Despite not so much as having a Montreal Canadiens player named as a finalist for a major NHL award, a Hab technically took one home in 2024: first-rounder Michael Hage (E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence), albeit one day before he got drafted.
The forward is actually the second Canadiens player to win. Defenseman Lane Hutson was the first in 2022. Coincidentally, Hutson just misses making this list of the likeliest Habs to win an award for the 2024-25 season. However, overall, what’s different than in recent years past is some look like legitimate front-runners for (legitimate) NHLer hardware.
Related: Likeliest Canadiens to Win NHL Awards in 2023-24
Here are the top five likeliest Canadiens players to win NHL awards in 2024-25:
5. Joshua Roy (Calder Memorial Trophy)
If there were space on Hutson’s left side on defense, he might have been able to put himself in line to contend for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie. However, with Mike Matheson, Kaiden Guhle, Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble having already established themselves as NHLers to varying degrees, the deck is significantly stacked against him.
Ultimately, fellow-defenseman Logan Mailloux looks like more of a “lock” so to speak to make the team instead (on the opposite side). Even so, forward Joshua Roy looks like the likeliest of the team’s potential rookies to get significant ice time, as one of its top forwards after the All-Star Game.
Nevertheless, Roy just barely qualifies, both as a Calder candidate, by virtue of playing just 23 games (instead of the maximum 25) last season, and for this list. The undeniable fact is Roy faces a stacked rookie class led by Philadelphia Flyers and San Jose Sharks forwards Matvei Michkov and Macklin Celebrini, the latter of whom is likelier still to get top minutes on a bottom-feeding team lacking much star power (all due respect, of course). As further evidenced by the remainder of this list, the Canadiens have climbed out of that category.
4. Mike Matheson (James Norris Memorial Trophy)
Defenseman Mike Matheson finds himself in a similar boat as Roy. One look at the James Norris Memorial Trophy finalists for last season (Quinn Hughes, Roman Josi, Cale Makar) shows just how far he has to go from a production standpoint to merit attention.
Consider this: Matheson scored 11 goals and 62 points. He literally put together one of the best campaigns for a Canadiens defenseman this century (and in general in all honesty), falling short by two points to match the 64 of Sheldon Souray (2006-07) and Andrei Markov (2008-09). He was still a full 30 shy of Hughes, the award’s eventual winner.
That having been said, Matheson still finished in the Top 10 in scoring among NHL defensemen last season. That in and of itself is an accomplishment (even if not an award).
3. Martin St. Louis (Jack Adams Award)
If there were any justice, Kent Hughes would be in line for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award. However, the simple truth is that award more so rewards big swings that pay off in the short term than long-term planning. It may have gotten better recently compared to how meaningless it seemed in its early years. However, ultimately you’re not going to win it if you’re managing a team projected to be a bubble team at best.
The Jack Adams Award, given to the coach who contributes the most to his team’s success, is different. All you’ve got to do really to get noticed is make the playoffs as a team that no one really believed could make it. That’s the Canadiens and that’s Martin. St. Louis.
Having just finished fifth from last, the Canadiens aren’t seen as being on the cusp of earning a playoff spot. And it’s true that it would take a huge jump in the standings from the 76 they got last season. However, the obstacles in the Canadiens’ way just aren’t as daunting as they may have seemed in the past. On the strength of a core of young players who are constantly improving and an impressive offseason on Hughes’ part, the Habs could legitimately surprise in 2024-25, with St. Louis being a contributor, yes… but also a beneficiary.
2. Patrik Laine (Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy)
Obviously the recent Patrik Laine acquisition was a highlight of Hughes’ offseason so far, with good reason. Laine is just 26 and a former second-overall pick who was once fawned over for his goal-scoring prowess. As a 19-year-old, he scored 44 goals as the second-leading (but top goal) scorer for the Winnipeg Jets. So, there is superstar potential there.
Whether Laine is capable of attaining it at this point is debatable. However, these aren’t your older sibling’s Canadiens. While, yes, they’ve struggled to score goals, Nick Suzuki flirted with a point per game last season and Cole Caufield was seen as someone who could have a shot at the Rocket himself, after scoring 26 in 46 games in 2022-23. Caufield came up short, scoring “just” 28 last season, becoming more of a complete player in the process to his credit.
At this point, with Laine being as “old” as he is and having just two years left under contract, the focus should be on playing him to his strengths rather than trying to make him more of a better all-around player. Granted, Laine hasn’t so much as approached 40 again. However, with the Canadiens’ top line firmly established (Suzuki between Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky), Laine can benefit from less attention from other teams’ top defensive pairings.
In an odd way, Laine not being the guy with the Canadiens will help him become the guy again, as he eyes returning to his old goal-scoring form (from ‘Patrik Laine a de l’ambition: “Je veux redevenir un marqueur de 40 buts,”’ le journal de montreal, Aug. 19, 2024). Granted, posts like this won’t help to mitigate expectations and keep the pressure on him low. However, as Hughes alluded to in the post-trade media availability, Montreal is a market in which he could thrive.
1. Patrik Laine (Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy)
Part of the reason the Canadiens were able to acquire a Laine in the first place and at such a low price to boot was obviously how he spent time in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. There is no denying his value on the trade market was incredibly low (especially taking into account his trade request out of Columbus… and huge contract). When it comes down to it, there were few realistic trade destinations for the maligned star forward.
However, Laine is just one season removed from a point-per-game campaign with the Jackets. Combine that with how he must understand time is running out for him to re-establish himself as one the NHL’s top offensive talents. Bottom line: He should be incredibly incentivized to stay healthy and in a positive frame of mind, putting him in an incredible position to rebound statistically (and in line for Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy consideration).
This is clearly a sensitive topic and it’s important to emphasize Laine’s mental wellbeing should take precedence over any offensive accolades. Especially seeing as team-wide expectations remain fairly low, that is the priority here.
The trade itself was considered low-risk, high-reward for a reason. If it doesn’t work out, the Canadiens won’t have given up all that much (defenseman Jordan Harris, who would have had to fight for ice time on the Habs). So, no harm, no foul.
Laine is just someone on whom it was worthwhile to take a flyer, because there’s such a decent chance on it working out, and, if it does work out to the extent it realistically can, you’re looking at someone well worth his $8.7 million cap hit. Hughes must see it. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have pulled the trigger. There’s every reason to pull for him here, especially as a win would mean he’s made his way back to where he by all accounts should be: atop the league’s scoring list… maybe even Montreal to stay long term?
