There was a lot of movement for the Montreal Canadiens this off-season. There was the big swing in bringing in Noah Dobson, but they lost David Savard to retirement. Hughes sent defensive prospect Logan Mailloux for young forward Zachary Bolduc. The team lost depth forwards Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak, and signed free agents Sammy Blais and Kaapo Kahkonen.
So a lot of lines and pairings will look drastically different this coming year, and this might be how they look:
Line #1: Cole Caufield - Nick Suzuki - Juraj Slafkovsky
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. In fact, it will just get better and better. Like fine wine.
Every single year so far, Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki have improved on their goal and point totals. Eventually, that will plateau, but Caufield is still just 24, and Nick Suzuki is 25. There is still room for growth on both of these players, and there isn't much to suggest they won't at least match their production next year.
But Juraj Slafkovsky should be better this upcoming season. Slafkovsky is younger at 21 years old, and should have a much more stable situation this year. He shouldn't (hopefully) be called upon to revive the second line, and should benefit with stable, great linemates.
Line #2: Patrik Laine - Kirby Dach - Ivan Demidov
The second line has a new face, and quite a big one.
Ivan Demidov had a lot of hype coming into his NHL debut late in the season, and he did not disappoint. He's already a favourite to contend for the Calder, and if his first game is anything to go off of, we can expect great things from Demidov.
The other two are a bit more up in the air. Kirby Dach is coming off another shortened season. The good news is that this injury didn't seem to be as serious as the ACL/MCL injury from a year before. If Dach could return to his form in his Montreal Canadiens debut season, this line could be extremely dangerous. If not, Dach's chances are running low.
The thing is, there aren't many other options for the Canadiens at second-line centre. Maybe Newhook could step up like he did last year, but that isn't ideal unless Newhook takes a big step forward. But in the same breath, Dach has the potential to be a good second-line centre, if all goes really well from his injury rehab.
If Patrik Laine keeps scoring, all will be well. If he doesn't, well, he doesn't bring a ton else, especially in his own zone. The good thing is that he still has one of the best shots in the league, and definitely could outscore his defensive troubles. The question is, will he?
Line #3: Zachary Bolduc - Alex Newhook - Josh Anderson
The biggest addition from outside the organization on the front end is Zachary Bolduc from the St. Louis Blues. Bolduc was selected 17th overall in 2021 and made his full-season debut last year, where he put up good numbers. He almost scored 20 goals and 36 points.
As a rookie, those are great, and Bolduc also has intangibles. Bolduc is not afraid to lay out the body. And depending on his growth, Bolduc could play higher in the lineup if needed and if his game takes another step forward.
Alex Newhook playing on the third line should help him play a bit more within his means. A second-line role seemed a little high last year, and Newhook should feast with his speed and skill against lesser opponents.
And Josh Anderson is Josh Anderson. At this point, he has found his niche and plays it well. He's fast, but not able to capitalize on it too often. But he is also big, and he is now not afraid to play physically, as seen memorably against Tom Wilson on the benches during the playoffs.
This line would not be fun to play against. Both Newhook and Anderson are very fast skaters, and Anderson and Bolduc are big, physical players. That combination is killer. The question is whether they will be able to finish, as Anderson and Newhook have had that problem in the past.
Line #4: Owen Beck - Jake Evans - Brendan Gallagher
Brendan Gallagher and Jake Evans are bona fide, set in NHL players. They are both really solid in a bottom-six role and will anchor the bottom line for the Canadiens. The third member of their crew is yet to be seen.
The truth is that it is too early to know who will play, because it will all depend on development. All three of Owen Beck (13), Oliver Kapanen (18) and Joshua Roy (35) have played games in the NHL, and will all likely see NHL time at some point during the season due to injuries.
Owen Beck is more of a centre, but might find it hard to break into the bottom six centres with Newhook and Evans ahead of him on the chart. Oliver Kapanen and Joshua Roy both couldn't hang in the NHL for long, but a year of development could make a world of difference. Training camp will tell.
Beck is a very solid, defensive forward and could be brought in to help shore up the penalty kill and take faceoffs. Roy has the highest offensive ceiling of the three, but Oliver Kapanen has a lot more experience in Europe in a men's league.
The spot is up for grabs and will go to whoever gets the best in the offseason. I think Beck is the safe choice, but it could change, and it is out of his normal position.
Pairing #1 - Lane Hutson - Noah Dobson
The jewel of the offseason, the Canadiens traded for and signed Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. Dobson is a bona fide first-pairing defender, having recorded a 70-point season a year ago and putting up solid underlying defensive numbers last year.
And Lane Hutson is still Lane Hutson. He is the future face of the franchise (along with fellow face of the franchise Ivan Demidov) and will be one of the great blueliners of his time. I am not sure if Hutson and Dobson will work together. I think there will be some experimentation in the pairings until they work, but these two are the Canadiens' best two defenders today and for the foreseeable future.
Hutson is an offensive defenseman, but he proved he could handle his own against NHL forwards. Dobson can definitely play and produce in the offensive zone, but he also worked on his defensive game, and it greatly improved. Those skill sets could prove complementary.
Pairing #2: Mike Matheson - Alexandre Carrier
Like the first line, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Carrier and Matheson played a lot together last year, and there shouldn't be a reason why they won't play a lot together this season. Carrier is a bit more defensive, which allows Matheson to take more risks offensively while carrying the puck. Nice, solid pairing.
Pairing #3: Arber Xhekaj - Kaiden Guhle
Having Kaiden Guhle on the "3rd pairing" is a great thing to have. Montreal's defence has grown so strong that it is hard to call either pairing the second or third pair, and that is the best problem to have.
The biggest question is who will be the 6th defenseman, and who will be the odd man out? Xhekaj was cut towards the end of the season and was a healthy scratch in many of the playoff games against Washington.
Struble, similarly, couldn't stick in the lineup for the full season, so the two of them will be in competition for that last spot. And then there is David Reinbacher, who may not make the team this year, especially with how crowded it is, but will be coming soon.
I think Xhekaj gets the nod as he fills a more similar role to the retired Savard, and has proven himself a bit more than Struble in the NHL. Xhekaj's intangibles and physical presence are also a big plus if he can keep out of the box.