perhaps have a tie to the team in some way? Let’s take a look at the top three.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi

The offer sheet saga provided quite a bit of drama around the NHL in the 2021 offseason. The Canadiens had just been in the Stanley Cup Final, and suddenly were without Phillip Danault, Eric Staal and Kotkaniemi down the middle of the ice.

Kotkaniemi was offered a one-year contract from the Carolina Hurricanes with a cap hit over $6 million. The Habs chose to pass on the big cap hit and took first and third round picks as compensation.

It will be debated for years among Habs fans whether or not the organization made the right choice. Should they have taken the compensation or should they have squeezed him into their cap payroll for one year at that big number? Also, had they kept him, would he have signed long term like he did in Carolina or would he just have taken a pricey qualifying offer for one more year?

Kotkaniemi is getting a chance to play big minutes at centre for the Hurricanes this season. He is between Andrei Svechnikov and Martin Necas. If he suddenly breaks out offensively, the decision to walk away from him will look worse. If he continues to put up mediocre numbers, then letting him walk will look brilliant.

It will take time to see how that choice will play out, but this is a big season for Kotkaniemi. It will be worth watching as Habs fans to wonder about what could have been.

Artturi Lehkonen

The trade that saw Artturi Lehkonen leave Montreal was much less controversial than the Kotkaniemi drama. Lehkonen was in the final year of his contract last season, and though he was a restricted free agent, he was definitely on the trade market if the right offer came along.

Then the Colorado Avalanche offered Justin Barron and a second round pick and the right offer was on the table. Lehkonen packed up for Colorado and the Habs added another key prospect and draft pick to their future pieces to build around.

Lehkonen was a fan favorite in Montreal, even though he hardly ever seemed to capitalize on a scoring chance. He was the hardest working player on the ice almost every night, was a terrific penalty killer for the Habs and created plenty of offence, even if the pucks didn’t find the back of the net.

Well, don’t look now, (or do because we all still love Lehky) because the pucks are suddenly going into the back of the net. A lot of that has to do with the opportunity Lehkonen has been presented with in Denver.

The Finnish forward was usually a fourth line winger, maybe a third line guy in Montreal due to his lack of scoring touch. In Colorado, he has found himself on the first line with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen.

Lehkonen has five points in six games, after putting up 14 points in 20 playoff games last season to help the Avs win the Stanley Cup.

It is awesome to see such a hardworking and smart player get rewarded with such a great opportunity. A former fan favorite in Montreal, Lehkonen is getting his chance to shine in Colorado and it is worth tuning into those games to keep an eye on him.