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Welcome back to the latest edition of THN.com’s web series in which we analyze key issues facing every NHL team. We’re now focusing on the Montreal Canadiens, which made a big acquisition in August and are on the upward trend of their rebuild.
1. Will new Canadiens winger Patrik Laine have a bounce-back season for the ages?
Acquiring Patrik Laine in mid-August may have shocked many NHL observers, but Canadiens GM Kent Hughes has done well to keep expectations relatively low as the franchise undergoes a lengthy and wide-ranging rebuild.
That doesn’t mean the Habs will happily accept another losing season, and Laine certainly wants to play on a better team in the standings than the Columbus Blue Jackets squad he was a part of for the past three-and-a-half seasons.
If Laine is fully healthy and prepared to contribute, he will improve on the six-goal, nine-point season he had last year in a difficult personal and professional year for him.
Laine hasn’t played a full 82-game season since 2018-19, but if he does stay in the lineup this coming year, it’s not at all out of the question for him to reach the 30-goal, 60-point plateau he came close to in 2019-20 with the Winnipeg Jets.
Laine could play on Montreal’s second line with forwards Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook, which should mitigate the pressure Laine feels to do the heavy lifting all on his own. But based on his early performance and chemistry, he could also play with Nick Suzuki on the first line.
The 26-year-old Finn hasn’t lost his soft hand and solid instincts for the game. While he’ll be under pressure in the fishbowl existence that comes with being a Canadien, Laine has thrived in the past in a Canadian market and could do so again this year.
Related: Montreal’s Patrik Laine Acquisition Proves Once Again that Cap Space is a Huge Asset
2. Can youngster Kirby Dach play at least 70 games?
The 23-year-old Dach had significant expectations when he was selected third overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2019, but it’s been a rocky road for him since then. The Hawks dealt Dach to Montreal in 2022, and he then missed all but two games last season after suffering a serious knee injury.
The most Dach has played in a single season was 70 games in 2021-22, but if he is fully healed now, he can certainly get to that level and above it this coming season.
Dach is projected to be a second-liner for the Canadiens. If his body holds up, he could get close to 20 goals and 50 points in 2024-25. (The Hockey News’ Yearbook and Fantasy Guide projects him at 70 games, 21 goals and 37 assists for 58 points.)
Dach will get every opportunity to establish himself as a top-six NHL forward, and we’re optimistic he can shake off his disappointing history and be a difference-maker for Montreal this year and beyond. If he can’t stay healthy, his current annual salary of $3.36 million, which runs for the next two seasons, could take a hit in the summer of 2026.
Related: Five NHL Teams That Will Get the Biggest Boost from Rookies: Canadiens, Sharks and More
3. How many more years for the Habs’ rebuild?
Canadiens fans braced themselves for a rebuild and long-term pain when Hughes and vice-president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton took over the team in late 2021 and early 2022.
Since then, the Habs have finished at the bottom of their division for three straight years, never winning more than 31 games in a regular season. That should tell you how difficult it’s going to be for them, especially in an Atlantic division that’s become the toughest group in the NHL.
As Hughes weeds out albatross contracts like that of Josh Anderson and Christian Dvorak in the next few years, the Canadiens will have a great deal of cap space to go out and acquire younger, above-average NHLers, such as Laine. But the reality is a leap up the standings isn’t going to be in the cards for Montreal anytime soon.
Once you’re out of the playoff picture in the modern NHL, it’s extremely difficult to get back in it – ask the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres – so the Canadiens are almost assuredly going to have to continue rebuilding until further notice.
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News Summary:
- NHL's Top Issues Facing the Montreal Canadiens: Laine's Impact, Dach's Health and Long Rebuild
- Check all news and articles from the latest NHL updates.