Training camps and preseason games are over; the Montreal Canadiens’ 2023-24 season is now underway. The lineup is one of the youngest in the NHL and is expected to be better than last season’s roster.
General manager (GM) Kent Hughes’ rebuild plan is starting to bear fruit as the young players begin to graduate into the NHL and show signs of development. While the season has only just begun, there are both positive and negative points to discuss. With that, here’s a look at the latest 3 Up, 3 Down.
Plus 1 – Canadiens Developing Juraj Slafkovsky
Yes, it’s just two games, but Juraj Slafkovsky had two very strong games. Last season, he was clearly behind the play, learning, and could have benefitted from playing in the American Hockey League in Laval. The Slafkovsky seen in the preseason and now two games in is far more NHL-ready.
He has earned a chance to play in the top six and was given two talented players to play with. So far, he leads the team in high-danger chances for (HDCF) with nine and sits second on the team in Corsi For (CF%) at 68.09 percent. These two advanced stats point to a player that is no longer trailing the play, but instead in the middle of it. He has shown development in his speed, not only foot speed but the speed with which he completes plays. He has a long way to go to reach his potential, but fans could be excited that he has shown significant progress and only in one season.
Plus 2 – More Offense
No one can say the Habs aren’t entertaining to watch. Yes, Cole Caufield continues his torrid scoring pace under head coach Martin St. Louis, with two goals in two games, but he isn’t the only one providing offense. Yes, they have issues defensively, but at 5-on-5, they can compete with any team in the NHL. Currently, they average four goals per game and it isn’t luck—they are generating these goals. Currently, the Canadiens sit 13th in the NHL in CF% with 52.71 percent, are 13th in expected goals for (xGF%) at 52.4 percent, and sit fifth in HDCF% at 64 percent. These advanced stats point to a team that can play a possession game but also attack the middle as well. The group plays a strong team-oriented attack, and as the Canadiens continue the rebuild, they can plug in more skilled players into this system, and it should only improve.
Plus 3 – A New Top Line?
The first two plusses play into this one. It seems that the Canadiens may have found a top line, or at the very least, an effective second line. Alex Newhook, Kirby Dach, and Juraj Slafkovsky have only played one full game together, but they dominated against a stronger Toronto Maple Leafs squad, and against their top lines as well. Now, if they can only remain healthy and build on that chemistry.
Minus 1 – The Injury Bug is Back
Shoo fly! It looks like history is repeating itself yet again this season as the Canadiens are only two games in and are now down two top-nine centers with Kirby Dach joining Christian Dvorak on the injured list.
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The injury happened late in the first period when Chicago Blackhawks’ defenceman Jarred Tinordi laid a big hit on Dach that sent him into the Blackhawks’ bench. Dach returned to the ice briefly after, favoring his right knee, before heading to the locker room. The Canadiens will never learn what they have as a team as long as the parade to the medical room continues. Now, Dach has been confirmed to have a “significant” injury, and with that, the line shuffling will begin. Once Dach returns however, this line should be the one immediately put back together.
Minus 2 – Special Teams
It’s early, but there is still concern with the special teams, starting with the power play (PP). They are 19th in the NHL but their success rate is only 16.7 percent; to put that into perspective, last season’s PP, which was heavily criticized finished the season at only 16.1 percent. A statistical blip of an improvement doesn’t mean they have found their stride. St. Louis spoke of a need to focus on special teams and acknowledged that the Habs’ system is still under construction and will need to be worked on all season. While that likely won’t help them this year, the payoff will be in a season or two when the team is ready to compete with contenders.
The penalty kill (PK) is also under construction. It currently sits at 81.8 percent, a large improvement from last season’s 73.1 percent. That being said, it is likely inflated by the work it did against a bad Blackhawks team where the Canadiens kept them at 0-9 on the PP. The issue was against a deep and talented team like Toronto. The Maple Leafs went 2-5 on the PP and had dangerous chances on every man advantage. Like the PP, the Canadiens’ PK will be a work in progress. Currently, there is some structure and it shows promise. The use of skilled players such as Sean Monahan (who scored a short-handed goal against Chicago), Jesse Ylonen, and Rafael Harvey-Pinard shows that the Habs are able to adjust and think outside the box.
Minus 3 – No More Bedard
It was exciting for the fans to watch the latest NHL phenom play in Montreal. The problem is that because Connor Bedard plays for Chicago, it means that they won’t be visiting Montreal again until next season. That excitement goes both ways as Bedard had a memorable first visit as fans at the Bell Centre booed him every time the touted Blackhawks rookie touched the puck in the first period. The 18-year-old got a kick out of it, especially because, “I haven’t done anything,” he said. Some may think it’s poor taste, but players see it as a badge of honor to be booed in a visiting rink, and Bedard is no exception to that. It’s just too bad he won’t have an opportunity this season to showcase why he was the 2023 first-overall selection.
The 2023-24 season is only a week old, but the Canadiens have shown enough to give their fans hope as well as entertainment. The expectations this season are low, but they are higher than last season, and so far they are meeting the challenge. There is no direct path from cellar-dweller to Stanley Cup contender, but at least Hughes is taking the team on an upward path.