Habs Forwards Stymied Through Last Two Games

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The Montreal Canadiens first line had been humming along since the calendar flipped to February.

The Canadiens top line continues to produce at a strong rate. Suzuki on pace for 78 points. He has 52 in 54 games this season. Together they're stronger: With a 3 point night, Caufield has 25 in his last 25. Slafkovsky 22 points in last 25.
— Brian Wilde (@BWildeMTL) February 16, 2024

But through their last two games, the forwards have mustered up zero goals. The defence has carried the torch but with very little success. With three goals from the defence through those two losses - 3-2 against the Buffalo Sabres then 4-1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

To make matters worse, the two losses marked the Canadiens' third and fourth consecutive defeats. It was glaringly apparent that the first line’s production wasn’t sustainable. Simply put, until the scoring depth is addressed, the Canadiens won’t be in the mix for a playoff spot.

Calling for Martin St. Louis to get the chop because of the Habs' recent play has become a regularity throughout Habs' Twitter. This is a bit surprising when you consider the fact that the Canadiens have been playing without a competitive second line. A drop in production was kind of expected and that’s okay, there is still work to be done.

If the bottom six were contributing a bit more and the main focus wasn’t on development then things would be different. But, alas, Josh Anderson and Brendan Gallagher have hindered the Habs on the scoresheet and their salaries are somewhat of an anchor for the organization. Tanner Pearson also hasn’t contributed very much, and Alex Newhook while not playing poorly hasn’t chipped in much to help the offence.

Up to this point, the team has been punching above their weight class - Samuel Montembeault has stolen many games. But he has masked problems, much like Carey Price did before him. This is precisely why Kent Hughes is taking the right approach rebuilding the team from the ground up.

Ideally, he would love to move underperforming players that are being paid for their mileage. But no general manager is going to take on players pushing 30, that aren’t producing. And buying them out would be costly, so we must remain patient.

Reasons For Optimism

2024 Beanpot Tournament - Championship / Richard T Gagnon/GettyImages

I, as a Canadiens fan through and through, want for the team to perform to their abilities. And I would never suggest losing on purpose to benefit the team’s draft odds. But in a small way, I understand that losses at this point of the season could be the difference between a pick in the top five of the draft or a slide to the 10-20 range.

Thankfully, on top of the Habs' two draft picks in the upcoming draft, there are a few players who have the potential to join the team at next season’s start. The trio are all defensemen, but Lane Hutson is a play driver and a very likely candidate to improve the offense's production. Logan Mailloux has shown tremendous growth defensively, while still showing his offensive skills and David Reinbacher hasn’t scratched his ceiling yet.

There is no telling where the Canadiens will draft; there is nothing set in stone, firstly until the draft order is determined. Secondly, which is equally important is who the organization deems as the best player available. Having selected a defenseman in the first round in 2023, it feels like the writing is on the wall to select a forward.

It’s been debated and will continue to be for a long time - if the Habs should have drafted a forward last year - instead of a defender. And that chatter has picked up, given the strength of defence in the top end of the 2024 draft. But there are some intriguing names and with the aforementioned top-end defence available, a forward or two could slide into Hughes’s lap.

With a big summer involving more of Kent’s trade magic and a potential top-10 pick, the Canadiens' top six should be much improved next year. Even if whoever they draft needs a little extra time to develop. Joshua Roy and Kirby Dach look to be two-thirds of a good second line - and Newhook can slot in until the Canadiens pick is ready.

Cayden Lindstrom would beef up the forward core, and perhaps allow Dach to shift to the wing. Ivan Demidov, while it’ll be a few seasons, could slot in beside either Nick Suzuki or Dach. Berkly Catton, I think has the potential to play in the NHL right away, just like Zach Benson did this year and he could be a perfect complement to either of the first two lines.

If the three forwards aren’t available, along with Tij Iginla and Cole Eiserman, one of the defensemen could be a legitimate option. And while it isn’t ideal, sharpening your pitchforks would be a big overreaction. Quality NHL defensemen don’t grow on trees and with the right package, a forward can be acquired through a trade.

Final Thoughts

Montreal Canadiens v Toronto Maple Leafs / Claus Andersen/GettyImages

Because of the first line’s great success through much of February, the drop-off in production isn’t likely to continue much longer.

Dach will solve a lot of issues, and Roy, Newhook and the young Habs defenders will have another NHL season under their belts.

Add in at least one first-round pick, but maybe two and perhaps another Hughes trade acquisition and the Habs should look a bit different next year.

Montembeault will build on his strong season this year, and Cayden Primeau will have a clean slate to start the 2024-25 campaign.

It’s easy to call for the coach’s firing and suggest that Anderson and Gallagher be traded away.

But St. Louis has done quite well, all things considered.

And there isn’t a team in the league that will take on high-salaried, underperforming players. Even with a sweetener, those big contracts aren’t going to be moved easily.

But sticking with the plan, developing, growing and building chemistry will hopefully put the Habs in a strong position to end the Canadian Stanley Cup curse.

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