They are saying a rising tide lifts all boats. Nonetheless, so far as the Montreal Canadiens are involved, it’s type of the alternative. Many count on the Habs to on the very least enhance within the standings in 2024-25. That’s logically based mostly on a wide range of components, not the least of which is the upward trajectory within the growth curves of the gamers themselves.

Associated: Canadiens Realistically on the Rise in Atlantic Division in 2024-25

Thanks largely to the anticipated enchancment on the a part of the Canadiens’ younger gamers, who comprise the core, the staff as an entire will reap the advantages. Nonetheless, some gamers stand out above all others as realistically main the cost. Listed here are the highest 5 Habs going through the highest larger expectations heading into 2024-25:

Kaiden Guhle

Contemporary off a brand new six-year, $33.3 million extension, defenseman Kaiden Guhle’s long-term place within the group has been comparatively solidified, even when his particular function hasn’t. The left-handed defenseman spent quite a lot of time on his off facet, taking part in with Mike Matheson on the staff’s high pairing for all intents and functions. Nonetheless, Matheson truly paired with the right-handed David Savard to kind the staff’s most typical pairing total.

With Savard nonetheless within the fold (in the interim as a pending unrestricted free agent), the Canadiens could choose to go along with the latter choice, thus returning Guhle to his pure facet. It will arguably be for the very best for his growth, together with his manufacturing having taken a step again final season, scoring 22 factors in 70 video games, when he scored 18 in 44 contests in 2022-23.

There may be undeniably a log jam on protection, particularly on the left, however the suitable isn’t any slouch in that division both. Justin Barron is poised to make the staff out of coaching camp as he’s now not exempt from waivers. Logan Mailloux is knocking on the door as a sensible graduate to the NHL too. Even with Savard set to maneuver on, the Canadiens have David Reinbacher within the pipeline.

The thought is Reinbacher was drafted to be the staff’s top-pairing right-handed defenseman. It’s important to consider the hope is no less than one in all Barron/Mailloux develop right into a top-four no less than. Primarily based on his contract, the Canadiens clearly see Guhle as the identical. So, he’s going to have play on his pure left facet finally. It is sensible to place him again there as quickly as potential, which might additionally result in a pure enchancment in his play. Even when solely because of the cash that will probably be owed to him, the expectation should be that he’ll develop additional into (extra of) a core piece finally. This season is a logical place to begin.

Cole Caufield

Perhaps it’s not truthful (it isn’t) that Cole Caufield be topic to criticism after scoring a career-high 65 factors. Nonetheless, after he scored 26 targets in 46 video games in a injury-shortened 2022-23, he confronted excessive expectations that he would develop into the staff’s first 40-goal scorer since Vincent Damphousse 30 years in the past.

Clearly, Caufield ended up with “simply” 28 (37 assists), in a season throughout which he displayed extra all-around means. That ought to arguably be the main target as an alternative. Contemplating 2023-24 had been the primary 12 months of his eight-year, $62.8 million extension, some followers have been nonetheless left with a bitter style of their mouths, although.

On the plus facet, there’s no denying his capturing proportion took a dive to eight.9% when it had been at 16.5% (11.7% in his profession). If he’s capable of join extra on his pictures, to which followers had grown accustomed, he may realistically be part of Nick Suzuki as a point-per-game risk on the highest line.

Juraj Slafkovsky

Juraj Slafkovsky clearly enhances Caufield and Suzuki on the highest line. As an ex-first-overall choose (2022), expectations have been excessive from the bounce, when he made the NHL as an 18-year-old. Buried within the lineup, he arguably didn’t dwell as much as them with a 10-point rookie season (39 video games). He began off 2023-24 simply as slowly with seven factors in his first 29 video games. Nonetheless, getting promoted to the highest line, he completed with 20 targets and 50 factors (43 factors in his final 53 video games).

The turnaround is a testomony to each Slafkovsky’s pedigree and chemistry together with his linemates. Primarily based on how a lot the Canadiens have invested in his growth, it merely is sensible they might hold the road collectively, retaining him in the very best place to succeed. In such an occasion, it’s a quasi-conservative estimate he retains up the identical scoring tempo over a whole season, particularly contemplating Caufield’s persevering with to develop and Suzuki is in his prime.

Slafkovsky is probably not on the verge of hitting a degree per sport, particularly since Suzuki, the staff’s projected high offensive weapon, technically hasn’t himself. Nonetheless, all three members of the highest line positively have the potential to develop into extra prolific even when solely based mostly on how groups can in poor health afford to focus their protection solely on them any longer.

Patrik Laine

Canadiens common supervisor Kent Hughes acquired star-forward Patrik Laine within the hopes he would thrive in an enormous, hockey-mad market like Montreal. Hughes mentioned as a lot within the post-trade media availability, no less than. 

The one-time 44-goal scorer ought to slot into the highest six mechanically, as that’s the place he could be best, including a brand new dimension to the staff’s offense. Seeing as the highest line ought to for all intents and functions keep as is, that provides the Habs the posh of getting two traces with vital firepower.

In fact, Laine’s 44-goal season was all the best way again in 2017-18. Final season, he scored solely six (9 factors) in 18 video games earlier than getting injured and finally getting into the NHL/NHLPA Participant Help Program. Since having cleared, there are nonetheless no ensures he rediscovers his scoring contact, however, based mostly on the very fact he’s nonetheless 26 and the Canadiens gave up subsequent to nothing to amass him, it was definitely worth the threat.

In that regard, nobody is essentially relying on him to make or break the staff. Nonetheless, it’s truthful to say he would find yourself disappointing if he failed to come back near residing as much as his $8.7 million cap hit, which now leads the staff (excluding the “retired” Carey Value’s $10.5 million). There’s simple strain on him a technique or one other, particularly if he hopes to money in as an unrestricted free agent in 2026, as soon as his present contract expires.

Kirby Dach

Assuming he’s lastly wholesome, Kirby Dach is the likeliest participant to centre Laine on the second line. Everyone seems to be hoping Dach picks up the place he left off two video games into 2023-24, when he suffered a season-ending harm. With that in thoughts, having earned the job out of coaching camp final season, he’s finished nothing to lose it. Contemplate the speculation the primary line is all however written into the lineup in everlasting ink. Primarily based on Dach’s full sport and his tendency to get the very best out of his linemates the earlier season, he must be a shoo-in this for the function this season too.

In that sense, Dach is a sufferer of his personal success the earlier season, when he broke out comparatively talking. In 2022-23, his first with the Canadiens, he scored 38 factors in 58 video games. His play elicited projections that he would sooner or later usurp Suzuki because the staff’s No. 1 centre. Whereas the latter’s 77-point 2023-24 marketing campaign has successfully quashed options to that impact for now, there’s vital strain on Dach to a) produce like he did b) over as near an 82-game schedule as potential, with him having hit 70 solely as soon as earlier than.

Fortunately, the Canadiens have Alex Newhook as one thing as a backup plan, as he crammed in admirably as a top-six centre down the stretch final season, in Dach’s absence. Nonetheless, for the Habs to really have a shot at competing for a playoff spot (at which the acquisition of Laine hints), they want to have the ability to ice three first rate traces no less than.

It’s unattainable to foretell to what diploma Dach returns to kind after an harm as extreme because the one he suffered. Nonetheless, it’s clear the Canadiens invested an amazing deal extra to amass him than Laine (formally, first and third-round 2022 picks), with a longer-term plan in thoughts. Simply within the quick time period although, a wholesome Dach, not Laine, is the staff’s key to success. Dach technically solely has larger to go after his abysmal 2023-24, however the degree he reaches will dictate how far the Habs go too.