ATLANTIC DIVISION

Montreal Canadiens (8th)

Record: 31-45-6 68 Pts

Missed the playoffs

Key Subtractions: Mike Hoffman (traded to Sharks), Jonathan Drouin (signed with Avalanche), Joel Edmundson (traded to Capitals), Rem Pitlick (traded to Penguins), Alex Belzile (signed with Rangers), Denis Gurianov (signed with Predators)

Key Additions: Alex Newhook, Casey DeSmith, Gustav Lindstrom

Overview: It was a very tough season for the Canadiens. With it evident that franchise goalie Carey Price played his final game due to injuries, the net was turned over to Jake Allen. But it was the surprising play of Sam Montembeault that boosted hopes. He won a career high 16 games in 39 starts.

Allen and Montembeault shared the goalie duties under coach Martin St. Louis. At least it was more stable than the previous season. If only they had stronger support. With mostly a young defense, the Habs struggled with consistency.

They at least got a good performance out of Mike Matheson. He produced a career best 34 points after coming over from Pittsburgh. He will need to play more than 48 games in 2023-24. He’s a key to the offense from the back end. Matheson will play even strength and power play.

Ex Blue Jacket David Savard was alright in his first year as a Canadien. He’s a no frills type who can chip in occasionally while blocking shots.

Montreal is hoping Kaiden Guhle can continue his progression. The former first round pick provided some offense in his first season. He had four goals and 14 assists totaling 18 points over 44 games. He definitely has some skills. The Habs should use him quite a bit on the man-advantage.

Arber Xhekaj was a welcome surprise. The 22-year-old defenseman plays the game with high intensity. He uses his size to deliver thumping hits and is a willing combatant when the opportunity arises. It isn’t surprising that Xhekaj became a fan favorite. He might have some untapped potential. We’ll see if he can do better than 5-8-13 he had in 2022-23.

Johnathan Kovacevic became a trusted player on the blue line. He played in 77 games as mostly a third pair guy. He and Jordan Harris are holdovers from last year. Justin Barron is a former Avalanche first round pick that got into 39 games.

The Canadiens acquired Gustav Lindstrom from the Red Wings in exchange for Jeff Petry. The Habs re-acquired him as part of the three-team trade that invoiced Erik Karlsson going to the Penguins. Mike Hoffman was sent to the Sharks. Montreal also added Casey DeSmith from the Pens to help solidify them in goal.

Lindstrom never really developed in Detroit. The 24-year-old Swede is a former second round pick who’s at a crossroads.

Offensively, the Canadiens relied heavily on the top line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Kirby Dach. Caufield was on a tear with 26 goals in 46 games before shoulder surgery ended his season. He probably would’ve hit 40 in Year Two.

The Canadiens wasted no time getting Caufield signed to a new eight-year contract that’s worth $62.8 million. The average cap hit is $7.85 million for the 22-year-old Wisconsin product. He should fill it up both at five-on-five and on the power play. The diminutive Caufield is an exciting player who has flourished under Martin St. Louis.

Suzuki is the captain. A good all-around player, the number one pivot registered career highs in goals (26), points (66), and shorthanded goals (3). He also had 42 takeaways compared to 52 giveaways. It won’t be long before he puts it altogether.

When they acquired Dach from Chicago, it was a smart move. He started to prove them right before his season was cut short due to injuries. St. Louis shifted him to the wing, which allowed Dach to move up to the top line. He achieved career highs in goals (14), assists (24), points (38), and power play points (6-10-16). He can play in every situation, including on the penalty kill.

In order for them to compete in a deep Atlantic Division, the Canadiens need more production from the supporting cast. Adding former Avalanche first round pick Alex Newhook should help. On a new team, he’ll have a more defined role. Perhaps a scenery change will work like it did for Dach.

Josh Anderson is a good top six forward who can score 20 goals and play a rugged style. They’ll need more from Christian Dvorak and veteran Brendan Gallagher. Unfortunately, Gallagher has seen better days. His tenacious style might’ve caught up.

The Habs are banking on 2022 top pick Juraj Slafkovsky to have a better season. In 39 games, he had four goals and six helpers. Only 19, hopefully Slafkovsky can come back a better player. He must prove why they took him number one overall.

Vets Sean Monahan and Joel Armia are solid secondary scorers who provide energy. Monahan was good before another setback ended his season. In a contract year, he’ll look to produce and stay healthy. Armia is your classic gritty player with good speed who can play anywhere. But he’s making $3.36 million on the cap through 2025. If they fall out of it, maybe the Habs find a taker for him.

Rafael Harvey-Pinard surprised many by scoring 14 goals in 34 games. He was a pleasant addition. If he can continue that form, then Montreal fans will have a love affair with the overachiever.

Jake Evans and Jesse Ylonen are depth players who can play on a supporting line.

Joshua Roy had a good showing at last year’s World Junior Championships helping Canada repeat with five goals and six assists. A former fifth round pick in 2021, maybe he can be a young player who develops into a good option. He enters his first pro season.

When the Habs took defenseman Logan Mailloux at the end of the first round in 2021, there was plenty of criticism due to his off-ice issues. He served a suspension in the OHL due to an incident involving a young woman he engaged in sexual acts with in Sweden during 2020-21.

Mailloux didn’t want to get drafted, opting to focus on improving himself. But the Canadiens picked him anyway. That led to a public outcry. Montreal owner Geoff Molson called him a “good kid who made a big mistake.”

Last season, he posted 25 goals and 28 assists in 59 games for the London Knights. Named an OHL Second Team All-Star, he added 24 points (8-16-24) for a new team record by a defenseman. Mailloux remains an interesting prospect. He enters his first pro season with Laval. We’ll see how it all shakes out.

Analysis: If the top line stays healthy, they’ll be one to watch on the highlight reel. They have superb chemistry and complement each other well. It really hinges on the secondary players to perform.

The defense remains a question mark due to no real top guy. They must be better in the system to take some pressure off the goalies. They can’t be asked to do it alone.

Prediction: It’s awfully hard to see this roster doing better than 35 wins. A lot of it has to do with the division they play in. There aren’t any pushovers. This isn’t to say the Habs won’t play hard. They will because they believe in what MSL is selling. He makes the game fun for players. That will help. Anything between 75 to 80 points would be a step in the right direction.