I mean the core as in : top 2 lines, top 4 defenseman, #1 goaltender.
Let's pretend all of our "top prospects" pan (which is unrealistic)
Caufield - Suzuki - Demidov
Slafkovsky - Dach -
Mesar
Roy - Hage - Newhook
Xhekaj -
Beck - Tuch
Guhle - Reinbacher Matheson-Reinbacher
Hutson -
Mailloux Hutson - Guhle (?)
Xhekaj -
Barron Xhekaj - Mailloux
Fowler
Montembeault
PP1:
Caufield-Suzuki-Slafkovsky
Hutson-Demidov
Cole in the Circle - Slaf/Demidov/Suzuki all rotating between bumper/up high - Hutson at the point
PP2:
Dach-Newhook-
Mesar
Guhle (Matheson)-Hage
Mesar -> I think we'd be happy if he ends up as a 3RW; we need someone to fill that hole though - a goal scoring finisher. Eiserman would have slotted in perfectly here, even Hage might be great if they put him on the wing instead of down the middle - but this is the big hole in our top 6 and I suspect that Hughes will find our 6th forward in the 2025 UFA class (Crosby, Draisaitl, Marner, Rantanen, Boeser, Ehlers, Bennett, Buchnevich) but I would love a Laine, Zegras, McGroarty - really anything here to round out the top 6.
Mailloux -> I believe that he will be a great 4D but I am not sure he will fit on this team long term unless he really rounds out his game. I would not mind him as an offensive-upside partner for Xhekaj, but either way we will desperately need a shutdown righty to play with Lane - OR - a phenomenal overall guy to play on that top pair with Guhle. If they are confident in Guhle playing RD and don't move Matheson, then our D is probably fine so long as they all pan out... again, not sure I want Guhle as an RD permanently
3rd Line -> I think Roy's ceiling has yet to be seen; he might be the 6th forward in the end. We still have no idea how good Hage can be, and with COVID development + his personal stuff, it's not a stretch to say the best is yet to come for a prospect like him. For Newhouse, I think both him and the team view him as a C, but unless Hage plays wing and Beck is the 4C, Newhook will be a winger on this team long term.
6D -> I just think Barron is not the answer here. I would like a big anchor to let Xhekaj explore the offensive upside of his game (breakout pass, joining the rush) and take bigger risks defensively to kill plays on the entry.
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TLDR: I do not think we are done, but we found all the hard parts already - and thankfully, most of them should pan out. We have our center depth sorted (Suzuki/Dach/Hage), we have our #1RD (Reinbacher), an elite PMD (Hutson) a solid future #2 (Guhle) elite wingers (Caufield, Slafkovsky, Demidov) some depth D with upside (Xhekaj, Mailloux) some young future NHL potential guys (Roy, Tuch, Xhekaj, Beck, Mesar, Konyushkov, Heineman, Engstrom) ... now it's about finding one more complimentary winger (I really would pick Steven Stamkos for so many obvious reasons) and giving the time and space for these players to grow into their projections.
Did I mention the oldest Habs player listed above is Suzuki, who is turning 25 next month? Then it's 23 year old Caufield.
If everyone hits or if the Habs can add elite goaltending, this is a team that is competing for cups in 2026 onwards. If players miss, or injuries come into play, it will be up to Kent Hughes to replace pieces on the fly. As of right now, the Habs pass the Ducks and join the Sharks and Sabres in the "this team is going to be scary good one day" tier of core.