Top 3 Storylines To Watch At Montreal Canadiens Training Camp

The Montreal Canadiens will be in their natural habitat for the first time on Thursday, as the training camp transitions from physicals and medicals to on-ice activities.

Of course, some rookies have already made their mark, particularly on the blue line, where one or two job openings should lead to very entertaining battles at camp. But the internal competition will not be limited to defensive prospects, as a handful of forwards, and a few newcomers will do their best to convince management they deserve a healthy dose of ice time in the NHL.

Top Line Status

For now, we can assume the top line of Juraj Slafkovsky, Nick Suzuki, and Cole Caufield will once again be Martin St-Louis’ go-to trio, as they’re the only ones who have shown any semblance of long-term chemistry while also finding the back of the net with regularity. It also must be said that with Kirby Dach’s early injury and a lack of goalscorers on the wing, the Habs had very few options when it came to assembling their top line.

That being said, the first line did suffer a slight dip in possession numbers down the final stretch of the season. It wasn’t enough to suggest they should be ripped apart, as you’d risk throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but if Dach remains healthy, St-Louis will have more options, especially now that they have added a former 40-goal scorer on the wing.

With that in mind, don’t be surprised if Dach, or Joshua Roy end up playing on the top line at some point in the 2024-25 season, while someone such as Caufield gets shuffled to the second line. It wouldn’t be a punishment per se, as both lines would likely receive similar ice time, making them St-Louis’ top six, rather than his first and second lines.

Welcome To Montreal, Patrik

Now that Patrik Laine is a member of the Montreal Canadiens, the natural progression of his inclusion in the lineup will be finding him a roster spot that is conducive to producing, which will, in turn, give him plenty of opportunities to rekindle his former scoring touch.

As previously mentioned, Laine may end up being used on the top line if they fail to hit the ground running, however, it’s probably safe to suggest he’s going to be starting somewhere in the middle of the lineup, either on the second or third line. Once again, Dach is the key to this riddle. I don’t want to overstate Dach’s impact, especially since his injuries in recent years have painted a rather unfortunate pattern of missed games, but when he is healthy, he completely transforms the team’s ability to generate offence. Rather than having to shut down just one line, opposing teams have to broaden their defensive approach whenever Dach is in the lineup. Additionally, he’s excellent in transition, an area in which the team sorely needs reinforcements, as they currently rely on Suzuki to do most of the work in the neutral zone that leads to scoring chances.

It would also stand to reason that a player like Joshua Roy would complement Dach and Laine nicely, as his elite hockey sense and evolution into a well-rounded player has already led to some of the most encouraging possession metrics in the Canadiens lineup.

We may be putting the horse in front of the cart at this point, as we also have to remain conscious that Laine has not played hockey since December 14, 2023, and he will require time to get up to speed. He’s dealing with a new market, a new home, new teammates, a new coach, new strategies, and a laundry list of other changes that come with being traded to a new team.

Simply put, patience is in order when it comes to Laine’s start in Montreal. The same can be said about Dach, as he hasn’t played an NHL game since October 14, 2023.

Montreal Canadiens Rookie Push

I don’t want to discourage all the other young forwards who are hoping to earn a roster spot, but realistically, there are only three young players who have what it takes to start the season in the NHL.

The first is Owen Beck, arguably the most NHL ready player in the organization, and certainly the prospect forward with the most to gain in the next few weeks. Canadiens management loves him, and for good reason, too. He doesn’t require much instruction, which is a professional coach’s dream. He’s also versatile, and has a knack for being part of a winning lineup, something the Habs will want to lean on now that they’re attempting to graduate from the basement of the NHL standings.

“We see (Owen Beck) as a leader (among Habs prospects) & he is. He just carries himself like an NHL player already. His fitness testing was NHL plus. This is a guy who went to the Memorial Cup & had a long season but he didn’t take his foot off the pedal with his training this… pic.twitter.com/MUUvbTne93

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) September 18, 2024

While Beck certainly has the inside track on any offensive job openings, as the 20th century poet Yoda once said, “There is another.” Oliver Kapanen may not arrive to camp with as much hype as Beck, but he has been playing professional hockey in Finland since 2022, giving him the type of insight necessary to perform at his best throughout training camp. He’s also playing the best hockey of his career, bolstered by his impressive run last season in the Liiga playoffs, leading to seven goals and seven assists in 13 games.

If I had to make a bet, I’d put my money on Beck being at the top of the list, but we can’t forget that Kapanen will be playing in a stress-free environment. If he doesn’t make the Habs out of camp, he will return to Europe, where he will play for his father’s team, Timrå IK. This removes much of the pressure, as he’s essentially guaranteed prime ice time if he ends up in Sweden.

Finally, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Alex Barre-Boulet, the only notable free agent that signed with the Montreal Canadiens this season. I know many have already written off  Barre-Boulet as an AHL player, but don’t forget that he’s 27 years old, while Beck and Kapanen are 20 and 21, respectively. The Habs may err on the side of caution by delaying their ascension to the NHL, while relying on a veteran in Barre-Boulet to absorb any remaining ice time among forwards.

A perfect end to a great night, season, and CHL career for #GoHabsGo prospect Owen Beck, as he’s named the Memorial Cup MVP.

A fitting honour for one of the hardest-working players in the league. pic.twitter.com/TBDLDgWxvG

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) June 3, 2024