Top-5 Most Surprising Canadiens To Start The Season

The Montreal Canadiens haven’t been in the playoff mix just yet this season, but that hasn’t stopped some within the organization from getting off to surprising starts.

Despite NHL betting odds pegging another miserable season, the Canadiens have had many positive developments this season.

Lane Hutson has hit the ground running as a rookie in the NHL, registering 11 assists in 19 games so far this season and quickly cementing himself as a top-4 D in the NHL.

Cole Caufield has shot right out of the gate so far this season, scoring 12 goals in his first 19 games; tied for 4th in the NHL with the likes of Mikko Rantannen and William Nylander.

Nick Suzuki continues to lead the Canadiens in scoring, maintaining a point-per-game pace, all while playing the toughest minutes on the team.

Even Ivan Demidov has emerged as one of the most productive players in the entire KHL, as a rookie.

But none of these outcomes would have really been surprising to anyone paying attention before the start of the season. Right?

There have been some truly surprising developments so far this season, both good and bad, that have really marked the start of the season that deserve further attention.

Let’s take a look below:

Brendan Gallagher

There is perhaps no better feel-good story on the Montreal Canadiens this season than that of Brendan Gallagher.

With portions of the fan base clamouring for the organization to buy out the veteran winger’s contract, which holds a $6.5M cap hit for another two seasons, it seemed like it was the beginning of the end for Gallagher.

After a disastrous 2022-2023 season and a very difficult first half of the 2023-2024 season, Gallagher seemed to find new life in the tail-end of last season; putting up 5 goals and 10 points in his last 8 games.

Fast-forward to this season, and the 32-year-old has picked up right where he left off, potting eight goals and 10 points in the club’s first 19 games of the season.

And even beyond the statistics, Gallagher has been a model of excellence this year in terms of work-ethic and intensity; looking like the warrior of old that used to take over shifts in the offensive zone through sheer will alone.

At a time when the Canadiens have been searching for their mojo offensively, Gallagher has scored some massive goals for the club. Most recently, he scored the Canadiens’ winning goal against the Edmonton Oilers en route to a 3-0 shutout victory.

Whether Gallagher can continue his 35-goal pace for the rest of the season remains to be seen, but it would be hard to believe that anyone had it on their bingo card to start the season.

Alex Newhook

Alex Newhook has had one of the most surprising starts to the season, and not in a good way.

After Sean Monahan was traded to Winnipeg and Newhook was placed at centre last year, it looked like the Canadiens had found another serviceable top-9 forward with top-6 upside, After all, he did put up 34 points in 55 games last season.

But saying that Newhook hasn’t been able to find his footing so far this season would be an understatement. Outside of one beautiful individual effort, Newhook hasn’t been his speedy and energetic self; despite getting consistent time in the Canadiens’ top-6 and on the power play.

Through 19 games, Newhook has registered only four goals, which is woefully insufficient and one of the reasons the Canadiens have had difficulty matching the firepower of their opponents.

After sacrificing a 1st and 2nd-round pick, watching Newhook go through the first quarter of the season with such a lackluster offensive performance has to be concerning for the club; as they were counting on Newhook to be their insurance policy down the middle in case of injury.

Instead, he’s been stapled to the wing, despite the club’s clear near for help at centre.

There’s certainly still time for him to turn his season around, but 4 points through 19 games is simply not going to cut.

Logan Mailloux

After brief stint with the Montreal Canadiens to start the season, Logan Mailloux was sent down to the Laval Rocket to down out his defensive game and continue his development.

He must have understood that he needed to score more, because that’s exactly what he did. Building on his 47-point rookie campaign in the AHL, Mailloux has been one of the most productive defencemen in the entire league, with his four goals and 12 points in just 9 games.

The actual good news is that he has been working on his defensive positioning and decision-making; showing more poise in his own end and playing with a more mindful approach to his positioning on the ice.

The Laval Rocket have played some extremely tight games of late, displaying a more mature and controlled tempo than last season; with Mailloux and Adam Engstrom playing the bulk of the minutes on the top pair.

If David Savard is eventually traded at the NHL Trade Deadline, and he continues to dominate the AHL, Mailloux could be soon punching his ticket to a permanent NHL roster spot.

Sean Farrell

Once seen as one of the Montreal Canadiens’ most promising prospects, Sean Farrell has had a rocky transition to professional hockey.

The former 4th-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft came in with all the hype in the world from the Harvard Crimson of the NCAA. Although his first pro season in the AHL was disrupted multiple times due to injury, Farrel was still able to make a difference on the ice while he was healthy, putting up nine goals and 28 points in 47 games.

After a strong rookie camp for the Canadiens, it looked like Farrell was going to seemingly improve on his rookie performances and take a step in his development in the AHL. Instead, he went pointless in his first 12 games, only recording his first point, an assist, in his 13th showing for the Rocket.

Farrell’s performances earned him a handful of games int he stands, due to the strong internal competition within the Laval Rocket roster, and their historic 12-2-0 start to the season.

If Farrell doesn’t want to get lost in the shuffle behind the next waves of incoming Canadiens prospects, he’s going to have to pick up his scoring ways quickly.

Sam Harris

If someone had told you that Sam Harris was the most productive Montreal Canadiens prospect in the NCAA through the first dozen games, and not Michael Hage, would you have believed them?

I don’t think many would have, and Harris deserves all the credit in the world for coming in as a sophomore in the NCAA and jumping at the opportunity laid before him with the University of Denver Pioneers.

Selected as a 19-year-old overager by the Montreal Canadiens in the 5th-round of the 2023 NHL Draft, Harris had a strong freshman season, posting 14 goals and 21 points in 42 games en route to an NCAA title with Denver.

To say that Harris has hit another level this season would be an understatement, as the 21-year-old not only leads his team, but the entire NCAA, in goals (10). He’s also tied for 3rd in points with 16.

It’s the kind of performance that gets the attention of your general manager as they begin to identify which of their prospects may be ready to make the jump to professional hockey next season.

With the wealth of experience he acquired during his championship season last year, and the rabid scoring pace he’s been on this season, it’s fair to say that Sam Harris now has everyone’s attention.