Montreal found their groove down the stretch, going 15-5-6 in their last 26 games to make the postseason. That berth was their first in four years. Despite losing in five games to Washington, valuable experience was gained by the Canadiens.
Hopes are high north of the border following additions made by GM Kent Hughes this offseason. The Habs traded for Noah Dobson to bolster the blueline and Zach Bolduc to provide depth, physical play and scoring up front. In addition, the team expects their top prospect, Ivan Demidov, to at a minimum fill a top-nine role.
The Canadiens’ top-line is on the ascent. Captain Nick Suzuki put the team on his back, almost willing the team to the postseason. He was tied for fifth in the NHL with 53 points (19 goals, 34 assists) in 45 games from Jan. 1 until the end of the season and ranked fourth in points after the 4 Nations Face-Off (37 points in 26 games). Cole Caufield set career-highs almost across the board last season, with 37 goals, including 13 on the man-advantage, and 70 points. The third member of the trio is no slouch in his own right. Juraj Slafkovsky set career highs in points (51), assists (33) and hits (194; led Canadiens) in 79 games. He finished the season strong with 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 27 games, ranking second on the Canadiens in even-strength points (19) over that span.
The next six forwards will be fluid. As of now, the likely second line is Demidov -Kirby Dach- Patrik Laine. Dach and Laine, especially Dach, have been injury-prone, so the jury is out on each. At least in Laine’s case, when he played, he was productive, tallying 20 goals – 15 on the power play – and 13 assists in 52 games. Dach was limited to just 57 games and is a major question mark. If Montreal has an area of weakness, it’s here. Demidov is a prime candidate for the Calder and has 60-point upside.
Bolduc will skate on the second or third line, where he should dish out 100+ hits and tally 20+ goals. Alex Newhook has scored between 26 and 34 points each of his first four seasons in the league. Expecting more would be folly. Like Dach’s spot, Newhook’s is an area of need. Brendan Gallagher is a pest with a captain P. He turned back the clock last season, posting 21 goals, the first time since 2019-20 he surpassed the 20-goal mark. In addition, he also had 38 points for his highest total in five years.
If those two trios remain intact, Josh Anderson will skate on the fourth line. Another season of 15 goals, 27 points and 175+ hits would certainly be welcome. Joe Veleno is penciled in as the fourth line center, bringing a physical presence as well. Jake Evans can move up and down the lineup and is the perfect fourth line player. He is a key defensive forward, both at even-strength and on the man-advantage. Joshua Roy, Owen Beck and Oliver Kapanen will vie in camp for a roster spot.
The defense will have a new look. Dobson is coming off a rough season on the Island, He had just 10 goals and 29 assists in 71 regular-season appearances but notched 10 goals and 60 assists the prior campaign. Signed to an eight-year, $76 million contract extension, Dobson likely will pair with Lane Hutson, last year’s Calder Trophy winner. Hutson led all NHL rookies in points, assists, power-play points and average ice time (22:44). If there was one criticism, Hutson had just 91 shots on net and five goals, an area he will need to show improvement in the future.
If Hutson-Dobson is the top pair, Mike Matheson and Kaiden Guhle will be the second. Matheson is the more offensive minded of the duo while Guhle the most physical of the pair. Arber Xhekaj and Alexandre Carrier, brought in from Nashville during 2024-25, bring sandpaper and grit to the bottom pairing.
Sam Montembeault was a workhorse for Montreal, playing 62 games last season. He went 31-24-7 with a career-best 2.82 goals-against average, four shutouts and a .901 save percentage. Montembeault is under contract for two more years at a $3.15 million cap hit, which allows the Habs to be aggressive elsewhere due to that low AAV. The hope is that Jakub Dobes earns the backup role in camp, alleviating the burden on Montembeault.
Prediction:
Montreal exploded down the stretch to make the postseason last year. The new additions coupled with that experience provide pressure lacking last season. After getting off to a slow start, the team finds their groove.
Dobson has a rebound campaign while Demidov lives up to his advance billing. Montembeault benefits from a lighter workload while the big-three has another stellar season. Montreal acquires a second line center at the deadline and earns their second straight playoff berth.
All stats courtesy of naturalstattrick.com, moneypuck.com, hockeyviz.com, allthreezones.com, hockey-reference.com, eliteprospects.com unless otherwise noted.