They are saying a rising tide lifts all boats. Nevertheless, so far as the Montreal Canadiens are involved, it’s form of the other. Many count on the Habs to on the very least enhance within the standings in 2024-25. That’s logically based mostly on quite a lot of components, not the least of which is the upward trajectory within the improvement curves of the gamers themselves.
Associated: Canadiens Realistically on the Rise in Atlantic Division in 2024-25
Thanks largely to the anticipated enchancment on the a part of the Canadiens’ younger gamers, who comprise the core, the crew as an entire will reap the advantages. Nevertheless, some gamers stand out above all others as realistically main the cost. Listed below are the highest 5 Habs dealing with the highest greater expectations heading into 2024-25:
Kaiden Guhle
Contemporary off a brand new six-year, $33.3 million extension, defenseman Kaiden Guhle’s long-term place within the group has been comparatively solidified, even when his particular function hasn’t. The left-handed defenseman spent quite a lot of time on his off facet, enjoying with Mike Matheson on the crew’s prime pairing for all intents and functions. Nevertheless, Matheson truly paired with the right-handed David Savard to type the crew’s commonest pairing total.
With Savard nonetheless within the fold (in the meanwhile as a pending unrestricted free agent), the Canadiens might choose to go along with the latter choice, thus returning Guhle to his pure facet. It could arguably be for the perfect for his improvement, along with his manufacturing having taken a step again final season, scoring 22 factors in 70 video games, when he scored 18 in 44 contests in 2022-23.
There may be undeniably a log jam on protection, particularly on the left, however the precise isn’t any slouch in that division both. Justin Barron is poised to make the crew out of coaching camp as he’s not exempt from waivers. Logan Mailloux is knocking on the door as a sensible graduate to the NHL too. Even with Savard set to maneuver on, the Canadiens have David Reinbacher within the pipeline.
The concept is Reinbacher was drafted to be the crew’s top-pairing right-handed defenseman. It’s important to consider the hope is at the very least one among Barron/Mailloux develop right into a top-four at the very least. Based mostly on his contract, the Canadiens clearly see Guhle as the identical. So, he’s going to have play on his pure left facet ultimately. It is sensible to place him again there as quickly as attainable, which might additionally result in a pure enchancment in his play. Even when solely as a result of cash that can be owed to him, the expectation should be that he’ll develop additional into (extra of) a core piece ultimately. This season is a logical place to begin.
Cole Caufield
Possibly it’s not truthful (it isn’t) that Cole Caufield be topic to criticism after scoring a career-high 65 factors. Nevertheless, after he scored 26 targets in 46 video games in a injury-shortened 2022-23, he confronted excessive expectations that he would change into the crew’s first 40-goal scorer since Vincent Damphousse 30 years in the past.
Clearly, Caufield ended up with “simply” 28 (37 assists), in a season throughout which he displayed extra all-around potential. That ought to arguably be the main focus as an alternative. Contemplating 2023-24 had been the primary yr of his eight-year, $62.8 million extension, some followers had been nonetheless left with a bitter style of their mouths, although.
On the plus facet, there’s no denying his taking pictures share took a dive to eight.9% when it had been at 16.5% (11.7% in his profession). If he’s in a position to join extra on his photographs, to which followers had grown accustomed, he may realistically be a part of Nick Suzuki as a point-per-game risk on the highest line.
Juraj Slafkovsky
Juraj Slafkovsky clearly enhances Caufield and Suzuki on the highest line. As an ex-first-overall choose (2022), expectations had been excessive from the soar, when he made the NHL as an 18-year-old. Buried within the lineup, he arguably didn’t dwell as much as them with a 10-point rookie season (39 video games). He began off 2023-24 simply as slowly with seven factors in his first 29 video games. Nevertheless, getting promoted to the highest line, he completed with 20 targets and 50 factors (43 factors in his final 53 video games).
The turnaround is a testomony to each Slafkovsky’s pedigree and chemistry along with his linemates. Based mostly on how a lot the Canadiens have invested in his improvement, it merely is sensible they’d preserve the road collectively, preserving him in the perfect place to succeed. In such an occasion, it’s a quasi-conservative estimate he retains up the identical scoring tempo over a whole season, particularly contemplating Caufield’s persevering with to develop and Suzuki is in his prime.
Slafkovsky is probably not on the verge of hitting a degree per recreation, particularly since Suzuki, the crew’s projected prime offensive weapon, technically hasn’t himself. Nevertheless, all three members of the highest line positively have the potential to change into extra prolific even when solely based mostly on how groups can ailing afford to focus their protection solely on them any longer.
Patrik Laine
Canadiens normal supervisor Kent Hughes acquired star-forward Patrik Laine within the hopes he would thrive in an enormous, hockey-mad market like Montreal. Hughes mentioned as a lot within the post-trade media availability, at the very least.
The one-time 44-goal scorer ought to slot into the highest six routinely, as that’s the place he could be handiest, including a brand new dimension to the crew’s offense. Seeing as the highest line ought to for all intents and functions keep as is, that offers the Habs the luxurious of getting two strains with vital firepower.
In fact, Laine’s 44-goal season was all the best way again in 2017-18. Final season, he scored solely six (9 factors) in 18 video games earlier than getting injured and ultimately getting into the NHL/NHLPA Participant Help Program. Since having cleared, there are nonetheless no ensures he rediscovers his scoring contact, however, based mostly on the very fact he’s nonetheless 26 and the Canadiens gave up subsequent to nothing to amass him, it was well worth the danger.
In that regard, nobody is essentially relying on him to make or break the crew. Nevertheless, it’s truthful to say he would find yourself disappointing if he failed to return near residing as much as his $8.7 million cap hit, which now leads the crew (excluding the “retired” Carey Worth’s $10.5 million). There’s plain strain on him a method or one other, particularly if he hopes to money in as an unrestricted free agent in 2026, as soon as his present contract expires.
Kirby Dach
Assuming he’s lastly wholesome, Kirby Dach is the likeliest participant to centre Laine on the second line. Everyone seems to be hoping Dach picks up the place he left off two video games into 2023-24, when he suffered a season-ending harm. With that in thoughts, having earned the job out of coaching camp final season, he’s finished nothing to lose it. Contemplate the idea the primary line is all however written into the lineup in everlasting ink. Based mostly on Dach’s full recreation and his tendency to get the perfect out of his linemates the earlier season, he ought to be a shoo-in this for the function this season too.
In that sense, Dach is a sufferer of his personal success the earlier season, when he broke out comparatively talking. In 2022-23, his first with the Canadiens, he scored 38 factors in 58 video games. His play elicited projections that he would at some point usurp Suzuki because the crew’s No. 1 centre. Whereas the latter’s 77-point 2023-24 marketing campaign has successfully quashed recommendations to that impact for now, there’s vital strain on Dach to a) produce like he did b) over as near an 82-game schedule as attainable, with him having hit 70 solely as soon as earlier than.
Fortunately, the Canadiens have Alex Newhook as one thing as a backup plan, as he stuffed in admirably as a top-six centre down the stretch final season, in Dach’s absence. Nevertheless, for the Habs to really have a shot at competing for a playoff spot (at which the acquisition of Laine hints), they want to have the ability to ice three respectable strains at the very least.
It’s unattainable to foretell to what diploma Dach returns to type after an harm as extreme because the one he suffered. Nevertheless, it’s clear the Canadiens invested an amazing deal extra to amass him than Laine (formally, first and third-round 2022 picks), with a longer-term plan in thoughts. Simply within the brief time period although, a wholesome Dach, not Laine, is the crew’s key to success. Dach technically solely has greater to go after his abysmal 2023-24, however the stage he reaches will dictate how far the Habs go too.
