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Canadiens Postgame

Canadiens Youth Movement Offers Glimpse Into Promising Future

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Montreal Canadiens Mailloux

The Montreal Canadiens hosted the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night, a match-up that marked the end of a rebuilding season which yielded a fair amount of encouraging results for Martin St-Louis’ team.

Rather than re-iterating the many issues still facing the organization, Tuesday’s game will serve as a good opportunity to discuss the tangible growth we’ve seen from both a team and individual standpoint.

Prospect Logan Mailloux made his NHL debut, and though fans understand the need to keep expectations in the realm of realistic when it comes to his immediate impact on the lineup, the defenceman played with a lot of poise.

The same can be said about Lane Hutson, who dazzled the Habs faithful with plays reminiscent of a time when either Alex Kovalev or P.K. Subban were charged with providing the highest possible level of entertainment at the Bell Centre.

Both Hutson and Mailloux played starring roles in the team’s 5-4 shootout loss to a desperate Red Wings club.

Let’s dive into those highlights!

Early Impact

Following in Hutson‘s footsteps, Mailloux quickly made his mark during his NHL debut. The 21-year-old defencemen provided a fantastic breakout pass that allowed Brendan Gallagher and Alex Newhook to capitalize on an odd-man rush midway through the first period.

Say what you will about his defensive awareness, but there’s clearly value to Mailloux’s ability to cover half the rink with a quick, crisp outlet pass. The Habs need to improve their play in transition, and that’s where Mailloux comes into play.

As an aside, Gallagher continues to enjoy a very solid second half of the season. He’s no longer the play he once was, but the hard-working winger is finding new ways to help his team win.

While most of Gallagher’s goals have resulted from his penchant for absorbing more lumber than a pulp and paper factory, his 16th goal of the season was more of the gimme variety.

But when it comes to players who deserve a little more puck luck due to their sustained effort every shift, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better candidate than Gallagher, who has enjoyed quite the resurgence this season.

Cole Train

Much has been made of Cole Caufield’s struggles this season.

Perhaps too much.

That’s not to say the 23-year-old sniper is above criticism, but he’s going to finish the 2023-24 season by setting career highs in goals, assists, and of course, points. Not to mention, he also improved his two-way game to the point that he’s on the positive side of most possession metrics.

The Canadiens pay him to score goals, which means we can’t gloss over his issues this season, but when you consider everything that could go wrong did go wrong, approaching the 30-goal mark is rather encouraging.

But when it comes down to growth from players like Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky, all improvements run through Habs captain Nick Suzuki.

He’s the jack of all trades, which can often be misinterpreted as a negative in hockey. But as the saying goes, a jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.

End Scene

The final goal of the season for the Montreal Canadiens represented all the most promising aspects of a lineup filled to the brim with young talent. Hutson walked the blueline with the greatest of ease, while Slafkovsky etched out prime real estate before tipping the point shot.

There are two important things to note here.

Hutson seems to be able to create the same time and space for his linemates as he did in the NCAA. Slafkovsky is slowly yet surely using his massive size advantage to create chaos on any given night, as evidenced by his 20th goal of the season.

And finally, there’s no doubt the Montreal Canadiens finished their 2023-24 campaign on the right foot, powered by some of the youngest players in the organization, players who will be counted upon to write the next chapter in the team’s glorious history.

 

All Montreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted. Via Natural Stat Trick.

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Tyrone

Prior to Hutson’s 2 games I was firmly in the corner of keeping him in Laval all next season to adjust to the physicality of the pro game and add some muscle to his slight frame. However, after watching what he was able to do (albeit in a very small sample size), I could be willing to switch my stance. He looked great. I understand that his offensive wizardry was negated by being on the ice for multiple goals against (especially at critical moments), so there’s definitely room for plenty of growth on the other side of the puck. Considering the sheer number of Dmen we have, my guess would be that he’ll be in Laval, but it’s certainly not because he’s not ready to contribute to the offensive game on the big club.

Thank god Ottawa won against the Bruins tonight to stay ahead of us in the standings, but the loser point from tonight’s game, moved us past Arizona, so hopefully Edmonton rests some key players and the Coyotes play their best game for the last time in franchise history before getting moved to Salt Lake City this summer. 🤞

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Dana

Hutson is already the most exciting player in the organization. He can play at this level but will Marty let him play like that? Xhekajs example leads me to believe MSL will rein him in. Will Lane be a net asset or liability in the early days? I support the player dictates where he plays model. Cap issues sometimes force a decision or staging a player for trade purposes accounts for roster decisions as well but I let him play here if he earns it out of camp

He was a young PK Subban on steroids last night. So much fun to watch. It was the most entertaining game if the year for me with slavkovsky getting 20(250k bonus) Caufield hitting 65, the two young bucks on the blue line, Evans played great as did Gally and newhook etc.

43 one goal games this year, we will start converting a lot of those to W next year. As I’ve said before, this is the last draft that we will earn a high pick from our play for the next decade at least. See central scoutings final list is out but it’s not usually most reliable source- several other sites have their April lists out as well. Elite prospects , Daily Dace Off, Hockey News, SMATH Scouting etc all are up to date and offer variations on the pecking order. We will likely be picking a highly skilled forward to eventually join our top 6. Exciting times!!

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morrisk

yup on the last paragraph…

Last edited 13 days ago by morrisk
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Tyrone

Looks like we got what we wanted. Final score 5-2 Coyotes, and 5th best lottery odds. 😁👍

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morrisk

This season, we actually finally learned a few things…

  1. Slaf can handle the top line. Most of us were holding our breath that he could be a top 6 forward, but I think we finally have that elusive top line forward missing for the past few seasons.
  2. Newhook can handle the 2nd line. If he never got hurt and played most games this season, he probably would have surpassed Slaf’s output. We now need not worry about that trade to get him.
  3. Lane is likely staying on the Habs with no minors in store. He’s a top 10 draft pick now, like Q. Hughes, who as soon as he played with VAN, stayed playing with VAN (no minors). He ain’t going anywhere but to the top D line.
  4. Gally is NOT washed up (yet). I’m fine with him remaining on the team on the 3rd line, hopefully producing 30x pts per season.
  5. Anderson MUST go this offseason. I don’t care what the return is and if we need to eat half his cap hit. Just do it…

By the time next season’s TDL comes around, I’m seeing the two top D lines as Lane-Rein, and Guhle-Mailloux. That’s sick. So Matheson gets traded for another 1st rd pick. So that would make 3 1st rd picks in 2025 (ours, from Matheson, and from Monahan). Wow.

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Staylo58

Nice finish, competitiv, exciting to watch Hutson, Mailloux, the 1st line, Newbook, Gally and Armia contribute. And Matheson, Savard help a young D.

Already looking forward to next year. Pumped about draft pick and possible trade for a slid young winger. A few young D and late 1st round pick could bring a high potential winger.

Some real conpetition on the wings next year. Assuming Gally and Armia are 3rd line with Evans or Beck at C. 1st line intact. 2nd line Dach, Newhook and Roy(?).

So where does Anderson, Ylonen, Harvey-Pinard, Pezetta, Heineman slot? And i am sure to be missing a wing in Laval who will step it up.

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Dana

Two years from now here is how I see the skaters
1. As it is today
2. Dach between this years first pick and a traded for high potential young guy or mature scoring ufa.
3. Roy, Beck and Newhook
4. Evans between two of Anderson, Armia, Gallagher, Florian Xhekaj or ?

Defense
Matheson and Reinbacher
Lane and Guhle
Mailloux and Xhekaj
Lots of quality 7and 8th options

You want dachs line to be as good as the first line and line 3 to be an elite third unit in the league. . Fourth line needs to hit, skate great, hit, chip in offensively and hit.

Trade matheson at some point next year or that year while his value is still very high so we can stagger the prospects pipeline , and move Hutson on top pairing if he’s able to defend and handle big fast top line opponents well enough. I’m not opposed to having him in the third pair with the Sheriff and playing with that third line I mention above against other teams much weaker third lines. He should take over or share top pp opportunities with MM immediately and play top minutes in OT.

Line 2- trade targets Kent Johnson, Matt Boldy, Necas, Zegras, or McTavish in Anaheim, Jack Quinn, Holtz, Beniers or Kakko or? We have the prospects and picks and defenseman to make a high impact deal.

UFA this year include stamkos,Reinhart, Guentzal, Teraveinen and Mike Hoffman ( checking to see if you’re awake lol)
UFA in 2025 include Leon, Marner, Rantanen, Sid, Ehlers, Boeser

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