Montreal Canadiens Present Necessary Feistiness In Their New Section

The Montreal Canadiens are off to a feisty and aggressive begin to the season, which is precisely what they want as they enter a brand new part.

The Canadiens have already overwhelmed the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators, two strong groups. So it’s pure that Canadiens followers are hoping for one of the best – in different phrases, a begin just like the Philadelphia Flyers had final season once they surged unexpectedly to a top-three spot of their division within the first half of the season.

After all, the Flyers did crash all the way down to earth and wound up on the skin of the playoff image by the season’s finish. In lots of respects, their season was nonetheless very constructive, as they performed significant video games in a approach many didn’t count on they might. Montreal may mirror the Flyers’ trajectory this season.

Don’t get it twisted – the Canadiens nonetheless have a protracted shot of creating the playoffs this 12 months. In the ultra-competitive Atlantic Division, we predicted they’d end final. We’re nonetheless of that opinion. Dropping to the Pittsburgh Penguins and Los Angeles Kings might need put a little bit of a damper on issues.

However the struggle they’ve put up below coach Martin St-Louis is noteworthy. If Montreal can push into the mid-to-lower tier of the Atlantic, St-Louis ought to get votes for the Jack Adams Award because the NHL’s coach of the 12 months.

The Habs don’t must make the playoffs to indicate progress within the full rebuild the staff underwent starting in 2021. They might not have a generational celebrity like Chicago’s Connor Bedard and San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini, however the Canadiens do have upper-level expertise – Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Nick Suzuki – and promising kids on the way in which in 2024 picks Ivan Demidov and Michael Hage.

Montreal GM Kent Hughes has been affected person with the rebuild, however including veteran sniper Patrik Laine signifies the Canadiens are transferring into a distinct part of their rebuild. To make certain, the Canadiens mustn’t rush their rebuild by buying and selling too a lot of their excessive draft picks or prospects for veterans, however they do look like on the climb from a roster teardown. That is what makes them totally different than the Calgary Flames, which have a 4-0-0 begin however need to pick a direction instead of trying to stay in the middle.

This new part took successful with the harm to Laine, however Montreal nonetheless has nice abilities for St-Louis to work with. All that basically issues for the Canadiens is constant competitiveness to develop their youthful gamers and construct a profitable mindset. That’s a practical aim, and the Habs can try to achieve it as long as the harm bug doesn’t take extra bites out of the lineup.

Related: Predicting the NHL’s Atlantic Division Rankings In 2024-25

Someday, comparatively quickly, the Canadiens will leap to the following stage and be a playoff staff 12 months in and 12 months out. That day isn’t prone to come this season, however Montreal followers have each proper to be ok with the staff and its present place within the NHL meals chain.

The street from a full rebuild to a Stanley Cup front-runner is a protracted and bumpy one, and Montreal wouldn’t be the primary staff to lurch ahead after which take a lateral step or a small step backward. Simply ask the Buffalo Sabres and Senators – that they had setbacks final season after coming near the post-season in 2022-23 and including veterans. Progress isn’t at all times linear, which is why the Canadiens and their followers can take solace within the steps they’ve already taken.

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