Although the Montreal Canadiens will not be participating in the 2023-24 NHL playoffs, there is still an opportunity for a few players to gain some playoff format experience, in this case, by participating in the 2024 World Championships (WC), which is being held in Czechia from May 10 to May 26, 2024.
Related: 4 Reasons the Canadiens’ 2023-24 Season Has Been Successful
This season was all about individual development, and we saw significant growth from several players. This tournament is a way for them to help solidify that growth and test it against international competition. Perhaps it will even provide a larger role for some players. Because of their early elimination from playoff contention and their very deep pool of good young players and prospects, the Canadiens could provide many players for this year’s tournament. Here is a list, by country, of Canadiens players who are likely to participate.
Team Austria
Austria will play in Pool A against the defending gold medal champions Canada. Not much is expected of this small hockey nation; however, internally, they will set a goal of not being relegated. To do that, they will need to rely on their best players, and one of those is 2023 fifth-overall draft pick David Reinbacher.
While he had a nightmarish season with EHC Kloten in the Swiss National League (NL) due to his rotating cast of coaches, he seems to have found his footing with the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Laval Rocket, scoring four points in eight games while helping the squad battle its way into the playoffs. While Montreal would hope for a deep playoff run for the Rocket, chances are that may not happen, and if so, Reinbacher will be the centerpiece of Austria’s blue line.
Team Canada
Montreal should be well-represented as part of the defending champions. It starts in goal with Samuel Montembeault. The Canadiens’ starting goaltender was one of the top goaltenders in the 2023 tournament and backstopped Canada to a gold medal. His play kept Canada in the mix while the rest of the lineup took its time getting ready to compete on the world stage. He took over the net last spring and is the favourite to be Canada’s top goaltender. This could also be an excellent testing ground for him to prove he belongs in the discussion for Canada’s 2026 Olympic team.
While Justin Barron was essentially the seventh defenseman for Canada in last year’s tournament, and he spent much of this season in the AHL, his international experience would be invaluable, even if only to return as a depth player again. Mike Matheson is another blue liner that should get a call. While he hasn’t played at the WC since 2017, there won’t be many 55-plus point defensemen who are capable of averaging over 25 minutes per game available to the national team. His sublime skating would be an ideal addition to a team playing on the Olympic-sized ice surface in Europe.
Alex Newhook has been flying under the radar all season, likely because he missed three months due to injury. He is on pace to match career highs in goals (14) and points (33) despite being on pace to play only 55 games, more than 20 less than in any other season. He has improved defensively and has proven he can play at a high pace, even when given the added responsibilities of playing as a top-six center.
Finally, it would be hard to see Nick Suzuki not getting an invitation. He is a top-line center at the NHL level and set career highs in goals (33) and points (74), becoming only the second Canadiens skater in the 21st century to get that many points in a single season. More importantly, his ability to play a defensive role would be invaluable as he can match up with some of the best centers on the planet and earn favorable outcomes.
Team Czechia
Jakub Dobes is in the running to play for the host nation. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound goaltender is big-bodied and athletic. It’s what made him a fifth-round selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, but he needed several starts to find his rhythm. The three-goalie rotation at the NHL level, and his emerging play, forced the organization’s hand into giving Dobes much of the workload for the Rocket. In 48 starts (as of April 8), Dobes ranks first in the AHL.
He is one of the youngsters driving the AHL club into a playoff position. While his quickness and athletic ability need refinement before he is deemed NHL-ready, his play this season has been convincing enough to compete for a starting role on Team Czechia.
Team Finland
The Canadiens’ Masterton Trophy nominee, Joel Armia has reached several milestones this season. He played in his 500th NHL game and has matched his career-high of 16 goals. Armia’s role on the team won’t be that of a support player. Finland will rely on the same production that saw him record five goals and eight points in ten games, aiding the country to capture the gold medal in 2022.
Even though his play in 2023 at the WC saw a dip in production to only three points, he played a key leadership role when Finland hosted the tournament. Unfortunately, his team lost in the quarter-finals against Canada. This season, the pressure is on Armia to produce at a high rate again but also on the nation as they vie to take back the gold medal, their first since 2022.
Team Slovakia
Slovakia will have their hands full for the 2024 WC, playing in Pool B against teams like Germany, Sweden and the USA. But they may have one of the stronger talent bases to build from. Some of their skilled players are quite young, and two of them are in the Canadiens’ system. Filip Mesar is one of the offensive leaders for the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Kitchener Rangers. The 2022 first-round pick has eight points in five playoff games. He also led the under-20 Slovakian team in points with nine in five games. While he hasn’t played in the men’s WC yet, he is ready for that level of play, and his familiarity with another Canadiens player could be beneficial.
That player is 2022 first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky. He missed the 2023 tournament due to injury, but he is a lock to headline Team Slovakia now that he’s healthy. In 2022, he was the Olympic MVP, leading the tournament in goals on the way to a bronze medal. He also led his nation in points with nine in eight games at the WC. Since earning a role on Montreal’s top line, he is likely to be Slovakia’s top offensive weapon again in 2024.
Team Sweden
Sweden has not won a medal at the WC since they took home gold in 2018. They will enter the WC with something to prove as one of the premier hockey nations, and they will need a medal to quiet any whispers about the need to change their development model. While an obvious player to discuss would be Laval center Lias Andersson, who was on the 2018 gold medal club, his play this season has left questions about his ability to crack an NHL lineup.
However, Adam Engstrom is likely to play a larger role with Sweden this spring. His play for Rogle in the SHL playoffs has been stellar, providing strong defensive play and excellent puck-moving skills that have allowed him to earn more ice time (over 19 minutes per game) and gain the attention needed to be invited onto the WC roster. While his 18 points in 47 games don’t scream that he’s an offensive defenseman, he is a steady presence with the mobility to cover a lot of ice surface, and he has the size and physicality to be the deterrent Sweden will need to compete against teams like Canada and the USA.
Team USA
For all their success at the World Junior and U-18 levels, the United States hasn’t won a gold medal at the WC since 1960 and has never finished higher than third. They are coming off a crushing overtime defeat against Latvia in the 2023 bronze medal game that saw David slay Goliath. That is likely to fuel the Americans’ desire to medal in 2024.
The USA may be the club with the most Montreal content. Last season, Luke Tuch and Sean Farrell played in the bottom six. We also saw the emergence of Lane Hutson as a prominent offensive defenseman. All three are likely to return, especially Hutson, who is one of the top NCAA players again this season. However, the USA will have one other prominent Canadien available to them this year, Cole Caufield.
Caufield was unavailable to the USA at the 2023 WC due to a season-ending shoulder injury. He is on pace to match his career high in goals (26), has already set a new career best in points (59) and is on pace for 63 points. Yet, the best news for the 23-year-old winger is that he is set to play in all 82 games this season and has rounded out his offensive game with stellar playmaking skills and a vastly improved defensive game. All of this should earn him an invitation to play on the top two lines for his nation in Czechia.
While the Canadiens’ season failed to earn them a playoff berth, the goal was individual growth, and on that front, the campaign was a success. But playoff experience is crucial to player development, and without an NHL opportunity, the WC will provide vital experience for a rebuilding club. Several nations will be boosted by the quality options in the Canadiens organization to improve their chances of a medal, while helping the Canadiens in their rebuild by adding experience in pressure-packed situations.
