The Montreal Canadiens have completed just over one-quarter of their 2024-25 season, which started with several ups and downs. The good news is that the lineup is one of the youngest in the NHL and is trending upwards. The bad news? The highs are being outnumbered by the lows so far and several issues continue to plague the roster.
Related: Montreal Canadiens Remain in Control of Ivan Demidov’s Development
General manager (GM) Kent Hughes’ rebuild plan has entered its third season and while there are clear signs of progress, the fans do wish for more, especially now as there are certain expectations. With Christmas just around the corner, everyone who celebrates the holiday has a wish list for Santa. It seems fitting to look at what the Canadiens should wish for heading into the 2024 holiday season.
A Consistent Canadiens Lineup
Consistency is the hallmark of a great team and the Canadiens are not there. They are more of a “Jekyll and Hyde” team as they are consistently inconsistent. After 29 games of the 2024-25 season, they have yet to win three consecutive games.
In some games, they look competitive, such as in their shutout win over the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 18 where they finished every check, battled for every loose puck, and went toe to toe with one of the best teams in the NHL. Then there’s others such as their lopsided 9-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Some games even see the Habs start with a loose, inconsistent approach only to finish with a significantly improved effort level, such as the shutout win against the Nashville Predators at home in Montreal. That game saw an unpredictable effort by Montreal through 40 minutes, only to step onto the ice in the third period and provide a dominant performance. Then there was the embarrassing 6-3 loss to the Boston Bruins, in Boston on Dec. 1, where they fell behind 3-0 right away, and never recovered. It is that type of inconsistent effort that costs them games and points in the standings, which makes it difficult to remain in the mix.
After 29 games played, Montreal sits last in the Eastern Conference, 29th in the NHL, and yet is still only seven points back of a playoff position. To be “in the mix” they need to cut that deficit in half. Seeing a rebuilding team have inconsistent outcomes is expected. Consistency doesn’t imply a rigid conformity to a system, or style. It provides a foundation, one where players can be adaptable to their environment and provide the most effective competition nightly. What should be expected at this stage should be a consistent effort and output. Brendan Gallagher is the perfect example to look to for consistency. Players can’t control the outcomes but what they can control are their effort levels, and if the Canadiens want to turn a corner and be back in the mix, they’ll need everyone to provide 100% of themselves.
Rediscovering Kirby Dach
Kirby Dach, who missed almost the entirety of last season due to a knee injury, has been having significant problems rediscovering his game this season. During the loss to the Penguins, head coach Martin St-Louis finally reunited his top line, returning Juraj Slafkovsky to the wing with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Initially, he split up his top line, which was playing well, to kickstart Dach’s offensive game.
For any success, Montreal desperately needs to have a second line that can threaten opposing goaltenders. With Dach centering Slafkovsky and Patrik Laine, it seemed on paper they finally had that, however, in practice, there were several strikes against them before even playing a shift together. Patrik Laine has returned but will need more time before regaining his footing. Slafkovsky is still struggling to find his game as an NHL player, which means he still relies on his center to help him along.
Dach’s struggles mean he is unable to insulate these two high-end wingers and Montreal can’t expect to compete if they leave a line like that intact, allowing them to be dominated game after game. There is going to be some leeway provided for the 23-year-old center due to that lost season. However, that leeway will not be extended much further as there are growing frustrations, especially as he has only provided two goals and nine points in 29 games. The wish here is for Dach to rediscover himself and become the Canadiens’ long-term solution down the middle as the second-line center Montreal has been searching for.
A Healthy Patrik Laine
Patrik Laine‘s arrival in Montreal was heralded as a coup for Hughes, bringing in a known sniper for a very low cost. But then, Laine suffered an injury in the pre-season that had him miss the first 24 games of the season. However, he arrived as advertised in game 25, scoring a power-play goal in that first game. His arrival has breathed fresh air into the Canadiens, and their fanbase. They seem to truly adore him.
Patrik Laine et Montréal, toute qu'une 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 💖
— RDS (@RDSca) December 12, 2024
Les joueurs du CH étaient à Sainte-Justine aujourd'hui et le Finlandais avait plusieurs bracelets de l'amitié à distribuer à des enfants malades!
(📸: @CanadiensMTL) pic.twitter.com/LtWtSdFMuU
It’s more than just goals and points; it’s his open and honest nature when speaking with the media, where he doesn’t provide practiced cliches. Instead, he simply shares his thoughts, unvarnished. But it is also his engagement in the community. The wish now is for a healthy remainder of the season, but also, for Laine to rebuild his cardio and in turn, his elite level of play that made him a 44-goal scorer in his second NHL season with the Winnipeg Jets.
Ice Time for Ivan
Racheal Dorrie at ESPN has ranked Ivan Demidov as the top-drafted player in the world outside of the NHL. She went on to describe him as “the most talented player outside of the NHL, without a doubt.” This makes sense as he is a leader in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) for point production per 60 minutes despite playing less than 10 minutes per game on average.
After a torrid start to the season, scoring 18 points in his first 20 games, his head coach made several confusing decisions, benching the young star for entire games, or only playing him a few shifts per night. While it did slow his point production down, it did not deter him from playing his style, which, in the minimal playing time provided, Demidov has shown an elite skating ability, vision, and playmaking.
German Titov, who was Demidov’s coach last season with SKA-1946, SKA St. Petersburg’s junior team, had high praise for the 19-year-old forward, who helped lead his team to the 2024 Kharlamov Cup. Demidov led the Junior Hockey League (MHL) playoffs with 11 goals and 28 points in 17 games.
Titov told RG.org “Ivan Demidov is an extraordinary player. For his age, he moves remarkably well and has all the qualities to become an impact player. I think he’s destined for a great NHL career, but I don’t want to compare him to anyone because every player is unique in their way.” The wish here would be for Montreal to maintain the lines of communication with their future star, and continue to guide his development along as they have done all season long.
Canadiens fans’ wish list for Santa is likely much, much longer. However, these wishes will have the biggest long-term positive impact on the franchise, and in turn, on the entertainment value for the fans. If there is one gift that can be left under the tree for Montreal fans, it is a highly entertaining, consistent team whose young core players show continuing growth.
