Three positives for the 2024-25 Canadiens
It's been another losing season, but there is reason for hope next year and beyond.
Growth of the top line
It’s obvious, the Montreal Canadiens offensive attack has relied primarily on the top trio. Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky have been the club’s offensive catalysts and without them, the team would be in complete disarray. The funny thing is that the line has three players, whose prime years are just starting or are a few years away.
Slafkovsky started the season looking like he should be sent down to Laval. But then he turned a corner and never looked back, there were things that he hadn’t shown in the NHL to that point, that were looking so routine. Comments about him being a bust went away with the bitter-cold Montreal wind.
Caufield wasn’t scoring much of the season like we all have come to expect of him. But his game away from the puck improved in leaps and bounds, he has looked like an honest 200-foot player. He has grown a ton and his maturity has been on full display - he hasn’t pouted and that has allowed him to go on a bit of a goal-scoring tear to finish the season.
Suzuki has been the Habs' most consistent player over the last three seasons, but it’s been much more than points. Every game he shows up against the opposition's best players and very seldom does he look out of place. At 24 years old, to do what he is doing; I don’t believe there is any question that he belongs in the conversation with the number one centres of the NHL.
With Caufield’s shooting percentage likely to increase next year, that will help Suzuki’s assist totals and Slafkovsky’s also. Slafkovsky is also far from a finished product and with two seasons under his belt and the confidence he has found, he could hit 30 goals next year and his vision could mean 30 assists are a possibility. Meanwhile, Suzuki has continued to get better each season and this year it has been at a ridiculous rate, so there is good reason to believe he may have another level to go.
Health
You can never predict who will stay healthy and who won’t, in such a fast-paced league things happen in the blink of an eye. Kirby Dach didn’t expect to go down so early after returning from injury. So that put a damper on what the Habs hoped would be a season of growth down the middle.
It’s frustrating that the team hasn’t had as much support on the scoresheet as they would have hoped, but missing players hasn’t helped. Alex Newhook also missed a good chunk of his debut season because of a high-ankle sprain. Since being back in the lineup, he has shown a ton of promise and his speed is going to be a huge difference-maker for the Canadiens.
Joshua Roy was also establishing himself as an everyday NHL player, showing off his high intelligence and his skills as a 200-foot player. Offensively there are signs that he could be a 20-25 goal scorer and his playmaking skills could translate to 25-30 assists per season. His numbers will rely on the quality of his linemates, but even he is far from reaching his full potential; as he is just 20 years old.
With Roy, Newhook and Dach healthy for the full year, they will be able to focus on their development. Whether they play together or on separate lines, they have all proven that they can produce and challenge other teams. They can beat you in many different ways and the team should see a significant uptick with the trio in the lineup.
Christian Dvorak also missed a large part of his 2023-24 season and since his arrival, he has proven how important he is to the team. The Canadiens switched between Brandon Gignac and Colin White, one worked out much better than the other. But Laval required Gignac’s services and White has been a dud, so Dvorak assumed the fourth-line centre role immediately.
With Suzuki, Dach, Evans and Dvorak down the middle, the Canadiens will have a solid centre core. Their health will be important for the Canadiens and will hopefully help the Habs turn their one-goal losses into wins. Growing together is the ultimate goal, but if they aren’t healthy, it will strain the centre core.
Prospects
Whether they play in Montreal or down in Laval with the Rocket, there is a group of promising prospects. The group will only include players who have yet to play 20 games in the NHL. This leaves room for a nice crop of young players, who will push to play in Montreal over the next couple of seasons.
Lane Hutson sits atop the list because, after two seasons in the NCAA, he has done nothing less than impress everybody who has followed his development. The 2022 second-round pick made his NHL debut on Monday night against the Detroit Red Wings. Next season he is likely to play the whole year in Montreal.
The top of the list of prospects is occupied by the big three defensemen if you will. After Hutson, there is Logan Mailloux who has had a brilliant rookie season in the AHL. An AHL all-star, a threat on the number one powerplay and arguably the Rocket’s best defender, Mailloux could push for a spot in Montreal next year.
Number three for the defenders in David Reinbacher who has been a solid late-season addition for the Rocket. He has impressed with his transition to the smaller ice and shown some offensive touch that many didn’t expect because it wasn’t very visible in Switzerland. He has top four defender written all over him and there is plenty of room in his development to grow beyond that.
Owen Beck looks like a sure bet to centre one of the Rocket top two lines next year. He had a great season in the OHL, especially since he joined the Saginaw Spirit. Beck will likely never be a goal scorer, but his game in the offensive zone has shown growth.
Florian Xhekaj just signed his entry-level deal and recently made his debut for the Rocket. He occupied one of the centre roles for Laval and appears to be a player that the Rocket will be grateful to have next year. He provides the grit and scrappiness that will be huge in the postseason and will keep opponents honest.
Filip Mesar is currently in the thick of a playoff battle with the London Knights. It hasn’t gone the way his Kitchener Rangers would hope for, but Mesar has played considerably well. He should be a helpful player for the Rocket next year and his speed, much like Alex Newhook’s, has the quality to make a difference.
Adam Engstrom is yet another mobile left-shot defender currently playing in the SHL. He could join the Rocket once his team is finished in the playoffs. But if the Rocket fail to qualify for the postseason, then he is more likely to join the fold next year, should he decide to.
Honourable mentions
Sean Farrell is another player who has great skill and next year, should he continue improve should be a big year for the undersized forward. The fact that the Habs have a fair amount of smaller forwards in the lineups makes his path tougher. I don’t see a world where he and Mesar are in the same lineup.
Riley Kidney is a natural centre, who is the same height as Nick Suzuki but is much lighter. Even with some added weight, the Canadiens have a solid group of centres that I would think are ahead of him. Unless he becomes a very good playmaker, penalty killer or shooter, I don’t see a future in Montreal for him.
Jakub Dobes is also another good player, but he is likely another year or two away from any NHL playing time. He would need to leapfrog Cayden Primeau or a trade would need to be made to warrant any playing time. Dobes has potential, but he needs more playing time in Laval before his NHL potential is truly measured.
Final thoughts
Free agent signings and the draft will also add different elements to the Canadiens roster. There is also a chance that Hughes makes a trade at the draft. But those are unknowns.
Health, growth and prospects are a little easier to predict and gauge. They will directly impact the Canadiens lineup next year. And will ultimately determine whether the team pushes for the playoffs or not.
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