2023-24:
Record: 30-36-16 76 pts; 8th place in Atlantic Division
Playoffs: Did Not Qualify
Key Losses
D Johnathan Kovacevic, LW Tanner Pearson, RW Jesse Ylonen, C Colin White
Key Additions
F Alex Barre-Boulet
Overview
Montréal missed the postseason for the thrid consecutive season as the Habs continue their rebuild. Kirby Dach going down in the second game of the season last year hurt the team in the continuing rebuild process. Dach does return, but will he be able to not only be healthy but find the game he had in the 2022-23 season.
C Michael Hage was drafted with the 23rd overall pick in this summer’s draft, but do not expect him to be called up to the roster, as he will be with the University of Michigan, after the Habs acquired Ivan Demidov with the fifth overall pick.
Fans have been patient with the rebuild in Montréal, but any hope for a return to the postseason may have to be put on hold for at least one more season.
Offense
Montréal will once again need to lean heavy on the top line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky, as the trio scored 81 goals. The trio were the only ones to score more than 20 goals for a team that finished 26th in offense. Head Coach Martin St. Louis will have to lean on the offense production from the rest of team if they expect to improve.
Defense
Mike Matheson had a fantastic season with 62 points which was ninth among all blue liners last season in the league. The team also finished fourth for goals and can improve on that with the bevy of talent that has been acquired in the past few drafts of the rebuild. The addition of Lane Hutson will add nice power to the talents of not only Matheson and David Savard, but Kaden Guhle as well.
Goaltending
The three man crew in net will not apply this season as Jake Allen was traded to New Jersey at the trade deadline last spring. Sam Montembeault will be the top man as he enters the first year of the three year contract he signed as Cayden Primeau becomes the back-up. However, with Primeau in a contract year, he could challenge Montembeault for top minutes.
Special Teams
The Power Play unit finished 27th while the Penalty Kill finished 24th, which did not do Montréal any favours. There is a new coach in charge of the special teams as Alex Burrows moved on to take a player developmental consultant role. The trio of Suzuki, Caufield, and Slafkovsky accounted for 27 of the 44 PP goals scored, while Matheson accounted for five additional goals. Montréal accounted for the seventh most penalty mintues, which added additional pressure on the penalty kill unit.
Overall
Montréal is still at least another or two from a return to the postseason and unless there is a magical season akin to the 2021 Stanley Cup postseason run, it could be another long season for Montréal fans.
Prediction
6th in Atlantic Division
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