Canadiens: Biggest Surprises of the 2022-23 Season

TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 8: Rafael Harvey-Pinard #49 of the Montreal Canadiens skates with the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on April 8, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Canadiens 7-1.(Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 8: Rafael Harvey-Pinard #49 of the Montreal Canadiens skates with the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on April 8, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Canadiens 7-1.(Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
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Every year it seems like there are players that come out of nowhere and have great seasons for their teams. Last season Rem Pitlick appeared to be the biggest surprise on the Canadiens, putting up 26 points in 46 games for the Habs. This season was no different, with a few Canadiens players having unexpected seasons, and today we’ll be looking at them. We’ll also be breaking down who were the biggest disappointments for the Canadiens this season, so keep your eyes peeled for that article as well.

So what defines a surprise player exactly? Well, what we’re looking for are players that greatly outperformed expectations. So, for instance, the Canadiens claimed Pitlick off of waivers last season, so to get production out of him that resembled a near 50-point season was both unexpected and- well, surprising. So that’s the criteria we’re looking for here as well, which means young players with tons of potential, like Kirby Dach, will not be included on this list.