Canadiens: Major Problem Up Front

Although Montreal Canadiens issues have been evident since their season kicked off, one more has surfaced that must not go undetected. Cole Caufield has been one of the bright spots so far this season for Montreal Canadiens, scoring prolifically throughout. However, his scoring has dropped off significantly over his last three games; thus making winning more difficult for Canadiens fans. Of Montreal’s four wins thus far this season – every one was accomplished thanks to him finding the back of the net! Martin St-Louis recently has made the change from Juraj Slafkovsky to Kirby Dach on his top line, leading to more consistent scoring performances overall. Though having Dach return would be great for Montreal’s offense, they cannot put one thing that was working aside just so he may regain form. Slafkovsky currently appears out-of-place on their second line while Dach is hindering it with no fault of his own. Martin St-Louis has experimented with numerous lineup combinations this season, but he has yet to give the often injured Dach a chance on Jake Evans wing. Although common logic indicates otherwise, Evans should not be seen as an essential top six player at his position right now; but right now he is serving the Canadiens well enough that they consider him second best center and deserve their spot there. Alex Newhook also had one of his finest games this season last night – not just because of two goals scored but because of how good he looked too! His body language revealed an energetic player; something we hadn’t witnessed from him prior. Returning Slafkovsky to his usual path seems worth exploring further. As has often been stated, the Habs require multiple effective offensive lines; therefore, getting Dach back on the top line is crucial, yet that line currently underperforms with him there. Although having two such productive top lines would be ideal, having at least one effective top line must still exist and in recent games Nick Suzuki and Caufield both remain scoreless along with Dach. Simply stated, that is no way to create success and there can be no debate here about that fact. Evans deserves his spot regardless of any question about being considered “real top six player”, for his tireless work ethic and proven results he deserves his position within the squad and on its bench. Montreal would find themselves much stronger by stimulating Dach’s development so he’s playing “up and running” by the time Laine returns, making life much simpler for Montreal overall. Evan’s return will bring with it another question as far as where and who he replaces on their roster, so much is to be decided in terms of where and who to play him alongside him in terms of making decisions over where Evans fits best on their lineups. When Laine returns, either Dach or Newhook would likely still be playing on the wings with Evans serving as their center; therefore it will likely be difficult for either to transition back into the middle. Should Dach find both his game and confidence back however, perhaps he can move back towards center, perhaps leading an offensive trio comprised of Newhook, Laine and himself again; although significant progress must first occur before this idea can even be considered seriously. St-Louis has long stated that Dach requires time, but NHL schedules don’t wait around for anyone. On Saturday night when St-Louis plays against Toronto it will be interesting to see whether he decides to keep using similar combinations up front as in past matches. As players have taken today off from skating, we won’t know for certain until Saturday’s morning skate (scheduled for 11:30 AM). Make sure to follow Karine Hains via social media channels: Twitter: @KarineHains Bluesky: KarineHains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains Don’t forget to bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens page so you never miss a beat with Canadiens news or events!