The Montreal Canadiens had a tumultuous, roller-coaster of a decade from 2010-2019. From beginning the decade by making an Eastern Conference Final appearance on the shoulders of Jaroslav Halak to ending it with an influx of new and young talent as they sank toward the bottom of the standings, the Canadiens saw heaps of great players come and go as the 10 years elapsed.
Related: Montreal Canadiens: A Decade of Statistics
What makes a player a great one within one franchise is ultimately a balanced combination of individual success, team success, leadership, longevity, influence, and legacy. If a certain player had a productive season-and-a-half individually but was on a poor Canadiens team, you won’t find them on this list. Likewise, if a player spent the better part of the decade with the team, but spent the majority of it buoying in the bottom-six, you won’t find them here either.
Honourable Mentions: Brendan Gallagher (2013-2020), Jeff Petry (2014-2020), David Desharnais (2010-2017)
5. Andrei Markov, Defence #79 (2010-2017)
374 Games Played (GP), 39 Goals (G), 170 Assists (A), 209 Points (PTS)
Many fans can make an argument that without Andrei Markov, a certain other defenceman (on this list) would not have made quite the impact he did during his tenure with the club. His 0.56 points-per-game between 2010 and his departure in 2017 is second among Habs defencemen, and ahead of several notable players who just missed this list (Phillip Danault, Shea Weber, Artturi Lehkonen). The sixth-round pick from 1998 spent his entire 17-year NHL career in Montreal, topping out at 64 points in 2008-09 while finishing sixth in Norris Trophy voting. Despite an injury-riddled few seasons, he scored at least 40 points in every full season he played between 2010 and 2017, finishing as the seventh-highest-scoring Canadien throughout the entire decade.
4. Tomas Plekanec, Center #14 (2010-2019)
591 GP, 130 G, 222 A, 352 PTS
The iconic turtle-neck-wearing Czechian spent all but 17 of his 1,001 NHL games in a Canadiens uniform. He finished second in team scoring throughout the decade while playing in the most games. A representative of true class and leadership, he finished on the Lady Byng Trophy ballot on three separate occasions, and finished on the Selke Trophy ballot on six occasions (finishing a career-high seventh place in 2013-14). The seven-time 20-goal scorer averaged nearly 21 minutes of ice time per game at the peak of his career, sporting a career-best 53.3% faceoff percentage in his final full season, 2017-18. His career high in points was an even 70, back in 2008-09.
3. Max Pacioretty, Left Wing #67 (2010-2018)
540 GP, 220 G, 203 A, 423 PTS
The Canadiens’ leading goal and point scorer of the 2010s spent 10 seasons in Montreal before being traded in a move that sent the then-captain to the Vegas Golden Knights and brought in current captain Nick Suzuki. The six-time 30-goal scorer (once with Vegas) ranked fourth in the entire NHL in goals from 2011-2017, the peak of his career. His single-season best of 39 goals (2013-14) ranks as the most scored in a single season by any Canadiens player during the 2010s. In addition to his goal-scoring prowess, he was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy in 2012 after a prolific season following a devastating neck injury.
2. P.K. Subban, Defence #76 (2010-2016)
432 GP, 63 G, 213 A, 276 PTS
The man Markov spent much of the early 2010s dishing one-timer passes to ranks fourth among all Canadiens skaters in points during the decade and first among defencemen. This is despite infamously being traded to the Nashville Predators for Shea Weber following the 2015-16 season. Subban is perhaps the most influential and iconic Canadien of the 2010s, as his off-ice personality often matched his exuberant, flashy on-ice persona. The now-retired defenceman is well-known for his $10 million pledge to the Montreal Children’s Hospital and is still an active member of the community.
Related: Subban-Weber Trade Revisited
Subban was also an integral part of the team’s mid-2010s playoff success, such as another Easterrn Conference Final appearance in 2014. He recorded 62-career playoff points in just 96 appearances (a 0.65 points-per-game compared to his regular season mark of 0.56). He was awarded the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenceman in 2013, and will certainly go down as one of the most memorable Canadiens of his generation. He recorded a career-best 60 points in 2014-15.
1. Carey Price, Goaltender #31 (2010-2020)
548 GP, 288-202-56, 2.44 Goals-Against Average (GAA), .919 Save Percentage (SV%)
As if there were any doubts as to who the greatest Canadien of the 2010s was going to be. The 2015 Vezina, Jennings, Lester B. Pearson, and Hart Trophy winner is one of the greatest goaltenders in franchise history. The winningest goalie in team history posted at least a .916 save percentage (SV%) in every season in which he appeared in 40 games or more from 2010 to 2017. His 2014-15 season ranks as one of the most prolific goaltending seasons in the modern NHL, winning 44 games while posting a ludicrous 1.96 goals-against average (GAA) and a .933 SV%. He won 30 or more games on five different occasions, and never posted a SV% below .900 in any full season despite playing behind some lacklustre defensive corps.
The Canadiens saw some truly great players sport the iconic ‘CH’ during the 2010s, but unfortunately fell short of a Stanley Cup title throughout despite several successful playoff runs. Despite the team possessing no players who produced at a point-per-game pace or better (the most recent being Alex Kovalev in 2008-09), some Canadiens players such as Price, Pacioretty and Subban found themselves among the elite at their respective positions. Other names who fell short of this list included former captain Weber, Max Domi, Alex Galchenyuk, and Artturi Lehkonen.
