It felt like a very long year, but 2023 is finally coming to an end. It was one that has brought more significant change for the Montreal Canadiens and with that change some hope for the future. The past year saw the franchise cut ties with Jonathan Drouin and Mike Hoffman. They also placed Carey Price on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) while all but publically confirming he will never play in the NHL again.
Related: Canadiens Can’t Rush Rebuild for Shot at 2024 Playoffs
The 2023-24 season feels like deja vu as it brought on more injuries, depriving the roster of several important pieces, such as Kirby Dach, who will miss the entire season. Unlike the past two seasons, however, the Canadiens are competitive, bringing renewed hope for a fanbase that has embraced a rebuild. This is a look ahead to some resolutions for the Canadiens as they enter 2024.
Canadiens Need to Let the Kids Play
The top of the list for many fans on social media is Arber Xhekaj. As a fan favourite, it makes sense that he is a player they want the Canadiens to recall and give a regular shift to. He has a physical, punishing element to his game that helps to intimidate his opponents. However, the American Hockey League (AHL) is the right spot for him at the moment. He will be given ample ice time, in all situations.
Besides, with Jordan Harris returning from injury, it is forcing management’s hand to keep a roster spot open for him, for the time being. Harris is known for his quiet, effective play on both the left and right sides of the ice. Then there is Jayden Struble. While he is waiver-exempt and could easily be sent back to the AHL without risk, his play with Montreal has simply been too good. He plays a simple, effective and intelligent brand of defence, and also adds a physical edge which was missed with Xhekaj out of the lineup. If anything, the long list of good, young defencemen in the system gives general manager (GM) Kent Hughes ammunition in any trade war.
Looking up at the forwards, Juraj Slafkovsky has graduated to the top line and has looked like he belongs. But the issue facing head coach Martin St. Louis is how to give Jesse Ylonen the ice time and role that he has earned. Ylonen has been a fixture on the fourth line, regardless of how well he has played. He has played well on that bottom line with limited ice time, sitting near the bottom of the roster in average time on ice with 10 minutes and 10 seconds. That includes an average of 8:20 at even strength, 1:03 on the penalty kill and 0:46 on the power play.
This distribution of ice time and roles points to a player ready to take on more responsibility. Some may point to his possession stats and see a player with a 41.5% Corsi For, but that may be partially due to his usage on the fourth line, but also because he starts 62.5% of his shifts in the defensive zone. With six points in 27 games played, he isn’t tearing it up offensively, however, he is scoring at a 1.31 points per 60 (P/60) pace.
Keeping him there could help to improve the fourth line, but this is a player who has paid his dues, played the roles he was given, and is showing he deserves more of a role higher up in the lineup to see what he can provide playing alongside better players. As the Canadiens are in a rebuild, this is a litmus test for their development plan, as Ylonen is becoming a more complete player and could be part of the solution to the middle six, a two-way winger for the club in the future.
Keep Sight of the Goal – Rebuild
The Canadiens will enter 2024 looking to take the next step in Hughes’ rebuild plan. For Hughes, the resolution is to “stay the course”. Having the team take a step forward in 2023 to become competitive and finally be within a respectable distance from the last playoff spot is great. However, he must remain on the rebuild path and leverage his veterans to try and add assets that could help fill future needs and not buy assets to bet on a playoff run. Assets like a future star offensive player.
“We have to keep getting better, otherwise we wouldn’t be in a rebuild phase. We have some good offensive players in our group and we need more. Do we need a star? The Edmonton Oilers are sitting at the bottom of the standings right now with two of the biggest stars in the NHL. It takes more than that to win…There are lots of ways to build a team that can have success…But ultimately our job is to take what we have in terms of draft picks and everything else and try to build the team that can win.”
– Kent Hughes
While it is true that championship NHL teams don’t need to have any superstars to win, there are very few examples in modern history. Some teams, like the Edmonton Oilers for example, have the stars, but still can’t get over the hump to even make it to a Stanley Cup Final, let alone win. But winning is far more likely to happen with a star in the lineup and the Canadiens need one. With the sheer depth in their system on the blue line, it is clear that an offensive forward is needed to fill that star role.
Solve the Cole Caufield Riddle
There is some good this year for Cole Caufield as he continues to score clutch goals, such as three overtime winners this season, helping to make him the fastest player in NHL history to score seven career overtime goals.
Yet, there seems to be something off with his shot. He only has eight goals in 34 games and is only on pace to score 19 goals this season. Perhaps he’s playing through an injury. If he is, then he and the team should resolve to “know their limits” and not risk further injury to a young budding star, especially early in a rebuild.
Build Canadiens Veterans’ Value
While there are many pieces of the rebuild in place, there is still going to be significant turnover on the roster before it is complete. The resolution here is to “set up for success and showcase the veterans”. While it is simple to state that Hughes stays the course on his rebuild, it’s only human to appreciate what the veterans can bring. The leadership, mentorship, experience and reliable performances are an intoxicating mixture. But for Hughes to keep his focus on the rebuild, he will need to open up shop on the trade market to gauge the value of his veterans.
Players like Tanner Pearson and Jake Allen are obvious trade bait. But also, specifically, he needs to build the value of Sean Monahan and David Savard. Several teams are in the market for a centreman like Monahan, especially at his cap hit ($2 million), and he is the likeliest veteran to be worth a first-round pick or equivalent prospect, something the Canadiens are still in need of adding. For Savard, the 33-year-old has a Stanley Cup ring and can be an ideal depth defender who can kill penalties, block shots and use his experience to help steady a team on a playoff run. Heck, he even has a playoff beard ready to go.
Hughes can’t be tempted to retain these players just to play a mentorship role. He must have St. Louis place them in situations to help build their trade value so that he can add more top assets that can be used to gain that missing piece, a star forward, whether it is by drafting, trading or using the cap space gained to sign one.
There are certainly many other New Year’s resolutions that could have been mentioned here. But in a year filled with complex and complicated issues, simplicity is an easier course to maintain. Heading into 2024, we all could benefit from the self-improvement efforts that most resolutions are. But most of all, I wish everyone a year filled with personal bests, happiness, and good fortune.
