September 4, 2024 | 12:35pm ET
By David Calabretta, TheFourthPeriod.com
EXPECTATIONS BEGIN TO CLIMB IN MONTREAL
Juraj Slafkovsky, forward
MONTREAL, QC — The Montreal Canadiens have been enjoying quiet the eventful off-season, with the team doing nothing but improving their squad for both the present and the future.
From the NHL Draft in late-June right through August, the Canadiens maintained course and continued to make moves that will push this team out of its rebuild and eventually enter the discussion of playoff contention in the next year or two.
Starting in Vegas, the Draft was the most clinical part for General Manager Kent Hughes, President Jeff Gorton and the Canadiens’ brass as they added a potential offensive superstar in Russian sensation Ivan Demidov in dramatic fashion (thanks, Celine) with the fifth-overall selection.
Demidov, who turns 19 in December, has one more year on his KHL contract with SKA Saint Petersburg and has already become a fan favourite thanks to his outgoing personality.
Hughes also decided to trade up just hours prior to the start of the NHL Draft when he traded up for the 21st overall pick, owned by the Los Angeles Kings. He used that selection to pick Michael Hage from the Chicago Steel of the USHL.
Hage, 18, will spend the next season at the University of Michigan in the NCAA and work towards cracking Team Canada’s roster for the World Juniors this winter.
Another feelgood story hit at the NHL Draft in the third round when the Habs selected Aatos Koivu of TPS Turku, the son of longtime Canadiens captain Saku Koivu, putting a bow on another successful draft season.
Free Agency was, as expected, quiet, with only one free agent being signed in hometown talent Alex Barre-Boulet, who previously played for both the Seattle Kraken and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Hughes took care of his logjam on defence when he traded blueliner Johnny Kovacevic to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick, the best of any of the 2026 three fourth-round picks New Jersey currently owns (theirs, Dallas’ or Winnipeg’s) once the final draft order has been established for the 2026 NHL Draft.
The Canadiens’ management also locked up future pieces such as Juraj Slafkovsky, Kaiden Guhle, Arber Xhekaj and Justin Barron to extensions, allowing fans to breathe a little easier over the rest of summer.
Then, just two weeks ago, Hughes made a big splash and acquired star winger Patrik Laine from the Columbus Blue Jackets along with a second-round draft pick in 2026 in exchange for defenceman Jordan Harris.
Adding Laine at his full $8.7 million salary cap hit is certainly a risk, somewhat mitigated by the addition of the second-round pick, but if the sniper can reclaim his game and rebound after struggling both on and off the ice the last season. He is already projected to play on the club’s second line with Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook and will likely see time on the first powerplay unit once the season gets underway.
The potential of a Laine rebound campaign would provide the Habs with some extra firepower beyond the team’s top line of Slafkovsky, Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, which could give Montreal an offensively dynamic top-six.
Breakout Candidates
The Canadiens will walk into the 2024-25 season with some fresh blood, led by the return of Dach, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury early on in the 2023-24 season.
Here is a look at four players set to breakout this year:
Kirby Dach will be a prime candidate for a breakout. In training camp last season, Dach was poised to finally make his mark at the NHL level, where he showed flashes of a becoming a top centre and looked like the Habs’ best player on the ice, night in, night out in the pre-season and the opening game versus the Toronto Maple Leafs. This year, he’ll have the chance to centre the second line and be on the Canadiens’ first powerplay, an opportunity to see an increase in production.
Alex Newhook is another potential breakout player this season. In his first year with Montreal, Newhook put up an impressive 30 points in 54 games while battling injuries and playing in the centre position for most of his time, despite being an efficient winger. In this upcoming season, he will have the opportunity to finally play with Dach as his pivot, a chance for the two to break the ice together.
Juraj Slafkovsky, fresh off his long-term extension, is in position to become the star player that he is expected to become when he was drafted first-overall in 2022. After finishing with 35 points in his last 41 games, it seems like the Slovakian finally found his stride in the NHL in the second half of last season. Building off that campaign and playing first line minutes with Caufield and Suzuki should amplify his performance and that of his linemates.
The name “Patrik Laine” comes to mind when highlighting potential breakout candidates. The goal is for the former second-overall pick to play a full season in the NHL after failing to do so dating back to his third season in the NHL in 2018-19. Under the development of Head Coach Martin St. Louis, the goal is for Laine to return to the 40-goal form he once was.
Prospect Debuts
The Canadiens rookie pipeline is as stacked as ever, and there may be one or two graduates making their way to the main team this season.
Lane Hutson is expected to be push for a fulltime role with the Habs this year after playing his first two NHL games in last season’s finales versus the Detroit Red Wings.
Hutson, 20, will be a crucial piece for the Canadiens’ future, especially on the blueline, where the Canadiens will continue to see significant growth in the coming years after the jumps already made by Guhle, Xhekaj and presumably Justin Barron.
Expect Logan Mailloux and David Reinbacher to make legitimate statements during training camp this month, and that could made life difficult for management and the coaching staff – a good problem to have. However, another stint in Laval won’t hurt the duo, as the Canadiens do not need to rush a decision on either defenceman.
Season Predictions
Unlike the past three seasons, the vibe is different in the mega city. With the additions of Laine and Demidov, along with the return of Dach and the emergence of Hutson, legitimate excitement and optimism should blanket the fanbase.
The Canadiens aren’t expected to be a playoff contender this season, but they should surprise those around the League. A successful campaign will result in a pick outside the top-10 next season followed by a massive push next season.