Montreal Canadiens: Biggest Questions Going Into 2023-24

The Montreal Canadiens are coming off of a somewhat disappointing 2022-23 season in which they finished in 28th place in the NHL. Of course, for a rebuilding squad, it’s not that surprising to see them towards the bottom of the standings. Still, the manner in which that happened was not necessarily ideal.

The Canadiens young core wants to win and will be hoping for better results this season. In order to do so, the Canadiens will need things to work out for them a little better this season and, in the process, answer some of the biggest questions we have.

But even if the Canadiens are still rebuilding, and the results don’t come easy, there are still lingering questions. The season isn’t necessarily a failure just because the results are somewhat disappointing.  So, with that in mind, let’s look at some of the most burning questions I have for the Canadiens ahead of the 2023-24 season.

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.

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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