It’s been a tranquil summer for the Montreal Canadiens. After the whirlwind of the draft, free agency has been the exact opposite, with the Canadiens only signing one player: Alex Barre-Boulet. He will likely play for the Laval Rocket in the American Hockey League (AHL) and be an injury replacement later this season if needed. It could be too early, but it’s time to look at the projected lineup for the Habs in 2024-25. Consider that more moves could be made, and this lineup is based on who is currently in the organization.
Goaltending
We might as well start with something easy: goaltending; the Canadiens won’t have the controversy this season that they had last season when they started with a three-goalie system. They ended up trading Jake Allen before the 2024 Trade Deadline, leaving them with only two viable NHL goaltenders for this season, Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau. Both goalies proved that they could handle the workload of the NHL as they excelled at their position to the point the fans who wanted a tank were afraid the goaltending would win them too many games and they would finish too high in the standings for a decent pick. Montembeault and Primeau were in the top 30 for goals saved above expected, with a 3.3 and 3.6, respectively.
This is a no-brainer: Montembeault and Primeau will be the starting duo in Montreal, with Montembeault getting most of the starts. Primeau will get many more starts than last season’s 23, and I expect him to get 35-40 games, with Montembeault getting at least 40. If there are any injuries, the Habs can turn to Jakob Dobes in the AHL from the Laval Rocket. After a slow start last season, Dobes turned it around in the second half and was one of the better goalies in the league; if he can continue that this season, he will be a quality injury replacement and get some NHL games under his belt.
Defence
This one will be harder to figure out, but I expect movement before the season starts. There are many rumours about almost every left-handed defenceman on the Canadiens being traded in one package or the other. I don’t expect any of the more prominent names to be moved, like Mike Matheson or Kaiden Guhle, but I can see Jordan Harris or Jayden Struble moved before October. The abundance of skilled players on the left side will affect who plays on the right. David Savard and Justin Barron are the only true right-handed defencemen left on the team after they traded Jonathan Kovacevic earlier this summer. Right now, the Canadiens have seven defencemen on the roster, with Arber Xhekaj adding to the players already mentioned; this will make it difficult for players like Lane Hutson, Logan Mailloux and David Reinbacher to make the team.
Even though it might be hard for Hutson, Mailloux or Reinbacher to make the team, I expect at least one to be on the opening night roster. Hutson has the inside track, and I believe he will be in Montreal for the 2024-25 season. Mailloux also has an excellent chance to make the team, but it may not be until later in the season due to limited space. For Hutson to be on the roster, Struble might have to start in Laval; he still has waiver eligibility and can pass through without a problem. As for the rest, Harris, Barron, and Xhekaj would need waivers and most likely be lost. I wouldn’t be shocked if one defenceman or two are moved, and Hutson and Mailloux make the team, but with Barron and Xhekaj signing deals, it might be harder for them to do so.
Forwards
The forward group will also be reasonably simple. With everyone signed until at least the end of this season, it’ll be pretty easy to plug in holes. The only way anything changes is if, again, general manager Kent Hughes makes some moves and brings another top-six winger in like Patrick Laine, which is looking more unlikely with his signings of Barron and Xhekaj. Hughes says he wants to not put Carey Price on long-term injury reserve (LTIR), and with only around $5.5 million left in cap space, he wouldn’t be able to do that if he gets Laine. The Canadiens forward group would remain the same as last season until at least the trade deadline.
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The lines should also look similar, with Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky on the first line and Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook on the second line. From there, who plays on that second line and the third and fourth lines can get mixed up. We also must consider that Rafael Harvey-Pinard will miss the season’s first four months. It’s not a given that Harvey-Pinard would’ve made the team, but it leaves a spot open for the 13th forward. So here is what I think the lineup will look like when the season starts; this is assuming at least one defenceman gets moved, and the forward group stays the same:
Forwards:
Slafkovsky – Suzuki – Caufield
Newhook – Dach – Joshua Joy
Brendan Gallagher – Christian Dvorak – Josh Anderson
Micheal Pezzetta – Jake Evans – Joel Armia
Emil Heinemen
Defence:
Matheson – Guhle
Hutson – Savard
Xhekaj – Mailloux
Harris
Goaltending:
Montembeault – Primeau
That’s how I think the Canadiens will start the season; many things can change, and line combinations can differ depending on preseason and injuries. Let me know what you think and how the lineup will shape up.
