After making it all the way to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, losing in five games to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Montreal Canadiens have had one of the most interesting offseasons of any team. That much roster turnover is unusual for a team that made it that far in the playoffs, but a decent portion of it has been out of their control.
A good portion of Montreal’s starting 12 forwards will look different next season. Gone down the middle are Phillip Danault, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Eric Staal. Dvorak will attempt to replace Danault’s shutdown role with a little more offensive touch but less defensive prowess. Kotkaniemi’s third-line role is likely to be replaced by another young center, most probably Jake Evans. Staal’s fourth-line role will likely be comprised of a more defensive-minded pivot in Cedric Paquette. Their group of wingers will look different too, losing out on Tomas Tatar’s two-way play in favor of a power-play specialist in Mike Hoffman. Gone is veteran Corey Perry in the bottom six, being replaced by another veteran presence in Mathieu Perreault.
The team’s defense faces the loss of the team’s captain in Shea Weber. His injury will keep him out for at least this entire season and puts the rest of his career in jeopardy. His absence will be replaced by committee, as youngster Alexander Romanov and new addition David Savard should see more minutes. The left side stays relatively constant from last season, and overseas addition Chris Wideman could challenge for some games as well.
A tandem of Carey Price and Jake Allen returns after a successful regular season campaign.
However, a team that barely squeaked into the playoffs last season returns with some question marks. Full seasons of Jonathan Drouin and Cole Caufield help boost the team, but downgrades from Danault to Dvorak and Tatar to Hoffman raise near-negating doubts. The success of youngsters like Evans and Romanov will be crucial if Montreal wants to make a return to the playoffs in 2022, and they’ll need repeat performances from players such as Jeff Petry and Josh Anderson.
So the question to you, PHR readers, is this: has Montreal done enough this offseason to yield a playoff team in an increasingly competitive Eastern Conference? Make your voice heard below:
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Nope.
MB should have done more to dangle Price to Seattle.
Kinda presumes Seattle was stupid enough to take on a giant contract and several years of term left for someone in decline, especially, y’know, when they could get a good bit better goalie for a good bit cheaper. Which they did. It wasn’t on the Kraken to immunize other teams against their cap screwups.
On the decline? I’m guessing you missed the playoffs.
I certainly didn’t miss the finals, and I certainly didn’t miss the previous four seasons. Did you? The guy’s been well below league average three of the last four seasons. Anyone can have a good month. You don’t pay $10 million for that.
You sound like a bitter Leaf fan.
Enjoy the season. I’m quite confident I will.
Tampa, Florida, Montreal, Boston, Toronto, Ottawa
Detroit opted out of the season or..?
Nope. I didn’t think Detroit or buffalo have any current shot at the playoffs so I didn’t bother mentioning them.
Ottawa will be in that conversation before too long.
They will be a bubble team.
Definitely no. In any normal season, the Habs wouldn’t have made it last year. Now it’s back to status quo, and they’re a weaker team in a significantly tougher division. They won’t be a cellar dweller, but they won’t contend for a berth either.
Don’t be silly. Acknowledge the fact they have a deep forward group, some big tough and nasty D men, the best goalie combo in the league, and great leadership. They’re young players like Suzuki, Caufield, Romanov, Poehling, Norlinder and Guhle are high caliber who match well against any Organization. This team is destined to be competitive for many years.
Where do you purchase your rose-colored glasses?
Let’s look at this logically, with the obvious caveat that anything can happen in a season:
They are clearly, at this point, no better than the fourth best team in this division behind Tampa, Boston, Toronto, and the Panthers. So it would seem that their only realistic shot at a spot is through the wild card. That leaves them fighting with teams like the Caps, Penguins, Rangers, Flyers, and one of the aforementioned Atlantic teams that finish out is the top three. That’s also not even mentioning teams that should be improved even if they aren’t playoff contenders, necessarily, such as New Jersey, Ottawa, and Detroit.
This is a long way of saying, even though they should be competitive and in it most of the year, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see teams like the Pens, the Caps, the Panthers, etc., take steps backward and the Habs jump in, it’s not likely. They’ll be 10 or 11 when all is said and done. It’ll look like this – Toronto, Tampa, Florida, Canes, Isles, Caps, Bruins, Flyers, followed by the Rangers and Pens just missing out, and the Habs right behind them.
Ottawa “imporved”
I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to say that Ottawa will be improved. They were much better after a horrid start, albeit in a weak division.
They will still be bottom feeders, but they could play spoiler at some point. And also, it’s not like the Canadiens played particularly well against them last year, anyway.
No. Teams go on crazy runs to the cup final and flame out the next season very often. This is definitely one of those clubs.
Definitely a yes after coming back and beating my leafs dominating the jets and beating the cup favourite knights the will make the playoffs. My leafs,bruins and several other teams in the east division have gotten worse and the habs had by far the biggest injuries and condensed schedule this year because of covid,but in the playoffs were rested and healthy and showed what they can do
Three hot weeks means definitely a yes, with two of the series coming against mediocre teams? I think not
Oh easily you must not watch a lot of hockey? They have 4 solid lines to roll out solid D and one of the best goalie combos in the league, i don’t see them not making the playoffs
They would have missed the playoffs last year had the divisions been like this
And yes, I did watch a lot of their hockey. They were a pretty bad team that still barely made the playoffs in a division that was topped by a mediocre team.
Oh you’re one of those guys trying to compare divisions when they only play certain teams……that says a lot! So Tampa wouldn’t have won 2 cups if it were not for covid? And i bet the tire fire of the sens would have won the cup if not for covid? It probably would have been a sens wings conference finals right? The habs had by far the most condensed schedule after a player got it and with that had 5 key players injured so keep playing the shoulda woulda coulda card it makes so much sense
Amazing take
Just like your shoulda woulda coulda
Weber being out all season will be the likely reason the Habs just miss the playoffs. Tough to replace all that he brings to a team.
And just missing would be tough too – assuming the Canes make the playoffs – as they may end up giving AZ a pick in the 11 to 16 range.
It 100% depends on Price.
I’m reading these comments and going …..hmmm. Going to be a lot of people saying they were lucky again.
Habs will not make the playoffs and are mediocrities at best. If Price faulters, at all they may draft in the top 6.
Probably for the best since they cant win a Cup and a top 6 pick in this draft will be very nice.
They will have 4 solid lines, 6 good defensemen and 2 talented goaltenders. It’s a tough division but I think they will battle Boston and Toronto for 3rd or 4th. Tampa 1st, Florida second. I would not be shocked if the leafs finish 5th.
This nonsense about KK’s talent or future is laughable. Bergevin is the only guy that can find a European that cannot skate. KK had 20 points over a season where he had ample ice time. Slow and soft, unable to win faceoffs Carolina will put him on the wing. Considering this team passed up two All Stars to draft this guy was ridiculous. There were teams that did not have him in their op 15.