While the Montreal Canadiens won’t be involved in a race to the finish to make the playoffs this season, they are, against all odds, fighting for the top spot in their division and could even be fighting for the top spot in the conference. That’s what the Habs players have on their minds first and foremost, but for several Canadiens, there are also huge personal milestones within reach.
Montreal coach Martin St-Louis has been there as a player, back when he played for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was involved in a tight race for the Art Ross Trophy, and since his team had clinched early on, the focus was on getting him that scoring title. The coach recently acknowledged that if the Canadiens’ fate in the standings were fixed, focus could shift to individual races and milestones, but given how tight things are in the standings, it would be surprising if that happened.
The coach and his players are well aware that Cole Caufield is in a race with Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon for the Rocket Richard Trophy. The Habs’ sniper currently has 49 goals while his rival has 51. Montreal has six games left, while Colorado has seven. This one could go down to the wire. While Caufield will more than likely be the first Hab to score 50 goals since Stephane Richer did it in 1989-90, he could become the first Canadiens player to win the trophy named after one of the best players in the team’s history.
Meanwhile, Juraj Slafkovsky is also chasing his own milestones. Right now, he has 29 goals and 38 assists for 67 points, meaning the youngster could reach 30 goals and 70 points this season. Even though Slafkovsky was a first-overall pick in 2022, there was a lot of talk about whether he would ever live up to his draft ranking, and this season, that chatter died down. The power forward has yet to reach his ceiling, and nobody is doubting his selection anymore.
As for the third member of the first line, captain Nick Suzuki, he currently has 95 points and, if he reaches the 100-point milestone, he would be the first Montreal player to do so since Mats Naslund in 1985-86. It’s been 40 years, and it feels like Habs fans have waited long enough. It wouldn’t even be surprising if he were nominated for the Selke Trophy as the top defensive forward.
Finally, sophomore defenseman Lane Hutson is racing up the list of top scorers in Canadiens history on the blueline. With 74 points, he’s already got the sixth-best season in franchise history. With six games to go, he likely won’t catch up to Larry Robinson at the very top of that list with 85 points, but it certainly feels like he could overtake Robinson’s and Lapointe’s 75 and 76 points seasons. That would give him the third-most productive season by a Canadiens’ rearguard in history. If the stars align, perhaps he could even join Robinson at second overall with 82 points, who knows. Hutson is also fourth in scoring amongst defensemen in the league, and it’s likely he’ll soon be part of the Norris Trophy conversation.
One thing is for sure, however, this young Montreal Canadiens’ team has given the fans their most exciting season in recent memory, and chances are, this is only the first of many entertaining seasons featuring races in the standings, in the record books and for Trophies.
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