Montreal Canadiens: Biggest Questions Going Into 2023-24

Regardless of whether the Canadiens win 50 games or 20 next season, player development will remain one of the most important things for the organization. The Canadiens have several young players, but most notably, quite a few sophomores looking to take a leap in their development going into year two.

For a player like Kaiden Guhle, that means a big step forward after what was already a very good rookie year. Whereas for Juraj Slafkovsky, that bar may not be as high, but it’s just as important he hits it. The Canadiens are going to need these players to reach their full potential for both immediate and long-term success.

This is always a burning question among young, rebuilding teams and the Habs are certainly not new to this either. But in past years, the answer was often no, or at least not good enough. Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki have sort of changed that tune, but it needs to continue with other young players.

If the Canadiens want to win now, the young players will play a significant role in that, but it’s even more imperative for the future. This is the young core of the Canadiens, and they desperately need these guys to reach their full potential. The upcoming season will give us a better idea as to the reality of that.

Not to continue to beat a dead horse, but health remains an area of concern with the Canadiens going into this season. Sure, the Canadiens made changes to their medical staff in an attempt to fix this, but the questions remain. You don’t have as many injuries as the Canadiens have had in each of the last two seasons and forget about it.

Fans will be watching, hoping and praying their team can stay healthy, especially regarding their favourite players. Guhle, Slafkovsky, Caufield and many others all missed significant time due to injuries last year, and it cannot happen again.

If Montreal can go through a year with fewer injuries, especially of the season-ending variety, then that is a major weight off fans’ shoulders. Injuries are brutal for on-ice success, and they don’t help development either. Health has to be a top priority for the Canadiens season.

It’s difficult to see a pathway to the playoffs for the Habs if they can’t stay healthy. While the Canadiens are certainly adding more talent to the fold, I’m already skeptical they can compete as it is. Injuries, particularly to stars, pretty much derail that hope.

The Habs have a good crop of young talent, but their chances of making the playoffs already seem slim. Many people, myself included, just don’t think they’re far along enough in their rebuild to compete. The talent isn’t entirely on par with other playoff teams, at least not yet. But health and big steps in development can change that really quick.

But perhaps the most significant question mark comes from between the pipes. Last season, the Canadiens got pretty good goaltending from Samuel Montembeault and Jake Allen. But if all my years watching hockey have taught me one thing, it’s that last year doesn’t mean much when talking about the current season, especially in regards to goaltending.

Can Montembeault and Allen deliver yet again and maybe even be better than they were last year? If the answer is no, it’s difficult to see the Canadiens making a run towards the playoffs. But if the answer is yes, then anything is possible.

Of course, the way the Canadiens play in front of their goaltenders is important, too. Poor defensive play at times last year saw the Habs ask too much from their goaltenders. It resulted in games in which they gave up three or four goals but still made 40+ saves.

Still, this will be a huge question mark regarding the success of the Canadiens in 2023-24, especially if the offence struggles at times, which has been a constant theme of the Canadiens for a very long time now. If the goaltending is good, playoffs are still a possibility. If not, you’re likely looking at another bottom-five finish.

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