A formidable Canadiens fourth line - Thorpe, Xhekaj and Tuch

The Montreal Canadiens prospect pool warrants notice from the rest of the league, talents like Ivan Demidov and Michael Hage aren't far off, and Jacob Fowler looks like a franchise goaltender in the making.

From top to bottom, the Habs prospect pool has plenty of different talents, which colours a bright future for the organization. But the fourth line is a position rarely talked about because they aren't offensively explosive. However, they can create energy, wear down the opposition and chip in some depth scoring.

I think based on statistics and watching the way the players have played over time this season, three guys could form a scary line. If I'm being honest, they could all likely be top-nine forwards, but they would be a very good fourth line. Luke Tuch and Florian Xhekaj are already making noise with the Laval Rocket - challenging the opposition with a heavy effort in the offensive zone, tenacious forechecking and physical defensive play.

The third member of the line is the one guy playing in a different league - the WHL to be exact, because he hasn't finished his major junior career. Tyler Thorpe of the Vancouver Giants was drafted in the fifth round of the 2024 draft 130th overall. In 56 WHL games, Thorpe has 24-22-46, and he has continued honing a fantastic release, that comes off with tremendous power.

Xhekaj and Thorpe present as the shooters, but both have playmaking abilities that will allow them to thrive in a fourth-line role - not that they can't perform in a top-nine role. Tuch does have a heavy, accurate shot, but he projects more as a power forward, with a pass-first mentality. In 35 games with the Rocket, Tuch has 5-6-11 - in his best college season, Tuch posted 9-11-20 - so offensive production isn't a measurement of his success.

While Thorpe is the youngest of the bunch - 19 years old with an August birthday, the line isn't that old. Tuch is 22 and in just his second pro season. Xhekaj is playing his rookie season in Laval, and he is just 20 years old, with a late June birthday. This line is young, physical, and talented and challenges the opposition with heavy checking, quick skating and plenty of shooting.

A modern fourth line in every sense, these guys can play the game any way that the opposition wishes to. If they wish to try and throw their weight around, this is the line that assuredly bites back hard, They are all heavy, lengthy forwards who skate well and love to cut their opponents off with booming hits.

Fans will come to watch Lane Hutson, Demidov and Hage, and the current offence drivers - Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky (when he wants to). But they will be reeled in and possibly standing cheering because of this trio - thunderous hits and spirited fights will do the trick. Don't count out Xhekaj and Thorpe as shooters, though.

Slafkovsky insists on setting a standard

On Saturday night against the Ottawa Senators, you could argue that Juraj Slafkovsky was the best player on the ice. Perhaps he wasn't the most skilled, the best shooter or the fastest guy out there, but he played like an animal who was just uncaged. Slafkovsky shot out of the 4 Nations Face-Off break like a bat out of hell.

Brady Tkachuk is a guy that Slafkovsky spent much of the break watching, during his quest for gold in Montreal and Boston. Tkachuk was a physical menace, who played in-your-face hockey - dropping the gloves, throwing his body around and making a difference. Slafkovsky knows he is at his best when he moves his feet, and plays a heavy checking game - à la Tkachuk.

He used the break very wisely, to not only rest but to prepare himself for a strong back half of the season, in hopes of making a big playoff push. Tkachuk was out of the lineup, but Slafkovsky played a game that should stick in people's minds. If the Habs and Senators meet in the playoffs, Slafkovsky will cause them problems, much like Tkachuk does.

I can't imagine anything better than some more heated playoff battles for the Canadiens, and the Senators could be a great young team to form a rivalry with.