The 2023-24 NHL season is fast approaching and after the Montreal Canadiens had a less eventful offseason than most in recent years, fans’ attention has begun to turn towards the upcoming training camp. They will ask themselves if general manager (GM) Kent Hughes has done enough to help the rebuild.
There will be speculation regarding standings, player performances, and much more. So in that spirit, here are three predictions of what could happen this season for Montreal.
1. Canadiens Finally Have Another 40 Goal Scorer
The last time a player in a Canadiens sweater scored 40 goals or more was Vincent Damphousse in the 1993-94 season. Thirty years without someone of that caliber of shooter is far too long, but that wait is likely over this coming season.
Cole Caufield was on pace to be the first 40-goal scorer since Damphousse in 2022-23 before going down with a season-ending injury. Under head coach Martin St. Louis, the diminutive sniper has scored 48 goals in 83 games played, that’s an average of 0.57 goals per game, a 47-goals-per-season pace.
With a full season, without any significant injuries, Caufield can pick up where he left off and become the elite goal scorer he was projected to become after being selected 15th overall by the Canadiens in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. With players such as Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, and Alex Newhook supporting him as playmakers who can feed him the puck in areas where his shot can be weaponized, Caufield has the tools needed to succeed. Management has full confidence that he can do so as they have signed him to an eight-year extension paying him an average of $7.85 million per season.
2. Center Depth Leads to Trades
The Canadiens have rarely had any depth at center over the past 30 years. However, this season sees the Habs holding several options that can play at center. Suzuki, Dach, and Newhook are three that were named above. Add to that list Sean Monahan, Christian Dvorak, and Jake Evans, the Habs have given St. Louis many good-quality options to play on any of the four lines. Considering that Montreal is still rebuilding, not all those players will be on the roster past the 2024 Trade Deadline. That depth at center will now allow Hughes the ability to leverage the value of a middle-six center to the team’s advantage.
Related: Canadiens’ Hughes Building a Winning Culture in Montreal
The likeliest to pack his bags will be Monahan. His one-year deal paying him $2 million makes him an attractive trade option. Granted, he will need to remain healthy and prove that the hip issues that caused the Calgary Flames to pay Hughes a first-round pick just to take his contract are repaired. Also, he will need to produce. Last season, he scored 17 points in 25 games, which was a 55-point pace over 82 games. If he can produce to that level consistently this season, Hughes would be able to move him to a contending team very easily, and maybe even add a third first-round pick for Montreal to use at the 2024 Entry Draft.
Another center worth keeping an eye on is Dvorak. He is another one of those middle six capable centers that GMs love to add at the deadline. Like Monahan, Dvorak is dealing with an injury history, so he will also need to remain healthy and produce points. In his case, a 40-point season is seen as acceptable as his value is more as a two-way center. If a contending team can see him fitting into their third line, Hughes could move another center at the deadline. His $4.45 million per season for two more seasons could be seen as a bit of a bargain, especially if the salary cap goes up as expected.
3. Canadiens Improve in the Standings by 15 points
The Canadiens finished the 2022-23 season with 68 points, 28th in the NHL and dead last in the Atlantic Division. This isn’t a prediction that they will make the playoffs, not at all. At best, this team will be “in the mix” sitting several points out of the final playoff seed, but never realistically within reach. Despite not being expected to make the playoffs, the expectation is for Montreal to take a step ahead, improving over last season. There are several reasons to expect just that. The first is a healthier season. The last two seasons saw the Canadiens set man-games lost records, and the impact that had on the roster cannot be ignored. With the injuries cut by half, even if nothing else changed, the Habs would immediately be far more competitive.
Secondly, many players have something to prove. Monahan and Dvorak aren’t the only ones, there are many others. Just to name a few, Joel Armia needs to prove he is worth his $3.4 million per season, Newhook wants to prove that the Colorado Avalanche moved on from him far too soon and Caufield wants to prove worthy of his contract. With all these players with something to prove, fewer injuries, and even the slightest improvements in the play of the many rookies who played last season and are expected to return, a 15-point improvement is well within the Canadiens’ reach.
Some may not view these predictions as being realistic, while others may feel they are not going far enough. Regardless, their overall expectations for the Habs going into this season are on the rise over previous seasons. As the team is heading into the next phase of the rebuild, Hughes will need to remain patient, and more importantly focused, on the plan he has set in motion.
