Three positives for the 2024-25 Canadiens
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.