Canadiens Analysis
Canadiens Analysis: Mid-season Tiered Habs Player Rankings
The Montreal Canadiens have played half of their 2024-25 hockey season, and have an over-500 record to show for it. Kent Hughes took some flack earlier in the year for floating the idea that this team could be in the mix for a playoff spot, but as things stand, this team is right on the bubble, looking in.
Things were off to a lacklustre start with an 8-12-3 record by the end of November, but this edition of the Montreal Canadiens really turned things around in December, and improved to 19-18-3. Moreover, a winning streak against the four last Stanley Cup winning teams seems to have rallied the team’s most skeptical followers, with convincing signs that they are in fact, in a legitimate hunt for a playoff spot.
With a sufficient body of work for most Habs players, let’s look back at individual performances and see how they fared in the first 41 games of the season.
To do so, we will break it down via tiers:
– Top tier: Outperformed expectations
– Middle tier: Met expectations
– Lower tier: Underperformed
Montreal Canadiens Player Who Surpassed Expectations
Alexandre Carrier: As up-and-coming defenceman Justin Barron struggled to establish himself as a regular in the NHL with perilous plays in his own zone, Kent Hughes elected to cut his losses and trade him while he still held value. That proved to be an excellent decision, as the player obtained in return, Alexandre Carrier, immediately solidified the defensive squad. His mature and effective two-way play, on top of being a local kid, has fans forgetting all about Barron. The Canadiens started winning games consistently immediately after his arrival. Coincidence? Methinks not.
ON TOPIC: Canadiens Trade Analysis – Alexandre Carrier’s Impact Goes Beyond Expectations
Cole Caufield: After a red-hot start, Caufield cooled down a little bit following the insertion of Patrik Laine into the lineup. That said, the diminutive sniper still pots goals regularly and is a major contributor to the Montreal Canadiens offensive success. Currently tied for 7th in goals throughout the league (and first for goals scored on away ice), Caufield is on pace to be Montreal’s first 40-goal scorer in a season since Vincent Damphousse in 1993-94. Let that sink in!
Un retour au bercail qui part en force 💪
No. 13 but he’s feeling 22!#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/NRgrmx4y7l
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 7, 2025
Jakub Dobes: With Cayden Primeau struggling mightily since day one of the regular season, the management group had to find a solution to improve their netminding squad. They ultimately elected to promote internally, giving 23-year-old Dobes the nod. It’s a small sample size, but in two starts, the 6’4 masked man is boasting a .982 save percentage, while looking calm, collected and oozing confidence. Quite the contrast! His wins (including a shutout) were also against recent Stanley Cup winners, namely Florida and Colorado. It will be interesting to see if his stellar play continues throughout the year, or if it’s only a flash in the pan.
Dobes doesn’t even come close to allowing Rantanen to see net. Another great save. pic.twitter.com/Odek5eRaI9
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) January 5, 2025
Jake Evans: Stop me if you’ve heard this before: A player in a contract-ending year is blowing away expectations and is having a career-year! Kent Hughes and Geoff Gorton will have a tough decision to make, as Evans, a key component of this Habs team’s success, might be tempted to test free agency to get a significant salary bump. His 3.9 goals above expected indicated a bit of puck luck, buyers beware! But his overall excellent play would justify a pay raise, regardless of goals scored.
MUST READ: Jake Evans Trade And Contract Discussion – Finding Comparable Contracts For An Extension
Kaiden Guhle: It appears Kaiden Guhle has found another gear, as one of the team’s lead minute muncher, especially since being paired with Alex Carrier. Guhle plays an effective, hard-nosed brand of hockey and has looked like a legitimate first-pairing defender for a significant chunk of the season. Not many points are coming off his stick, but wit Lane Hutson and Mike Matheson with the team, it’s a non-issue.
Nick Suzuki: As the captain and one of the better paid player on this team, you would expect Suzuki to lead the team in points, and this is exactly what he is doing. Once again averaging a point per game pace (currently 41 in 40), he also ranks 13th in points among centres, ahead of the likes of Tim Stützle, Tage Thompson and Sam Bennett. Does that end the ‘Is he a legitimate first-line centre’ debate?
THOSE PESKY CANADIENS ARE AT IT AGAIN! 🔥
Nick Suzuki wins it for the @CanadiensMTL in @Energizer overtime! pic.twitter.com/Yk3gCvq9vS
— NHL (@NHL) January 7, 2025
Emil Heineman: No one could have predicted that Heineman would be top three in goals for a rookie by mid-season, and yet here we are. The feat is even more impressive considering he has accomplished this while playing limited minutes on a fourth line, as opposed to top line minutes and first powerplay duties for his competitors. Regardless of goals tally, Heineman also positively impacts games as a strong forecheking presence, as he regularly forces turnovers and extends possession in the offensive zone. He also leads the team in hits, with 96.
Emil Heineman scores his first goal in the NHL!
Great work by Hutson to drive the play up the ice quickly. He drew the defenders close and then recovered the puck that was being cleared. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/NPj9mACNL3
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) October 12, 2024
Lane Hutson: Every Montreal Canadiens fans had high hopes for the diminutive defenceman, and he has not disappointed. Hutson rapidly eclipsed Mike Matheson (a top-10 powerplay point-getting defenceman!) within the first months of his rookie season! He currently leads all rookies in points (again, as a defenceman!) and has been an absolute spark plug for the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge. To top it off, his defensive game has been quite good – something his detractors clamoured ad nauseam would be a cause for concern. Can you name the last Calder Trophy winner that donned the Sainte-Flanelle?
There it is. Lane Hutson’s first NHL goal gives the #GoHabsGo a 1-0 lead. There was a race to the net to get the puck between Caufield and Matheson. pic.twitter.com/nvNgWfHO1c
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) December 15, 2024
Patrik Laine: After missing a healthy chunk of the season due to a lower body injury, Laine’s return to action created a chain reaction that sparked the Montreal Canadiens’ winning streak. His powerplay prowess (tied eight in power play goals with only 13 games played) add a dangerous dimension to the Habs man advantage, and his insertion in the line-up allows bench boss Martin St-Louis to “spread the riches” and roll balanced lines. His arrival also coincides with Kirby Dach’s improved play, and it appears there’s chemistry building between the two 6’4 behemoths. Now, if Laine were to start scoring at 5v5 again, theirs and Nick Suzuki’s line could create a menacing one-two punch the likes Montreal fans haven’t seen in eons.
All three of Patrik Laine’s goals tonight, via TSN.
It was the 11th hat trick of his career. You can’t help but feel great for this guy. He worked hard to get back to the sport he loves, and he’s being rewarded for it.
Just a fantastic story. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/GcoZ7E7dxZ
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) December 18, 2024
Montreal Canadiens Players Who Met Expectations
Josh Anderson: Josh Anderson has been tasked with a checking role, and penalty killing duties — something in which he has proven excellent. And while his production will likely never be worth his (too) rich contract, Anderson at least positively impacts games in this newfound role. It’s been a pleasant transformation, which mainly rests on appropriate deployment and managed expectations.
Joel Armia: Armia’s slow start of the season is now behind him, and he is part of what some Montreal Canadiens faithfuls call one of the best fourth line in the league. His excellent two-way play, anticipation and puck protection skills have been on display, and he and Jake Evans have been dangerous and effective as a penalty killing duo. It will be interesting to see if Kent Hughes retains his services beyond this season, as the enigmatic player’s contract is set to expire.
Kirby Dach: It’s been a rocky start for the young centre, but in December, you could see the confidence grow, game after game. As we look back on the midway point of the season, he’s ran out of time to truly outperform expectations, but he certainly is trending in the right direction, with four goals in his last six contests. Considering he missed an entire season last year, it was logical to allow him a grace period in order to hit his stride, but it appears he has turned that corner. Looks like the best is yet to come for Dach in 2025.
Brendan Gallagher: Gone are the days when Brendan Gallagher was relied upon to provide a hefty chunk of goals, and play top six minutes. That said, his contribution, especially given his limited ice time, has been respectable. There’s also something to be said about the unwavering consistency he offers his coaches. You know exactly what you get when you send number 11 on the ice: a true leader who never lifts his foot from the gas pedal. Compared to last season, where he looked slow and exhausted, this renaissance of sorts has been a welcome sight.
Mike Matheson: Matheson has been knocked down a peg or two with the emergence of Lane Hutson. He’s lost first powerplay duties and has been forced to play on the right side. He’s also been tasked with penalty killing responsibilities – a first since joining the Habs. That said the veteran seems to have accepted the new role and embraced the challenge. He has proven to be an effective penalty killer, and a great complementary player for Lane Hutson. This new role and position could see him stay in Montreal beyond next year, as he’s no longer part of the logjam on the defensive left side.
Michael Pezzetta: It appears the Montreal Canadiens bench boss finds little value in adding the pending restricted free agent to his lineup, as he only relied on him for six games, mainly to replace injured players. Pezzetta has been himself, adding a physical dimension to the team, but providing little offensive output. It would appear his time in la Belle Province is running out, especially with the likes of Florian Xhekaj and Luke Tuch in the pipeline.
David Savard: Akin to Gallagher and Pezzetta, there are no surprises with David Savard: you know exactly what you’re going to get. He’s also been a great complement to Arber Xhekaj, as the pair has played well in a shutdown role. The arrival of Alex Carrier could very well be the stopgap this management team needed to part with Savard at the trade deadline… unless Savard is the Montreal Canadiens own rental for their playoff aspirations!
Arber Xhekaj: It’s a much more collected and efficient version of Arber Xhekaj we’re seeing this season, especially since forming a duo with David Savard. He seems to have a better understanding of when to engage and when to exercise restraint when things heat up, as well. Although his turnover numbers will need to be polished, he is shooting more this year and playing well enough to prevent Jayden Struble from stealing his spot.
Underperforming Montreal Canadiens Players
Christian Dvorak: As the lone left-handed centre, and the best out of the group in the faceoff dot, Dvorak has a certain value. He has also been playing well on the penalty kill, alongside Josh Anderson. But given his salary and his expiring contract, his 12 points remain underwhelming: You’d think he’d play with more urgency. Is the Christian Dvorak experiment nearing its end in Montreal? If so, the Habs will need to find a left-handed faceoff whiz for next season, via trade or through free agency…
Samuel Montembeault: It’s been up and down for the local goaltender, and it’s no secret, when he’s on, the Habs have a good chance to win. In wins, he boasts an incredible .949 save percentage, but a lowly .852 save percentage in losing causes. December was a better month for him, but January has been so-so, so far, in two contests. With Jakub Dobes off to an excellent start, Monty will need to right the course, otherwise he could very well lose the starter’s job if the discrepancy between the netminders’ performance keeps growing. After all, Martin St-Louis said he’d lean more into hard coaching this season.
Alex Newhook: Alex Newhook has shown flashes of the great things his speed can create for the Montreal Canadiens, but unfortunately hasn’t been able to convert much. His 7.7 ixGF is the second best in the team, but he’s only managed seven goals and two assists on the season, good for 15th in points for the club. Given the quality of his linemate and the substantial ice time he enjoys, he will need to start producing as he currently has fewer points than David Savard and Christian Dvorak, which is far from ideal.
Juraj Slafkovsky: Slafkovsky closed last season on a tear, and looked dominant in the process. While his points totals at this stage of the season are still decent (nearly a 50 points pace over 82 games), Slaf hasn’t looked as dangerous for most of his 37 games played. He doesn’t shoot as much either, with 1.25 shots per game (compared to 1.85 per game last year) and has looked lost at times during the start of the season. It is still the dawn of the team’s youngest player’s career, and we should all remember that development isn’t linear. Some things are worth waiting for, and hopefully, Slafkovsky’s breakout will be a treat to watch.
Do you agree or disagree with our assessment of Montreal Canadiens players? Let us know in the comments below!
All Montreal Canadiens statistics via Money Puck.
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I expected Suzuki to be at a point per game and that’s where he is. Playing tremendous hockey, he’s one of the best decisions makers in league which leads to so many positive outcomes. However, that was the bar he set last year, particularly the second half so I’d say he met expectations. If he was on pace for 90+….
I also think Dach, while showing significant progress over the past week or two, has been below expectations, injury considered- but I understand your assessment. I thought the sheriff would be better although my expectations may have been too high after all the chatter last year about team’s supposedly offering first round picks to get him. Xhekaj has been ok but I see way more issues in his game than were evident last season.
Armia had an AHL stint last year which lef to his resurgence. I don’t have access to sportslogiq but I suspect he and Suzuki are our top two puck battle winners. Emil seems proficient there as well. Armia is on pace to set career best production numbers. To me, exceeds
The differences in assessments are minor as I’d hedge mine closer to the borders between the 3 categories.
All analytics at 5v5***
Idk, last year Suzuki had monahan for half the year to help take pressure off, and a productive slaf on his line for half the year. This year he hasn’t had either but is still producing more while also locking into the new defensive system etc. I think your 90+ expectations would be accurate if he had the same situation as last year, but thus far, his situation has arguably been more difficult. If Dach really has got his game back and gets that second line going, and Slaf bounces back to form, then yeah, 90pts or so sounds right for Suzy. Otherwise, I think his play is “exceeding”.
Historically, people with Dach’s injury need over a full season before they return to their previous level of play. He MAY have already returned to form after half of one. If that’s the case, it’s impressive. He’s well ahead of the curve and therefore playing above expectations. Again, that’s only if he actually has regained his form. Otherwise, he’s still meeting expectations because he really shouldn’t be performing that well based on the history of this injury around the league.
I think with xhekaj, the beginning of his season was atrocious, but he’s since been far more stable and efficient. His analytics thus far are significantly worse, but I think a lot of that is the first half of the season. I’m excited to see if he keeps growing the rest of the year.
Armia’s on ice xg% is his second worst since 2015 and almost 9% worse than last year. I wouldn’t classify that as “exceeded”. His actual is also down like 5%.
For a 4th line rookie, I’m sure it goes without saying, Heineman has been great!
Caufield and Hutson contributions are at least an offset for Monahan and Slafkovsky , so I maintain my meets for Suzuki, but upper edges of meets. How would you rate Mcdavid? He’s down in points again this season but I think he’s the best player in world. Exceeds or meets or?
Maintain my rating for Dach as well. There were too many games he simply didn’t show up. That line suffered and I saw the effort issue as a leadership issue which impacted his line.
Sounds like we agree on Xhekaj, below expectations but I share your optimism for H2.
Armia is going to have his best career point production. Goals and assists are much more significant and better than expected goals for or expected points. Stanley cups are better than expected Stanley cups. Real stats are better than lesser tools like Corsi and fenwick which help provide insight but are far from perfect. He has done excellent work on the pk as well. His primary linemates Emil and Evans are having exceeds expectations seasons. Exceeds, in my opinion.
Yup on Heineman, he has been excellent. Earlier in the season I was more interested in watching kapanen and didn’t really notice him but once he got going, he’s been a significant contributor and really visible. Rarely a shift where he doesn’t impact the game.
I disagree about caufield and Hutson with respect to Suzuki (again, on their own they’ve been great but we’re talking about how their performances impact expectations for Suzy). Firstly, caufield was the one winger last year who was consistent with Suzy. He didn’t score as much as people expected, but still set career highs in goals and points. That variable remains unchanged from one year to the next: caufield should improve, and he has. Just like heading into last year it was: caufield should improve, and he did (better playmaking and all around play). Both players improved last year. Both improved this year. That shouldn’t further impact expectations as it should already be factored in (especially cuz the other pts I’m making also impact caufield).
As for Hutson, having a defender come in and produce doesn’t have the same impact as having another winger at a point per game pace for half the year, or having a second line C to take pressure off. Especially since Hutson’s production is also resulting in Matheson tracking for 20+ fewer points than last year. So it’s not like all of Hutson’s production is simply added to the total D production from last year. A good chunk of it is (just looking at Hutson and Matheson, if paces hold, 40 of hutson’s 60 will be new when we take off 20 from Matheson’s drop… rudimentary, but for arguments sake, a decent estimation of the impact), but not all. Then when you look at how production from slaf would be tied to Suzuki to a far greater degree than Hutson’s would be (cuz he’s literally on the same line) they simply don’t hold the same value when assessing Suzuki. A direct linemate, and a 2nd line C to take pressure off are likely much more impactful to Suzuki than a defender putting up points that aren’t always while Suzy is out, and that partially come at the expense of our previous top defender. Tracking to exceed the previous year’s pt total while not having a 2C and only having 1 productive winger is great. Since last year, for half the year, he had a legit 2C and 2 productive wingers. He’s still improving production despite being in a worse situation.
The data for injuries like Dach’s is there, so I don’t really know what else to say. It takes over a year of playing for most people to regain form. It looks like he MAY have done it in half a season (if this continues). That’s fantastic.
Hmm, I don’t mean to be rude, you always have opinions that I respect even if I don’t agree with them. But perhaps you don’t understand the stats I put up? Or the correlation between “expected” stats and performance over the long term. Of course winning a cup is better than expecting one and not winning, but that’s not how these stats should be applied/viewed. Not only is the difference between expected and actual often attributable to luck, actual performance generally reverts to expected over time. This is why it would be silly to think Evans will continue to shoot at 30%. It’s why we shouldn’t sign him to the contract of a 50pt scorer even if he hits 50pts. Yeah those are the results, but are they really indicative of the player he is? At the start of the season would you have said “he’s a 50pt guy” or at the start of next season would you be confident he’s scoring 50pts again? If we won the cup in 2021, do you think we should’ve expected to win it again the next year? Actual results are impacted by streaks and luck. Expected results paint a clearer picture of what’s happening overall, not just in end results. They factor in far more data that is relevant. As for Armia, it’s true he’s on pace for his best points production, but that’s not the whole picture. As I said, even his actual on ice g% is down 5%. This means that out of all the goals that are scored when he’s on the ice, the other team is scoring 5% more of them than last year. If you score 10 more goals than last year, but you also give up 20 more than last year, are you really better just cuz you scored more? Last year he won his minutes: both expected AND actual oig% were above 51%. This year he’s losing them: actual is 46.2%, expected is 43.5%. Even if you look at his results sans individual points, he’s just worse than last year. Plus he’s playing with a couple people having phenomenal seasons for their roles and is benefitting from that. I just don’t think that simply getting more pts means you’re exceeding expectations.
Yeah if Heineman keeps up this development trajectory, there’s going to be tough decisions in the future (well, more than there already should be). If we re-sign Laine, with a top 6 of Suzy, caufield, slaf, Demidov, Dach, and Laine, that leaves Beck, Kapanen, Hage, Newhook and Roy, all likely fighting for 3rd line duties… some trades will need to happen if they all hit. With his shot, all around play, and physicality, it’ll be hard to leave Heineman out. He’s really developing very well. What an exciting problem to have. (I’d also include Mesar, but that’s for another day lol)
Thank you for engaging politely, even if we don’t agree 🙂
All good GHG55, I like reading your posts. The exchange of ideas here is more to explain how I arrived at my appraisal and you are doing the same thing. You say I always have opinions which does not make me unique, everyone does. You and I are two of the people that express our opinions frequently and we mostly agree big picture, but not always on all of the details , as is the case here. We are majoring in minors , as they say, lol. I try to have informed opinions based on research and an investment of time( aka I watch a lot of hockey, haha) and will add some color to the previous information I provided.
Caufield is having his best season ever in goals and points, he’s a ppg which absolutely impacts Nicks production and his expected production. If you look at time on ice with Hutson, Nick and his line benefits more than the others so both of those should improve nicks numbers and you provide the offsetting Matheson impact. If he played primarily with Xhekaj and Savard, that would have an expected negative impact. Caufield and Juraj stats are up versus last year so I see that as meets not exceeds to Nick but I’ll say I think he’s our best player and an excellent captain.
You say the data for injuries like dachs is there and you don’t know what else to say. To me ( how I infer the comment) that sounds as if there are hundreds of nhl examples and there is little variance, they all turn out similarly. It’s a closed case, really well established and it’s not debatable and me questioning it is pure frustration. Can you provide me with this data? Or a list of even 10 nhl players in the past few years as I’m not aware of who they are and I did look briefly.
Tom Brady is likely the most famous athlete that had the same issue and it turned out pretty good there.
I mentioned effort as the reason Kirby does not meet expectations for me, plus results, and I added that I factored in his injury and also added that he is trending the right way recently. In my opinion, we would hope to have our second line Center produce 70 points or more per season. I don’t think 50 points for 2C gives us the necessary scoring depth to make us elite, especially if we don’t have a 110+ point first line forward. But we might add one of those next year ( demidov won’t get 110 next year to be clear but could at some point based on what I’m reading and clips I’m seeing)
I’m a numbers guy, my business degree was in accounting and business math like stats and quants. My career was spent working in management for a cpg company, at retail, with thousands of skus so a very statistical environment. However to be clear, I’m no expert, but I do have a decent framework of understanding. So when you say all the goals Armia has been on the ice for, 5% more have been goals by the opposition this year, I can wrap my mind around it.
There have been 263 goals scored this year between us and the opposition in our 41 games. He plays roughly 15 minutes per game. So based on linear ratios, he should been on the ice for about 25% or 68 goals. 5% would be roughly 3 goals, but it’s not linear. He’s a plus 4 ytd. Now you referenced your stats were 5v5 He has 3 power play points a shg so 15 even strength points and is plus 4 so he’d have 11 even strength goals against, up 5% which is half a goal? . 26 totsl 5v5 is one goal. Can’t get any thinner than that. This is a guy that was demoted to the AHL last year. Kept his chin up, worked hard to address the holes in his game. He’s putting up career best numbers and playing well and his linemates are killing it, he far far exceeded my expectations this year. It’s only an opinion, and I don’t expect everyone sees it that way. Honestly, he’s a depth forward and my appraisal means nothing to him or the Habs or you or anyone else, so put in perspective, file it under nothing burger. Actually all of my ramblings belong there, but that won’t stop me.
100% agree with your tough decision forecast. I don’t see more than 1 of Gallagher, Armia, Anderson , Evans, Dvorak or Pezzetta on the roster in 3 years. We will have other new draft picks plus aquistions and free agent signings in addition to the guys you mentioned. It’s a problem of strength, the best type of problems. Go Habs!!
I doubt you’ll make it back for this cuz I’m responding late, so I’ll just post quickly on a few things.
Check out “Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries
in Professional Hockey Players” published in the American journal of sports medicine. No there aren’t hundreds of examples (that won’t be possible with how few players make the nhl and how infrequently the injury happens), but it clearly outlines a decrease in performance (for forwards) in both the first AND second seasons back from acl injuries.
“Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in the National Hockey League: Epidemiology and Performance Impact” doesn’t give a timeline and I can’t get the specifics on the data, but it clearly states there’s performance decline post-Injury (for forwards… careful of the other studies that suggest there is no decline but fail to separate various factors such as position)
There’s an article I read once (news article) with an interview with a sports doctor and he outlined the time it takes to play, then the time it takes to regain form, and it tracked with what I said, but I can’t find it. Sorry, I know that doesn’t count for much lol. But it does make sense. Getting back to game speed, strength, reflexes, timing, chemistry etc doesn’t all just happen during rehab off the ice. Factor in the new system, and how his linemates have performed, and I don’t mind how long it’s taking Dach at all.
As for Tom Brady, whom I absolutely love, we can all admit he wasn’t exactly the most mobile lol. Elite pocket presence, but an acl injury was never really going to derail his type of game with that little top end, high-force movement lol.
As for Armia, worse is worse. You yourself are pointing out how well his linemates are playing. He’s not only benefitting from that, but you also point out how bad he was at the start of last year… the fact his analytics are STILL worse, even with the help of his linemates AND the fact he was awful much of last year… that’s bad lol. And it’s not just the on ice g%, the expected shows what should happen based on his play, and the relative compares to the team when he’s off the ice. They’re all lower than last year, and all bad. He’s a negative in the relative, meaning the teams better when he’s not on the ice. This is why you can’t just look at end results cuz you see “half a goal” and think it’s no big deal. But over a whole season, or with more ice time per game, that number grows to the point where he’ll cost us multiple MORE games single handedly (sort of lol). In the nhl where margins are thin, that’s huge. If he keeps this pace he’ll be -6g differential 5v5 which is an 8g swing from last year. That’s multiple games he’s losing, just at 5v5, with limited ice time. I just don’t see how one can say these results are positive. Even with him tracking to have the most points of his career he’s still hurting the team more than he’s helping. Again, idc if you score 100g if you let opponents score 200g while you’re playing.
We won’t agree on Suzy either. I think we just have different approaches to expectations as mine included a “well caufield, slaf, dach(or Newhook at 2C cuz Dach’s injury), Hutson, the team etc should take a step forward. Just as the team progressed the last couple years, they will again, and Suzy should continue his trend, meaning a ppg player” so I already had a bunch of it baked in to assuming a progression for Suzy. But then when you remove how dach/newhook and slaf haven’t, it gives Suzy more slack, yet he’s still improving and hitting that ppg mark.
Love the “majoring in minors” line. It’s absolutely what’s happening lol. None of these details are huge. Just nitpicks.
We have a similar background. I was in math and physics (sounds fancier than it is lol) then moved to finance. Pursuing my cfa now. Unfortunately it will likely bring me to Toronto around all those leaf fans… I’ll just have to convert them. Or better yet, the team will as we become contenders in short order.
Since the article is about “expectations”, it’s pretty subjective based on how we felt guys were going to perform this year. Having said that, imo…
I’d add Armia and Gallagher to the performing above expectations group (mainly because expectations were low, but also because they’re actually playing pretty darn good too).
I think Montembeault deserves a little more credit and belongs in the performing as expected group. He’s runs hot and cold, but he has been good enough to be considered as one of the 3 best Canadian goalies in the league with his selection to the 4 Nations team. That’s gotta be worth something. He was also expected to be the #1 goalie and play the majority of games, and that’s exactly what he’s done.
Monty at the very least has met expectations in his first year as a #1 goalie and I don’t think it’s particularly close. The clunkers keep him from exceeding expectations… Perhaps. He still has multiple shutouts and more nights than less where he’s one of the top players on the ice. His gaa has been under 3 and save % above .900 most of the year in spite the heavy workload and the many defensive issues the team had through the first 20 games or so.
And a strong argument can be made that the only reason Slav isn’t in the meet expectations category is because many fans (unrealistic)expectations were that he was ready to be a superstar or highly elite contributor. If the expectations were a 20-year old who will have good nights, slowly trend upwards while also struggling on other nights as the expectations and pressure grows after signing for big money, then he’s right where you’d expect him to be 🙂