Nick Suzuki not keen on being trade deadline sellers this season

The Montreal Canadiens are in a spot where it's not exactly a given whether they will make the playoffs or not.

If they wish to make it, a lot of things will need to go right, which is fairly obvious. If management sees that there are moves that will make the team better, then so be it. But, for Nick Suzuki and the players, all they can do is let their play do the talking.

With a team mentality that they don't want the same results this season as they have had over the last three, they will certainly be driven for success. With the team pushing away from being in the rebuild, more into being competitive, expectations will start being higher. Not since Suzuki has been captain has the pressure been as high as it will be this season, and for that matter going forward.

Since it's not in the players control what Kent Hughes decides to do, the only thing they can focus on is playing their best hockey.

Growth and learning will be important, but results aren't far behind

The timeline for success might have been ahead of schedule if Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook hadn't dealt with injuries. But regardless of that, the Habs will enter the 2024-25 season with a clean bill of health. So, while there may be an adjustment period for lines to build chemistry, a climb up the standings is expected.

Montreal will have some tough battles in the Atlantic Division, with teams like the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, and Boston and Tampa Bay looking to stay in fine form. Ottawa and Buffalo are also hoping to stay competitive, which they should be ahead of Montreal, considering they started their rebuilds well ahead of the Canadiens. Toronto is also set up to go far, though it hasn't worked out thus far, and Detroit is also hoping to make a playoff push, the division is going to be very competitive.

If they hope to be competitive, they will need the defence to keep developing and growing, which is fairly obvious, but it will be important for the young group to take a step forward. Goaltending will also be relied upon heavily since the Canadiens will focus on scoring more goals, and keeping the puck out of the net to pick up a few more one-goal game wins, rather than losses. It's obvious the group is still young, but they have had time to adjust to the league, so while continuing to develop is important, equally, collecting more points will become important.