Kent Hughes has given the Montreal Canadiens organization a facelift, and because of it, the Habs powerplay woes should be fixed soon enough.
Alex Burrows has faced some flack and questioning for most of his tenure as the power play coach. But with more chemistry and experience playing together consistently, the two units have shown improvement. It’s a far cry from where you want the production to be, but such is the situation we find ourselves in right now.
Montreal has talent on the roster, and making big moves right now could take money away from other players. Now that’s a vague statement, who are the other players, right? Well, you can take a map, and run your finger over Canada, The United States and Slovakia. These three countries are home to some of the Canadiens’ brightest future stars.
The development team is helping the players by assessing and giving the players feedback. From the CHL to the KHL, NL and SHL, the Habs have their hands full keeping tabs on their young talent. Likewise, they are preparing for the 2024 Draft, which Hughes is fully aware has some very talented prospects.
It has been a long time since the Canadiens have been in the dominant tier for power plays in the NHL. There have been improvements, but with injuries, and guys that will help in the future still developing, that should spark some excitement. Be it the draft, or injuries and even players that are developing still, the Habs have some reinforcements on their way.
I thought it would be a fun exercise to look at the players the Canadiens will rely on to help the current Habs players. In the system, some are developing around the globe and some are in the Canadian junior leagues, and the NCAA. While there will be more added who have yet to be drafted, they could rocket up the depth chart and find a role on one of the Canadiens’ top two powerplay units of the future.