Canadiens Wrap-Up: Xhekaj’s Year, Goalies, Projected Standings

MONTREAL — There’s never a dull moment when it comes to the Montreal Canadiens, but it’s not always possible to keep up to date with every breaking news story.

Every Sunday we will recap the most exciting and relevant NHL news stories that you may have missed throughout the week.

Monday

• Now that the team no longer has a blue-chip goaltender in the mix, a significant portion of the fanbase sees the lack of depth at the goaltending position as a significant organizational weakness. But it should not be a priority for the Montreal Canadiens at this stage of the rebuild. [Montreal Canadiens Goaltending Situation Moving Forward]
• In the early edition of the Montreal Canadiens Mailbag, we discuss Adam Engstrom’s potential, the defensive group, how I fell in love with hockey, the Alexis Lafreniere dossier, my favourite all-time Habs, and more. [How Buried AHL Salary Could Impact the Montreal Canadiens]

Tuesday

• Introducing a new series: What I Got Wrong About The Montreal Canadiens. In the first article, we discuss how rookie defenceman Arber Xhekaj defied all expectations to earn a job in the NHL. [What I Got Wrong About The Montreal Canadiens: Arber Xhekaj]

Wednesday

• A closer look at three members of the Montreal Canadiens organization that will have something to prove heading into the 2023-24 season. [Top 3 Montreal Canadiens With Something To Prove In 2023-24]

Thursday

• In this week’s edition of the Habs Mailbag, we ask everyone to stop trading Jordan Harris, in addition to discussing the projected standings next season, the waivers situation for Jesse Ylonen and Cayden Primeau, why Mats Naslund was a joy to watch in the 80s, Sean Farrell’s potential, the difference between Kirby Dach and Nick Suzuki, as well as how many points we should expect from Lane Hutson. [Habs Mailbag: Stop Trading Harris, Waiver Issues, Dach & Suzuki]

Friday

• The Montreal Canadiens are entering the second full year of their rebuild, and the early projections for the final 2023-24 NHL standings aren’t as encouraging as some may hope. [Montreal Canadiens Projected NHL Standings 2023-24]
• The playing options for top prospects David Reinbacher and Filip Mesar next year are becoming clear. [Reinbacher & Mesar Options Becoming Clear]

Saturday

• Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki set a career-high in goals and points last season, an encouraging part of the steady evolution Habs fans have enjoyed watching since he joined the team in 2019. And while the majority of the focus has been centered on his offensive prowess, we may have ignored one of the most impressive aspects of his results last year: his play on the penalty kill. [Canadiens Nick Suzuki Among Most Aggressive Penalty Killers]
• Let’s take a look at some longtime Canadiens and how odd they looked once they donned another hockey jersey. [Top-10 Longtime Canadiens That Looked Odd In Another Jersey]
• When it comes to analyzing goaltenders, most of us fall in the Jon Snow category of knowing nothing. Or, at the very least, most of us can admit that certain goaltenders have done a great job of renewing their careers at a time when a resurgence seemed unlikely. [What I Got Wrong About Samuel Montembeault]