Over the past ten games, the Montreal Canadiens have been playing their best hockey in years. They are 7-3-0, defeating some of the better teams in the league and showing they can contend for a playoff spot. The return of Patrik Laine from his knee injury kicked off their winning, which has them three points behind the last wild-card spot before they play against the league's worst Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night. The question entering 2025 for Canadiens fans is whether it's time to start dreaming about a playoff berth.
TSN's daily sports show, Overdrive, hosted by Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill, and Jamie MacLennan, is known for its heavy Toronto Maple Leaf bias. It always raises eyebrows when they take the time to mention the Canadiens on their broadcast, but the subject came up when Darren Dreger was on the hot stove Friday afternoon.
Hayes and his guest co-host Jonas Siegel asked Dreger about the Canadiens' recent winning stretch and whether it could change the front office's strategy towards the trade deadline. Dreger's comments won't go over well with the fanbase, as he believes that the front office will be sellers no matter what.
Dreger thinks the Canadiens are still looking ahead to next year instead of believing they can be Stanley Cup contenders in 2025. The Alexandre Carrier acquisition wasn't to build up their 2024-25 roster but to shelter some of their young blueliners if other teams come looking for Mike Matheson and David Savard at the deadline.
We aren't trying to rain on the parade of fans excited about the Canadiens potentially being one point back of the wild card. However, we have to be realistic with the expectations. The Canadiens would have to continue playing at their current pace for the next four months to stay in the mix for the playoffs. Can the Habs go the rest of the season without a losing streak that knocks them back down the standings?
Enjoy this hot streak while you can. It might not be the year for the Canadiens to make another playoff run, but it is in the foreseeable future. The Habs need more development and one or two more weapons, but it isn't as far away as we thought when they struggled through October and November.