The Montreal Canadiens witnessed significant development from a number of important players in 2023–24, despite the fact that playoff qualification was much beyond realistic expectations.
There are several encouraging things to consider as the team gets ready to take the next major step in their rebuild, including Juraj Slafkovksy’s increased scoring rate and Nick Suzuki’s rise to prominence as a top-line center.
Despite their inadequacy to contend with top-tier NHL clubs, the team has a chance to bolster its lineup this summer through free agency or another trade at the draft, following in the footsteps of Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook, who both brought NHL-ready players to the organization.
It now appears like the Canadiens will have a lot of salary cap room, which is one of the most valuable assets in today’s sports scene.
With more than $17 million in the bank this summer, the Canadiens will have a lot of financial leeway.
The Canadiens have more salary cap room than any other NHL team with twelve selections, four of which are first-round picks, scheduled to be made in the 2024 and 2025 NHL Entry Drafts.
The summer is very important to us, as stated by Jeff Gorton, our VP of hockey operations. “Properly setting ourselves up is our goal.”
A team like the Detroit Red Wings, who tried to speed up their reconstruction by acquiring expensive veterans in a last-ditch effort to make the playoffs, is an example the Canadiens would do well to avoid.
The Red Wings’ worst-case scenario, in which they desperately need to improve their roster with new talent, is that they will not only not make the playoffs but will also have to draft midway through the first round.
Of course, there will always be enormous pressure to perform in hockey-crazed communities like Montreal and Detroit, not to mention expectations from the person who signs the cheques.
Montreal Canadiens Making Moves
“I read Geoff Molson said we want to be in the mix for the playoffs,” said general manager Kent Hughes. “That is a fair characterization. Whether we push it over the threshold, I don’t know but we need to be better. The fans deserve it.”
While there’s no denying the Canadiens have improved various parts of their overall play, there is still a bevy of concerns that need to be addressed before they can even consider becoming real Stanley Cup contenders.
Essentially, this is the time frame in which the team is at its most susceptible. The Habs have loads of cap room, lots of draft capital, and one of the most fanatical fanbases in the world.
Yes, the Canadiens need to be better, but not at the cost of deviating from what seems to be a very well-designed reconstruction model.
The good news for Habs fans is that Hughes will not exploit fan pressure as an excuse for his own inadequacies, unlike former general manager Marc Bergevin, who said fans could not stomach a rebuild.
It seems out Montreal Canadiens fans may definitely demonstrate patience, they only want the comfort that their patience will likely lead to success down the road, a mentality shared by the present management group.
“We’re going to try to do what we can,” stated Hughes. “But we won’t do it at the expense of this long-term plan.”
