The Montreal Canadiens' rebuild was called a resounding success after their steady ascent over the past couple of seasons. After three straight finishes at the bottom of the Atlantic Division, the Canadiens returned to the playoffs in 2024-25 and lost in the first round to the Washington Capitals. Martin St. Louis' team hoped to build on that last season and did, advancing all the way to the Eastern Conference Final.
The natural progression of a rebuilding team is to keep getting better every year, and no one would've batted an eye if the Canadiens had lost in seven games to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round or fell short in the second round. It would've set the young team up to make the Eastern Conference Final this year and hopefully make it through or at least get within striking distance of the final.
While no fan is unhappy about reaching the Eastern Conference Final in just the second year of their playoff return, it does create some high expectations for the organization. The youth are expected to keep improving, but fans shouldn't be too quick to assume this year is Stanley Cup Final or bust, or that anything less would be a failure.
What would be considered a successful season for the Canadiens?
The uncomfortable truth about last season's run is that it was a down year for the Atlantic Division. The usual suspects, the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs, failed to make the playoffs, but all predictions have them making a resurgence this season. Those experts may be a little higher on the Leafs than I am, but it will be tough for anyone to knock out the Panthers this year as long as Jacob Markstrom gives them some semblance of good goaltending.
The Lightning will also be right there again, and a successful regular season for the Canadiens would mean holding a top-three spot in the division along with potentially the Lightning and Panthers. If Montreal can be the best of the Buffalo Sabres, Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, and Boston Bruins group, and challenge the two Florida teams for the first and second spots, they'll be right where fans want them.
In the playoffs, it could all come down to matchups. If the Lightning win the division and the Canadiens lose in seven games in the first round to the Panthers, that doesn't necessarily mean the season was a failure. With the new playoff structure, plenty of good teams fall in the first two rounds when trying to get out of their division, and even if the Canadiens win the Atlantic, their second-round matchup could be the toughest of the postseason.
A successful season for the Canadiens would be another 106-point-or-more regular season, continued growth from their young stars, something that looks like an NHL future for Jacob Fowler, and hopefully at least a playoff round win or two. If Montreal doesn't make it to the Eastern Conference Final again, it doesn't mean they are going downhill, as much as fans will overreact and think that.
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