The Montreal Canadiens' decisions to acquire Noah Dobson and extend Mike Matheson drew criticism, but the value of investing in their defensive group is becoming clear. With Ivan Demidov sidelined since the second game of the season and captain Nick Suzuki now out with an upper-body injury, the Canadiens need to find offence elsewhere. Fortunately for them, their defence has been up to the challenge.
With Suzuki out of the lineup, Oliver Kapanen has replaced him on the Canadiens' top line. While he has not been able to replicate his offensive production, the team has found other ways to win. Dobson, Matheson, and Kaiden Guhle have combined for three goals and seven points in the last three games. Pair that with Jacob Fowler’s outstanding play, and the Canadiens are 3-0 without their captain.
Canadiens defencemen have plenty to offer offensively
Both Matheson and Dobson have previously been engines for their teams' offence from the blueline. In the 2023-24 season, Matheson was the Canadiens’ primary offensive defenceman, matching his career best in goals with 11, while setting a new season high in assists with 51, finishing third on the team in points. That same season, while Dobson was still a member of the New York Islanders, he had a career-high 70 points, which included a staggering 60 assists.
Limited power-play minutes have directly affected Matheson’s and Dobson’s offensive production, with Lane Hutson commanding most of the opportunities on the man advantage. Matheson recorded 28 power-play points in 2023-24, while Dobson had 24. Their reduced power-play time is not because they are no longer capable of producing offensively, but because their roles have changed.
Matheson went from being the Canadiens' most utilized offensive defenceman to now being their most utilized defensive defenceman, playing a crucial role on the penalty kill and in late-game situations when Montreal is protecting a lead. Dobson’s well-rounded game allows the Canadiens to use him in all types of situations, whether he is on the second power play unit, the penalty kill, or in defensive situations. However, with the team missing Demidov and Suzuki, the two are showing that they can still provide the Canadiens with an offensive spark.
Canadiens finding ways to win without Suzuki and Demidov
The Canadiens did not just lose two of their most talented offensive players. They lost two of their primary playmakers. Suzuki had 72 assists last season and is always looking for ways to get his teammates involved. As a rookie, Demidov dazzled with his ability to create offensive chances seemingly out of nothing, but with both players out, the Canadiens are not struggling to put the puck in the back of the net.
In the three games since Suzuki has been out of the lineup, the Canadiens have scored eight goals. While that is slightly lower than their season average of three goals a game, it has not mattered. That is partly because Fowler has made it nearly impossible for the opposing team to score, conceding two goals over the last three games.
However, just as importantly, the defence has picked up the slack offensively. Hutson, Guhle, and Matheson have combined for 50% of the team’s goals in that span. Guhle scored two of those goals in consecutive games, including the game-winner against the Winnipeg Jets at the Heritage Classic.
The blueline was crucial in the Canadiens' win against the St. Louis Blues, but this time it was Matheson leading the way, picking up an assist on both goals. In total, the Canadiens' defence has combined for nine points over the last three games, but the most surprising part might be that Hutson has just one of those during this stretch. The complete defensive group is stepping up, and that shows why the Canadiens were right to invest in their blueline.
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