It is no secret that the future is bright for the Montreal Canadiens, but do they have the best outlook in the entire NHL? Well, one ranking certainly believes that to be the case.
Paul Pidutti with Daily Faceoff put together his rankings for the standings for the 2029-30 season. The Canadiens once again finish in first place, ahead of the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes and the San Jose Sharks, who moved up four and two spots, respectively.
"With four players in my projected Top 30 Players of 2030, plus two honorable mentions in Slafkovsky and Dobes, Montreal had found a lot of weapons. While the team’s current NHL depth isn’t exceptional, prospects Jacob Fowler, Michael Hage, Alexander Zharovsky, and David Reinbacher are top-50 prospects that should help before 2030."
The four players in the Top 30 shouldn't be much of a surprise, with that group being Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Lane Hutson, and Ivan Demidov. However, it isn't just the players but where they are in their careers, as outside of Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, the other players mentioned haven't even come close to their ceilings.
If players like Hutson and Demidov continue to improve while Caufield and Suzuki remain at the level they were last season, it doesn't take much to imagine them winning a Stanley Cup.
Montreal Canadiens may not even need to wait until 2030 to win a Stanley Cup
The Canadiens showed that their window isn't starting but was opened wide last season with the trip to the Eastern Conference Final. They would lose to the Carolina Hurricanes, but it was an impressive run that got them to that point.
They have their core in place for the foreseeable future but were able to do so with team-friendly deals. This, in theory, gives general manager Kent Hughes a chance to be aggressive in free agency to add to this group.
He hasn't yet this summer, but that also feels like it was due to a lack of options. Entering the regular season, teams' priorities shift, and some might be willing to maximize value if they fall out of the playoff picture. This is when the Canadiens have a chance to add to the roster with some of the picks and prospects they have acquired.
The Montreal Canadiens can still show some patience with the roster they have and right now they are still one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. However, if the moment comes to make a big move, they are in a great position to help their chances and bring that Stanley Cup to Montreal before 2030.
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