The Montreal Canadiens' off-season outlook looks about the same as past seasons, which is continuing the rebuild. But the roster they're building looks pretty promising.
The “off-season outlook” series continues, in which we analyze each NHL team’s most recent season and the franchise’s strengths and weaknesses entering next season. We’re looking at teams in alphabetical order, and on this day, we’re breaking down the Montreal Canadiens.
2022-23 Grade: C+
Biggest Positive Heading Into the Off-Season
The Canadiens have been in the midst of a full rebuild for more than two years now, so their 31-45-6 record was to be expected in 2022-23. Only Anaheim (47), Columbus (48) and Chicago (49) had more regulation losses than Montreal.
In the macro picture, Montreal has had to get worse to get better, and GM Kent Hughes has understood the patience that’s needed for this young group to flourish.
With that in mind, the Habs have some of their long-term foundation in place. Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Kirby Dach and the newly acquired Alex Newhook form the core up front.
On defense, Kaiden Guhle and Jordan Harris are in their early 20s and will be in Canadiens jerseys for many years to come. Add to that defense corps mix 2023 first-round draft pick (and fifth overall pick) David Reinbacher, and you’ve got some semblance of a well-balanced unit to build around.
Habs coach Martin St-Louis has impressed since going behind the Canadiens bench, working well with the youngsters and establishing a standard of expectation. Montreal may not have enough horses to get them into the playoffs anytime soon, but with the proper drafting and development, they’ll be better positioned to be legitimate Stanley Cup contenders a few years from now.
Biggest Need Heading Into the Off-Season
The cap-challenged Canadiens currently have 22 players under contract on their active roster (per PuckPedia), and they have about $1.25 million in cap space.
Hughes is keeping the long term in mind with his moves, but he retained some depth at forward by signing veteran Sean Monahan to a one-year, $1.98-million contract extension and re-signing Rafael Harvey-Pinard for two years.
Point production remains an area of concern for the Canadiens, however – and that includes their defensemen, none of who had more than 34 points, and only two of who had point totals of 20 or more.
Montreal’s netminding isn’t at the fore of their problems, as tandem Sam Montembeault and Jake Allen provide stability between the pipes. But with few options cap-wise, the Canadiens will have to take it on the chin as the painstaking process of the rebuild continues.
Bottom Line for Montreal This Off-Season
The Canadiens will be in tough next season simply to get out of the Atlantic Division basement, let alone qualify for a playoff berth. They finished the 2022-23 campaign 24 standings points out of a post-season spot, and just about every other Atlantic Division team is ahead of Montreal in their competitive cycles. Habs fans have little choice but to bide their time and keep focused on the process of rebirth.
As we often say, progress is not linear in the NHL. A lateral step, or a step backward, is something that happens to many teams that had big expectations, and we wouldn’t be at all surprised if the Canadiens found themselves in the same standings position at the end of 2023-24.
That doesn’t mean there’s nothing to like about Montreal, only that their nadir was a deep talent crater that can’t be fixed in one or two years. Real progress takes time, and the Canadiens are still in the process of establishing their identity and rising through the Atlantic ranks.
There’s no real speed-up of that process that can cheat them ahead of their competition. They have to go through the pain to get the gain.