Canadiens Analysis
The Next Step For The Montreal Canadiens, Important Dates
And so the Montreal Canadiens season has come to an end, not with a bang but with a whimper.
Once the dust has settled, the Habs can certainly hold their heads high, despite being eliminated by the top-seeded Capitals in the first round.
Let’s make one thing clear.
This was a bonus playoff appearance for a team that is still very much in the midst of a rebuild. They fought tooth and nail to qualify for the playoffs in the first place, leapfrogging several teams that were expecting to enjoy springtime hockey.
The Canadiens compensated for their lack of depth and experience by working three times harder than most of their opponents, which meant their horses had gone lame by the time they reached the playoffs. Such is life when you ride them hard and put them away wet.
The Next Step – AHL Playoffs – Now
The good news is that playoff hockey is still very much an option. The team’s AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, have their sights firmly set on a Calder Cup Championship.
They won their first game of the playoffs versus the Cleveland Monsters on Wednesday night, and they have the type of stable that can handle multiple derbies.
Laval will receive some reinforcements from the NHL, with Jakub Dobes, Cayden Primeau, and Oliver Kapanen eligible for the Calder Cup playoffs. Ivan Demidov, on the other hand, is not eligible, and that may be a blessing in disguise.
Demidov has gone through a lot this year, and the Montreal Canadiens will count on him to be a game-changing presence in 2025-26. A little rest will do him some good as he tries his best to acclimatize to a completely new setting.
As for which goaltender will end up serving as Laval’s starter, Jacob Fowler looked good in his first professional playoff appearance, stopping 23 of the 25 shots sent his way to secure the 3-2 win. And yet, don’t be surprised if Primeau takes over. He was arguably the best goaltender in the AHL this season, and head coach Pascal Vincent made it clear that he was going to rely on Primeau in the playoffs.
Things can change in a hurry, especially if Fowler starts to dominate, but for now, I expect Primeau to resume his great work in the AHL.
Click here to view the updated Laval Rocket playoff schedule.
NHL Draft Lottery – May 5
Even though it’s almost certain the Montreal Canadiens will end up getting the Calgary Flames’ first-round pick as a result of the Sean Monahan trade, fans will still want to keep an eye on the May 5 Draft Lottery.
If the Flames end up winning the lottery, the pick will return to Calgary, as it is top-10 protected. In that case, Montreal will receive the Florida Panthers’ first-round pick.
MUST READ: Canadiens First-Round Draft Pick Via Calgary Almost Set
Fortunately, there’s only a 0.5 percent chance the Flames will win the lottery.
World Championship – May 9 to May 25
Almost every player is injured at this point of the season, but Canadiens players who may be called upon to represent their country at the 2025 World Championship, which is set to take place in Stockholm, Sweden.
Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield would be well within their rights to refuse an invitation, as they were among the busiest Canadiens players this season, but even if they don’t end up going, there are several players that could end up playing international hockey this summer, including Juraj Slafkovsky, Kaiden Guhle, Samuel Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Joel Armia, and others.
Montembeault served as Canada’s backstop in 2023-24, and was given MVP honours as he helped secure a hard-earned gold medal.
Montembeault was easily Canada’s best player today.
Full marks to Slovakia for the effort. Hell of a game for them. pic.twitter.com/i5b234jbz9
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) May 15, 2023
NHL Scouting Combine – June 1 to June 7
As per usual, the combine will take place in Buffalo, at the LECOM Harborcenter, which is just a stone’s throw away from the KeyBank Centre.
NHL Awards – June 25
Mark your calendars. Lane Hutson will be taking home the Calder Trophy on June 25. There’s no denying he’s enjoyed one of the best rookie seasons in league history, while his competition have enjoyed fairly decent seasons.
It should be a rather easy decision.
ON TOPIC: The Strong Calder Trophy Case For Phenom Lane Hutson
NHL Draft- June 27 to June 28
The Canadiens will have two picks in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft.
In addition to having a pair of first-round picks, which is fairly encouraging when you consider they were the youngest team to ever qualify for the playoffs, the Canadiens will make two selections in the second round, as well as two picks in the third round.
They have 11 picks in total, but don’t be surprised if general manager Kent Hughes uses some of them to facilitate a trade for a high-end player, or to move up in the first round.
Free Agency – July 1
Before you know it, free agency will open, and though we can’t guarantee anything in the modern sports landscape, the Canadiens should be in good shape to throw some money around in an attempt to lure a thoroughbred.
ON TOPIC: Impact Of NHL Salary Cap Increase On Montreal Canadiens Future
The biggest question will be whether Hughes can find a solution for the second-line centre issue in free agency, especially now that it’s clear Ivan Demidov can be an impact player with a slight upgrade in linemates.
The Montreal Canadiens have not yet set a date for their development camp, however, it usually takes place in the first two weeks of July.
“The Next Step For The Montreal Canadiens”?Get rid of the dead wood and put some more talent on the ice.
“… ride them hard and put them away wet.” 😳😳😂😂😂
Yeah, I’m 12
Yeah, in retrospect, maybe I should have avoided the horse analogies.
our future number 2 center should be found in a trade rather than FA… we have the amo to make a blockbuster if the right player becomes available… ideally we want someone that fits our core both in age and playing style – I do not want to overpay an aging vet in FA to fill that role even if it could work short term – I want to keep our focus on long term success.
I’m proud of the boys… still a tad disappointed right now, but our kids have nothing to be ashamed of… if they call a few of the crosschecks to the face in games 1 & 2 we probably steal at least one of the first 2 games, if they blew the play dead when Carrier was hurt we probably win game 4, and a few better bounces could have made a huge difference as well – no sense crying over spilled milk, but we were in every game and left everything on the ice – we got nothing to be ashamed of…
Special thanx to David Savard… best of luck in life after hockey to a mentor, warrior, and the “dad” of our locker room…
One thing that is missing on the Canadiens is streaky goal scorers. According to Google a popular search engine Streaky goal scorers are valuable because they can provide unpredictable bursts of offensive output, which can be crucial for winning games or advancing in playoffs. While they may not consistently score every game, their ability to score multiple goals in a short period can create a significant advantage.
At tough end to an otherwise surprising and enjoyable season for Hab Fans. So much to look forward to next season.
My hope is that they use their Draft Capital to trade for an offensive minded number 2 center. There is no need to go the Free Agent route, with so many picks in the bank.
Time to get rid of some dead wood, with some of the talent coming up from Laval.
MSL deserves a great deal of credit for his team’s turn-around the last 30 games and let’s
hope that he can capitalize on this youthful and more experienced group next Season.
Go Rockets go …till next year.
We need a top 6 left handed center,top 4 rd and a bottom 6 grinder.
We need speed, grit and size. At all positions.