The Montreal Canadiens had a pretty solid 2024-25. The team made the playoffs for the first time since their run to the Finals, and management has given their vote of confidence with this group by keeping it together.
Management sat down with Nick Suzuki just before the trade deadline, and after that meeting decided not to make any drastic moves at the deadline. And the players rewarded the decision by clawing their way to a playoff spot. And while the team didn't do too much in the playoffs, it was still a big step in the right direction for this young team.
But it wasn't all sunshine and roses for the 2024-25 Habs, so this will go up and down the lineup and rate how well everyone did.
Line #1 - A+
Cole Caufield (37-33-70) - Nick Suzuki (30-59-89) - Juraj Slafkovsky (18-33-51)
The Montreal Canadiens finally have a true first line, for the first time in what feels like a long time. And a big part of that is the very underrated Nick Suzuki.
The Montreal Canadiens have lacked a number-one centre for a long time. Remember when David Desharnais was on the first line? And then there was Phillip Danault, who was an elite defensive centre, but couldn't produce enough numbers to be a full number 1 centre.
Well, the Canadiens have that now in Nick Suzuki. Any centre that scores at a point-per-game while playing a solid two-way game is a full number 1 centre.
This was Suzuki's best year points-wise, and his second straight 30-goal season. Suzuki is a true 200-foot player, both playing well in his own zone and producing great offensive numbers.
Suzuki was 13th in points this past season, and 7th amongst centres, below the likes of Nathan Mackinnon, Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Sidney Crosby and Clayton Keller.
Then there's Cole Caufield, a diminutive goal-scorer who has been bubbling somewhat under the surface previously to this season, but he has fully arrived in a big way. In a strange coincidence, Nick Suzuki was tied for 13th in the league in points with Artemi Panarin, and Cole Caufield also finished 13th in the league in goals with Artemi Panarin.
This was mostly due to an absolutely torrid pace at which Caufield started the season. He finished the first month of the season by scoring 10 goals in 11 games, but his pace slowed down a little by the end of the season.
The third man is Juraj Slafkovsky, who didn't put up quite the numbers that the others did, but still took big steps. While his goal and point totals were similar to the season before, his physical and mental development were a sight to behold.
And it is important to note that Slafkovsky didn't play the whole season on the first line. It also included a time when he was used to try and fix the second line, which we will get to soon.
But Slafkovsky is the youngest player on the top line, and as a big, physical specimen, it makes sense that it takes a bit more time for him to develop. He looked great at the end of the season and will look even better next year.
You couldn't ask more out of this young first line. Each player improved in a big way, and they are young enough that they should keep improving. This was about as good as it could get.
Line #2: C+
Alex Newhook (15-11-26) - Kirby Dach (10-12-22) - Patrik Laine (20-13-33)
The Montreal Canadiens had a great first line. The second line? Well, that's a bit more complicated.
Alex Newhook is an interesting case. He is one of the fastest players on the team in a straight line and is a great support piece on a middle-six line. But he shouldn't be someone who should be relied upon to carry a line by himself.
And it showed on the scoresheet. Newhook only scored 15 goals and 26 points while playing all 82 games. That is not fantastic numbers, and it would have been good to see Newhook take a bigger step production-wise.
However, Newhook seemed to come into his own towards the end of the season. While it still didn't necessarily show on the scoresheet, he really played well down the stretch and stepped up when a certain linemate had his season cut short.
And that linemate was, of course, Kirby Dach. Dach is by far the most polarizing player on the Canadiens team. Some see him as a still-young player who still struggles with his major injury the year before. Some see a player who has hit his ceiling after that injury and will not live up to his draft pedigree.
Dach still has a lot of skill. He has a hockey mind and a big, solid body that he wasn't afraid to use. But Dach missed the entire 2023-24 season (minus a game and a period) after a freak injury to his ACL and MCL.
He returned in time for the start of the 2024-25 season, but it was clear something was still off.
But as the season went on, Dach seemed to feel a bit more comfortable, including a pretty good January, but his season was cut short again, this time due to a knee injury. He is expected to be ready for the start of the 2025-26 season.
Patrik Laine is another polarizing player, and one that some fans online thought he shouldn't return for another season. Some people see him as one of the best goal scorers that the Canadiens have had for a long time.
Laine finished the season with 20 goals, but only played 52 games due to a preseason injury. The three players above Laine on the Canadiens all played 82 games (Gallagher, Suzuki and Caufield). It isn't a stretch to assume that Laine would have been right up at the top with Caufield.
But Laine isn't exactly a 200-foot player. And as the season went by, more and more people saw his shortcomings in his own zone. But if Laine keeps scoring at the rate he has shown he is capable of, most should be forgiven.
Line #3: B+
Josh Anderson (15-12-27) - Christian Dvorak (12-21-33) - Brendan Gallagher (21-17-38)
On the youngest team in the league, this line is definitely the "old man line". Brendan Gallagher, Christian Dvorak, and Josh Anderson were the three skaters with the most NHL experience, and showed it by playing some solid, if unexciting hockey.
Gallagher had his best season since 2019-20, in a major comeback for the fan-favourite winger. While Gallagher has always been a solid energy player and a tremendous presence in the lockerroom, but his production has stalled in recent years. But this year Gallagher was third on the team in goals.
Anderson has grown into his role as a bottom-six power forward. He's never going to reach the 25-30 goal potential he showed in Columbus, but he has proven himself useful in other ways, especially as a sparkplug physical presence.
Christian Dvorak is a faceoff and defensive specialist. He is not the flashiest or most memorable player, but he is useful.
The third line got some big points towards the end of the season, and won some games down the stretch almost single-handedly. Not bad for a third line.
Line #4: A-
Emile Heineman (10-8-18) - Jake Evans (13-23-36) - Joel Armia (11-18-29)
It's hard to ask more out of a fourth line. Jake Evans has evolved from a 7th-round pick to one of the better defensive centres in the league, as well as a fantastic penalty killer. And he was rewarded handsomely with a nice contract last season.
But there are two forwards in a penalty kill group, and Joel Armia was Evans' partner in crime. The two formed a great tandem penalty killing duo, and Armia was a constant threat for shorthanded goals.
Emile Heineman was a big piece of the Tyler Toffoli trade, and he had a pretty solid NHL rookie season. Heineman put up some decent numbers, but was a physical presence and definitely didn't look out of place in the big leagues.
So, as a line, you can't say they were the best, but two of them were fantastic penalty killers. That gives quite a few points, and Heineman was pretty fun to watch this season.
The Defensive Pairings
Pairing #1 - A+
Mike Matheson (6-25-31) - Lane Hutson (6-60-66)
Lane Hutson won the Calder Trophy as the best rookie in the NHL. There's enough said right there. Hutson quickly rose up the ranks and ended up as the Canadiens' number one option on the backend, and quarterbacked the first powerplay unit.
He scored 6 goals and 66 points. That's really good for any defender, let alone a rookie defender. In fact, Hutson outscored all rookies in his class. That includes highly touted first overall pick Macklin Celebrini. That includes the one that got away for Habs fans, Matvei Michkov.
Mike Matheson is the adult at the kids' table for much of the time on the blueline. The Canadiens' defensive core is one of the youngest in the league, and Matheson is charged with a lot of big minutes and intense matchups. He has performed well and gets some unwarranted criticism due to being asked to play so far up.
He played with a lot of different partners, the most common being Hutson and later Carrier when he was acquired. Matheson is a pretty versatile d-man, and could be used in all sorts of situations, and can start a breakout. He's an invaluable piece on the backend.
Pairing #2 - A
Alexandre Carrier (2-16-18) - Kaiden Guhle (6-12-18)
Kaiden Guhle is the perfect second-pairing defender. He is smart, physical and can chip in offensively. He can also be put further up in the first pairing as a stop-gap in case of injury. He's just a well-rounded, young defender.
Alexandre Carrier's trade to the Canadiens truly marked the turnaround in the Canadiens' season. The entire d-core was a bit out of whack, as everyone was a half-step or so up from where they should have been.
Carrier is also a solid, reliable defender who split time with Matheson and Guhle last season, and the Canadiens looked much better as soon as he arrived.
Carrier won't score a lot of points. He's topped out at 4 goals and 30 points in a season, but he is a reliable defensive defenseman, which allows his partner and the forwards to take more risks in the offensive zone.
Pairing #3 - B
Arber Xhekaj (1-5-6) - David Savard (1-14-15)
Arber Xhekaj is the Sheriff. He is a fighter, a bruiser, a punisher, and a really tough defender to play against. He didn't put up many points or score many goals, but that is okay. That's not what Xhekaj is for. He still needs to grow his game and strengthen his reads a little more, but you know exactly what you are getting from him night in and night out.
David Savard is the old man anchor of the group. Besides playing a role as a role model for the younger defenders, he was still an effective defender, and even added some offensive creativity to his game. A really solid veteran, bottom-pairing defender.