The Montreal Canadiens took a big step in the right direction this past season. The Original Six club got back into the playoffs, finishing the year with a 40-30-11 record. They then followed that up by bringing in some new talent this summer, with star defenseman Noah Dobson and young forward Zack Bolduc being their most notable newcomers.
The Canadiens also have plenty of young players who should only continue to improve, like Lane Hutson, Ivan Demidov, and Juraj Slafkovsky, to name a few. Thus, it is hard not to feel excitement about the Habs right now.
During a recent appearance on The Sick Podcast with Tony Mariano, longtime NHL analyst Pierre McGuire made it clear that he has high hopes for the Canadiens, as he predicted that the Habs will finish the 2025-26 season with "almost 100 points."
"I think (the Canadiens) are going to be an outstanding team this year," McGuire said. "I think they will be better than 91 points. I think they will push almost 100 points."
When looking at the moves the Canadiens made this off-season and their young talent, the Canadiens finishing the 2025-26 season with nearly 100 points should not be ruled out. They possess a good amount of talent and also should be able to build off their momentum from their successful 2024-25 season.
Nevertheless, it is going to be very fascinating to see what kind of season the Canadiens put together in 2025-26. They would take another big step in the right direction if they finish next season with around 100 points, like McGuire believes they will.
Where New Canadiens Star Ranked On Top Defender Rankings
In <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25239248-ranking-every-nhl-teams-best-defenseman-ahead-2025-26-season">a recent article for Bleacher Report</a>, Adam Gretz ranked each NHL team's best defenseman heading into the 2025-26 season. For the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens">Montreal Canadiens</a>, Gretz picked newcomer Noah Dobson as the club's best defender.