Canadiens Lineup Exposes Major Organizational Weakness

The Montreal Canadiens’ run into injuries as of late has exposed one of their more glaring organizational weaknesses.

We currently live in a time where the Canadiens will ice a centre line of Nick Suzuki, Alex Belzile, Chris Tierney and Anthony Richard.

This is due to a string of injuries to Kirby Dach, Sean Monahan, Christian Dvorak and Jake Evans out with injuries.

To give credit where it’s due, Belzile and Richard have given the Canadiens some valuable performances during their recalls this season.

Although their inspiring play may help them stick around in the short term. neither should figure prominently in the long-term plans of a soon-to-be competitive team.

Unlike on defence or on the wings, the Canadiens don’t have a top prospect to call on to fill in at the moment in case of injury; as none of them are of pro age.

Lack Of Immediate Support

It shows that the Canadiens have a major weakness down the middle from an organizational perspective, as their top prospects at the position, Owen Beck and Riley Kidney, are simply not close to being everyday NHLers just yet.

The Canadiens likely hoped that prospect Jan Mysak would take the next step in his development and rise up the ranks; but Mysak has instead struggled so far this year and run into significant injury trouble.

This rash of injuries exposed an underlying issue that the Montreal Canadiens’ AHL affiliate and organization has had for a significant time; a lack of centre depth moving up the pipeline.

General manager Kent Hughes attempted to improve that aspect on the floor of the 2022 NHL Draft when he drafted Beck and traded for Dach; but there is still more work to be done.

Outlook Moving Forward

Next season, the Canadiens will have the likes of Jayden Struble, Joshua Roy, Emil Heineman, Riley Kidney, Logan Mailloux and possibly Sean Farrell joining the Laval Rocket in an unprecedented youth movement for the Canadiens.

That being said, of the group, only Kidney is a true centre and the Canadiens will once again have a glaring hole in their minor-league system.

The best teams in the NHL all had a viable and consistent pipeline of centremen within the organization; and, with the Canadiens currently rebuilding, bolstering that position in the coming years will quickly become a necessity, as championships are won down the middle.

With only Beck and Kidney as notable centre prospects at the moment, the Canadiens need to some more quality and quantity to that group to support Suzuki and Dach down the line.

2023 NHL Draft & Beyond

In the last five years, the only centre to spend some time with the Rocket and eventually work their way to the Canadiens’ roster on a full-time basis is Jake Evans.

You can chalk it up to a combination of draft bias, with former Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin drafting many defencemen, and a lack of developmental success, with the likes of Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Ryan Poehling.

As such, the one constant down the middle for the Canadiens has been Nick Suzuki; who has not only been the Canadiens’ ironman, but is tied with Phil Kessel for the most games played in the NHL since the 2019-2020 season.

With the 2023 NHL Draft coming up, and the Montreal Canadiens picking thrice in the top 40, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see them continue to bolster their centre depth by picking a top-end centreman.

They’re fairly set on the wings and on left defence, so it would almost be an expectation to see them pick a centre; as they can always be shifted to the wing; like Filip Mesar has.

It’ll help ensure that, at the moment when injuries do strike, the Canadiens can give opportunities to youngsters that could provide the organization with long-term benefits, rather than needing minor-league journeymen to fill their roster.