Canadiens Analysis
Top 3 Canadiens Lessons Learned From The Stanley Cup Final
The Montreal Canadiens may not be participating in the Stanley Cup Final, but there are lessons to be learned from the evenly-matched series between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers.
Acquired Talent
We’re not talking about being gifted generational talent via the NHL Entry Draft, though it should be noted that both teams are being led by players who were drafted in the top five, a good reminder of the importance, not to mention the potential impact of a prospect such as Ivan Demidov. Talent in draft classes will vary from year-to-year, but very few teams are able to compete for the Stanley Cup if they don’t hit on their first-round picks.
Beyond drafting well, a necessity for any team looking to compete in the modern sports landscape, teams must bolster their lineup with external upgrades, as evidenced by the fact that the three players leading the Panthers in scoring were acquired via a trade or free agency.
Their leading scorer in the playoffs, Sam Bennett, was acquired from the Calgary Flames in exchange for current Canadiens prospect Emil Heineman and a second-round pick.
Matthew Tkachuk was also acquired via the Flames, with Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, Cole Schwindt, and a conditional first-round pick in 2025 serving as the return.
Carter Verhaege was not given a qualifying offer after capturing a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning, leading to a two-year contract with the Panthers that has since been extended.
Simply put, there’s no ironclad recipe for building a great roster, but there is a need to explore every possible avenue when looking to improve a lineup to the point that it can survive the playoff grind. Due diligence is the name of the game.
Quality Veterans
Thanks to data analysis, we’ve discovered athlete primes happen much earlier than we originally thought. Not very long ago, it was very common to hear NHL players peak around 32 years old, but the evidence points to primes occurring between 22 and 26 years old.
With that in mind, it feels like we’ve overcorrected a little, with any player on the wrong side of 30 being dubbed as the Methuselahs of professional sports, a vestige from a long forgotten generation of elderly competitors that participated in the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece.
You: “I’m only 35, I have my whole life ahead of me.”
Sports Broadcaster: “Here comes the oldest player in the league. He’s 32. A miracle.”
— Troy Johnson (@_troyjohnson) May 19, 2024
Let’s face it, we’re all guilty of dismissing veterans.
However, given how well Brad Marchand has played for the Panthers, not to mention Corey Perry’s annual playoff rejuvenation, it’s safe to say there is certainly value in adding veterans to the lineup, and that goes beyond their ability to help younger players navigate the icy waters of a long playoff run.
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As long as sights are set on talented veterans, the cost of acquisition is easily justified. Marchand was acquired from the Boston Bruins in exchange for a half-eaten sandwich, while Perry signed with the Oilers as an unrestricted free agent.
BRAD MARCHAND PLAYS HERO FOR THE CATS 🐀
The Panthers even the #StanleyCup Final on Marchand’s Subway Canada OT winner 🚨 pic.twitter.com/V09QsQFb2N
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 7, 2025
Depth, Depth, Depth
It would be foolish to suggest a team such as the Habs should simply acquire a player of Connor McDavid or Sasha Barkov’s elite status.
That being said, it’s clear there’s some work to be done when it comes to the options available to head coach Martin St-Louis.
In the war of attrition that is the playoffs, depth players will often make or break a series, especially since the rulebook is thrown out of the window, and the rate of dangerous hits increases significantly.
Injuries are impossible to avoid, and there’s no telling when a star player may have to endure a stretch in which his offence has dried up. That’s when well-constructed teams turn to players like Connor Brown, Anton Lundell, Vasily Podkolzin, and Eetu Luostarinen to fill the gap.
VASILY PODKOLZIN POTS IT! 😤
WE GOT A TIE GAME!! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/npBC6ym3jd
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 13, 2025
When Kent Hughes was a player agent he tried to have a very good relationship with all the players that he was representing. Now as a General Manager he also trying to have a friendly and healthy relationship with all the players treating them all like they are members of the family and creating a good working environment. This is okay, but it might make it difficult for him to pull the trigger and trade players that he has such a healthy and nourishing relationship with. It may not be p[art of his nature to treat human beings like playing cards to be discarded if a better card is available.
I would have thought the same thing but remember, he was instrumental in getting Harris to sign with Montreal out of the NCAA (when Jordan could have waited and walked away a UFA a few months later). Hughes had a long relationship with Harris (preceding his time in Montreal) and then he still moved him in the Laine trade. He was also the guy that acquired Barron and then turned around and traded him away to get Carrier (which is often not seen because it kinda looks like an admission that the first trade was a mistake). But he did it anyway. HuGo may not have a perfect trade record, but it’s still pretty good. I’m not worried about sentimentality impeding decisions that need to be made.
Sorry, Marc. Those are three good examples of what the Habs, or any NHL team, could learn from this finals, but you missed the most important thing any team can learn. It is so painfully obvious it hurts. In fact, I would say that had the Oilers addressed this issue years ago they might be sitting on a Cup win and on the precipice of winning another. The issue? Goaltending. When your two goalies are Skinner and Pickard, it makes it very hard — almost impossible to win. Acquired talent, veterans, depth? Valid issues. But if I’m an Oilers fan today, I’m pretty ticked that we have probably the two best offensive players on the planet, and minor league goaltending. Shameful, and this should cost someone in management their job unless the Oilers, by some miracle, come back and win this thing.