It’s crazy to think Montreal Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki is on pace for a new personal best in points (yet again). It’s crazier that he could end up disappointing a large portion of the fanbase by virtue of having just 10 goals so far and likely failing to hit 100 points for what would be the first time in his career.
Related: Canadiens Captain Nick Suzuki Is a No. 1 Centre in the NHL
Any criticism levelled Suzuki’s way, especially as he vies for a place on Team Canada at the Olympics, would be misguided, of course. That won’t stop people from unjustifiably suggesting he’s holding back, playing injured (despite being second on the NHL’s active iron man list) or just plain not good enough, especially if the Habs fail to make the playoffs and build on their successful finish last year.
The difference between Suzuki and some other members of the team who may find themselves in the fanbase’s bad graces is his stature as the arguable face of the organization. Despite his dip in goal scoring, he’s still leading the team in overall points… and leading the team to a respectable first half, despite its undeniable struggles.
Here are five Canadiens who aren’t in as good of a position as Suzuki to rebuke suggestions they’re failing to pulling their weight… until you point out their stats say otherwise:
5) Josh Anderson
No one should be saying Josh Anderson is having a good season, per se. However, he’s at least living up to what should be considered adjusted expectations after he rebounded from a piss-poor 2023-24, in which he notched 9 goals and 20 points. Rebounding the next season to score 15 goals and 27 points, he was applauded relatively speaking for finding a niche on the team after literally years of failed attempts to get him going in a top-six capacity, which would be more in line with his $5.5 million cap hit.
However, if anyone was under the impression Anderson’s 2024-25 could be a launching pad to greater success, they haven’t been paying attention. He’s suddenly on the wrong side of 30 with a single 40-point season to his name… and that was seven years ago.
Anderson can still be useful on a checking line and as a deterrent for shenanigans on the part of opponents, but realistically last season is as good as it gets for him from here on out. So, his eight goals and 12 points so far, which put him on pace for 18 goals and 28 points, are within range of where he should be.
4) Noah Dobson
Defenseman Noah Dobson does have a 70-point season (2023-24) to his name. However, he is also coming off a fairly disappointing 39-point campaign in 2024-25, before the Canadiens traded for him this past offseason, giving up two middle-of-the-pack first-round picks and, despite whatever meming trend onto which New York Islanders fans have generally latched, a middle-six winger in Emil Heineman.
In Dobson, the Canadiens have a defenseman they’ve been playing on the first pairing, for all intents and purposes. That technically makes him a top-pairing defenseman, as does his production. Granted, Lane Hutson has nearly double Dobson’s 19 points, but a) That’s Hutson we’re talking about and b) That still puts Dobson on pace for 45 points, which, obviously, is more than he scored last year and in line with his career 82-game average (48). So, he’s effectively delivering on what the Habs should have expected upon acquiring him.
It’s of course disappointing Dobson isn’t lighting it up to the same degree as Hutson. However, he is undeniably providing much more balance to the defense than the stay-at-home David Savard, whose retirement necessitated the acquisition of a replacement of some sort, did.
Does that make Dobson worth his new $9.5 million cap hit, which equates to a team high? Based on the team’s need for a right-handed shot on defense and the fact Dobson is in his prime, yeah… probably. Based on the fact Dobson’s initial salary demand was reportedly $11 million, the Canadiens will also gladly take it.
Meanwhile, the fact Dobson effectively took less to play elsewhere? Islanders fans will have to take that in stride too. Thankfully, they have Heineman and the two first-round picks to dull the pain. If social media is anything to go by, they seem to be doing just fine with what they got in exchange. And, as long as everyone is happy, well, you have to question anyone’s obsession over a trade that seems to have amounted to a win for both sides.
3) Jakub Dobes
At first glance, goalie Jakub Dobes’ stat line is nothing about which to write home. He’s got a 2.91 goals-against average (GAA) and a pedestrian-to-be-polite .893 save percentage (SV%). However, he’s 12-5-2 and for all intents and purposes getting the job done, whereas teammate Sam Montembeault’s struggles (3.65 GAA, .857 SV%) forced the Canadiens’ hand, fast-tracking top-prospect Jacob Fowler’s promotion to the show (at least on a temporary basis).
Obviously, Dobes doesn’t have numbers as strong as at the start of the season, when he jumped out of the gate with a 6-0 record (.930 SV%) to put himself in the Calder Memorial Trophy conversation alongside teammates Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen. However, he’s been the team’s most reliable presence in between the pipes as they remain within striking distance of first place in the Atlantic Division.
Dobes’ numbers may leave something to be desired, but that’s mainly a stronger team defense that controls more than 48.0% of shot attempts (SAT%). When a goalie has saved five goals above expected (per MoneyPuck.com), he’s doing a lot more right than some people may give him credit for.
2) Zachary Bolduc
When Zachary Bolduc scored three goals and four points in his first three games with the Canadiens to start the season, fans rejoiced. They had clearly maximized the value of defenseman Logan Mailloux as a prospect who didn’t have much of a future with the team, at least after they had acquired Dobson, who plays the same position, above. Then Bolduc went cold, scoring just once in his next 18 games.
While the initial assessment still arguably held true, Bolduc wasn’t the clear top-six forward he had initially appeared to be. However, injuries have forced head coach Martin St. Louis to get creative with his lines. As a result, Bolduc has found himself on the top line with Suzuki and Cole Caufield (on and off). He’s responded with much more consistent production.
Bolduc now has nine goals and 16 points in 35 games, putting him on pace for 21 goals and 37 points over a full season, when he had scored 19 goals and 36 points for the St. Louis Blues last season (72 games), before the aforementioned trade… all while averaging just 13:58 per game (compared to 12:48 last season). That’s still bottom-six ice time, implying he still has top-six potential in him (if he’s played more often).
Obviously playing on the top line helps, but Bolduc is also just going on 23 years of age. So, fans should still look forward to him filling the net with increasing regularity, even if it’s not to the same degree he did at the start of this season.
1) Juraj Slafkovsky
When Bolduc got promoted to the top line, that meant someone had to drop down the lineup. That ended up being Juraj Slafkovsky, who’s at least temporarily found a new home on Line 2 with Ivan Demidov. It shouldn’t necessarily be considered a demotion based on the esteem in which the Canadiens hold the Russian rookie, but the situation does present an interesting dichotomy, between Demidov’s projected upside as a potential 100-point talent and Slafkovsky’s apparent ceiling of, well, significantly less, despite the Canadiens having taken him first overall in 2022 (when Demidov went fifth in 2024).
While Slafkovsky scored a relatively impressive 50 points as a sophomore in 2023-24, some may have interpreted that as a sign of greater things to come from a production perspective, and that would have been perfectly logical. Nevertheless, heading into the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, none of the prospects in the running for first overall were really seen in the same generational light as other recent No. 1 picks. So, should anyone be surprised Slafkovsky hasn’t taken that next step? Should anyone be disappointed he’s scored a respectable 21 points so far this season, putting him on pace for 49?
Maybe, but that’s not necessarily a reflection on him. He’s still just going on 22, one year younger than Bolduc, for context. He still has further to go… and there are elements to his game still in his development, new tricks he’s pulling out of his bag every so often, like the following spinning assist on a Demidov goal against the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 29.
Holes in Slafkovsky’s game remain. Nevertheless by the same token, he remains a towering, puck-protection presence on whichever line he’s played. That makes him a viable complementary piece who shouldn’t be seen as a drag, even were he to be reunited with Suzuki and Caufield. His experience playing with them technically makes him a top-line-calibre player, which is nothing to scoff at, especially for someone as young as he is.
Even if this is as good as it gets for Slafkovsky, it’s an accomplishment no one should be able to take away from him. And, whatever it’s worth, even if he hasn’t been meeting the expectations of some, as good as it supposedly gets, well, it’s still been pretty good.