Speculation: Habs finish 28th and bottom 5 in 24-25 season

[Scintillating10]

After a good draft and FA period I see a bottom five finish. Utah is better. Upgrades there. Columbus is better. Detroit, Buffalo and Ottawa goaltender upgrade are better. It is your organic growth vrs others organic growth and upgrades. We add a Kirby Dach. I can not see a bubble playoff year. New Jersey has goaltending . Washington upgraded. Hughes needs to add in the summer and use cap space to avoid a 4th year of bottom 5 finishes.

I doubt it. Performance of Slaf last season. Getting Dach Back. Suzuki and Caufield are solid first liners. Good chance they trade for another top player. Young defense will continue to mature. Rookies like Beck, Reinbacher, Mailloux will start poking through. Team should take step ahead.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Would like a legit #1D but honestly I like where we are everywhere. Of course, more talent coming in is always good.

There's enough bites at the apple in the system for a 1D to emerge and if they don't, we are looking fantastic to have a defense like Carolina where it's 6 deep and one defenseman has 1D offensive ability and another has 1D defensive ability and you build it out in aggregate.

 

[Habs Halifax]

True but 2022 to 2024 was a heavy tanking phase in the league. Chicago, Montreal, Anaheim, Columbus, Arizona, San Jose were god awful. Buffalo, Ottawa and Detroit are ahead of these teams in terms of rebuilding. And Minnesota, Philly and Washington don’t seem ready to tap out. Same goes for Pittsburgh.

Outside of Calgary, I don’t really see another team going full tank mode. Nashville was looking like one last year but thet retooled and did well.

In the end, we cannot ascertain that 8 more points last year with all these teams at the bottom (many of which are improving like us) will give us 5-7 more spots. I see improvement everywhere outside of Chicago and San Jose.

Habs were not as "god awful" as some other teams around them. We were one of the teams that had the most 1 goal games. The 22/23 season and 23/24 season both got us the 5th pick but there is major differences between them.

Sorry but 4 or 5 more wins from the Habs is not a reach like you are trying to present. That's less than 1 extra win a month and then you factor in these two things:
* One of the teams with the most 1 goal games. This is not some blow out narrative.
* Habs were 7th/8th last before we traded Monahan and accepted tank 100%. This part is something most fans forget.

I don't care one bit what other teams are doing. I've seen fans do this year after year and it's a waste of time. Some teams are obvious in their direction but most are not.

Habs should fall in the bottom 8-12 range IMO. You can try to debate that if you wish.

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

Our 2nd periods, and the long change have been a disaster................the players and the coaches need to figure this out boys....
The coaches need to develop and improve as much as our team does.
Yes, that includes MSL.

Is that is related to our lack of depth? When Evans becomes our 2nd C by default I think the entire team sucks. When Dvorak is the center, how Heineman and Ylonen developp? No surprise none of the wingers who played with Dvo and Evans didn't improved. Habs are very weak outside Suzuki and Dach's lines. Our pk sucks.

I think this year we'll be better with Dach playing 82 games (if he does) and if Newhook is playing too. But the rest of the team stays the same, unless there is a trade, if Dvorak is traded and some players come to help the 3 and 4th line. Pezz, Ylonen and others are just filler gaps, they are far from quality and depth. Monahan is a bit slow, he didn't help Jets in the last PO. But compared to Dvo and Evans, he was like a superstar. This tells how bad our team is outside Suzuki and Dach's lines.

 

[Zilo44]

Habs were not as "god awful" as some other teams around them. We were one of the teams that had the most 1 goal games. The 22/23 season and 23/24 season both got us the 5th pick but there is major differences between them.

Sorry but 4 or 5 more wins from the Habs is not a reach like you are trying to present. That's less than 1 extra win a month and then you factor in these two things:
* One of the teams with the most 1 goal games. This is not some blow out narrative.
* Habs were 7th/8th last before we traded Monahan and accepted tank 100%. This part is something most fans forget.

I don't care one bit what other teams are doing. I've seen fans do this year after year and it's a waste of time. Some teams are obvious in their direction but most are not.

Habs should fall in the bottom 8-12 range IMO. You can try to debate that if you wish.

Who are we getting by in order to move up from 5 to 8-12? Anaheim, Chicago, Anaheim, San Jose are already behind us

 

[WeThreeKings]

Who are we getting by in order to move up from 5 to 8-12? Anaheim, Chicago, Anaheim, San Jose are already behind us

Philly, Ottawa, Detroit, Calgary.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Who are we getting by in order to move up from 5 to 8-12? Anaheim, Chicago, Anaheim, San Jose are already behind us

I don't play that game because I did years ago and it has very little substance. These are the important factors (See below). No disrespect but that team leap frog game predictor is dumb. Every season is different with many challenges. Injuries and team momentum's are not easy to predict.

1) One of the teams with the most 1 goal games last year. 5th last yes (like 22/23) but not even close to the same season, because in 22/23 we got blown out in many games. There is no way you can justify teams like the Sens, Sabres, Coyotes, Flames, Kraken, Flyers, Pens, are better than us and it will stay that way. Who do we pass? I'll let you play that game.

2) 7th/8th last in Feb. With Monahan and without Dach. You do know the Habs started to ease off after the Monahan trade and implemented a tank strategy in Feb+ right?

3) Growth from the youth and most of the vets are still here. It's not reasonable to assume we don't get more growth/maturity from our youth

 

[Zilo44]

I don't play that game because I did years ago and it has very little substance. These are the important factors (See below). No disrespect but that team leap frog game predictor is dumb. Every season is different with many challenges. Injuries and team momentum's are not easy to predict.

1) One of the teams with the most 1 goal games last year. 5th last yes (like 22/23) but not even close to the same season, because in 22/23 we got blown out in many games. There is no way you can justify teams like the Sens, Sabres, Coyotes, Flames, Kraken, Flyers, Pens, are better than us and it will stay that way. Who do we pass? I'll let you play that game.

2) 7th/8th last in Feb. With Monahan and without Dach. You do know the Habs started to ease off after the Monahan trade and implemented a tank strategy in Feb+ right?

3) Growth from the youth and most of the vets are still here. It's not reasonable to assume we don't get more growth/maturity from our youth

I hope you’re right, I’m not tank fan for 2025. The more we win the better

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

I much more worried about finding a better or equal C than Suzuki than getting a 1D personally. We have alot of guys in the system that are expected to become top 4 defencemen , top 6 C's? not so much. Although I do believe Dach and Hage could if all goes well , which it rarely does for us and forwards

 

[Habs Halifax]

I hope you’re right, I’m not tank fan for 2025. The more we win the better

If I am wrong, that means our youth is not as good as we think it is. I do think we move up... how much we move up are guesses.

 

[Lshap]

If I am wrong, that means our youth is not as good as we think it is. I do think we move up... how much we move up are guesses.

I see it the same way. We spent three years picking near the top of the draft and have a highly-ranked prospect pool. Time for them to start showing their pedigree in tangible progress – a few more wins, better production, smarter defence. Same for Reinbacher and Demidov in the AHL and KHL – tangible progress. We're still rebuilding, but we're moving past the tanking phase and entering the development stage.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

There's enough bites at the apple in the system for a 1D to emerge and if they don't, we are looking fantastic to have a defense like Carolina where it's 6 deep and one defenseman has 1D offensive ability and another has 1D defensive ability and you build it out in aggregate.

I don’t see how anyone can be upset with our D.

A guy like Guhle for example has number one capabilities but will probably not see PP time due to Hutson. That’s not something we should fret about though. Some people think that means he’s not a number one but the reality is that Hutson is simply too exceptional not to put there. So many young talents back there.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I hope you’re right, I’m not tank fan for 2025. The more we win the better

Sure.

But if we don’t do as well as expected I wouldn’t worry about it. This team is just starting to put things together.

I have us outside the playoffs but we could surprise. It wouldn’t be a shock to me if we made the postseason. A lot would have to go right but…

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I see it the same way. We spent three years picking near the top of the draft and have a highly-ranked prospect pool. Time for them to start showing their pedigree in tangible progress – a few more wins, better production, smarter defence. Same for Reinbacher and Demidov in the AHL and KHL – tangible progress. We're still rebuilding, but we're moving past the tanking phase and entering the development stage.

Yes but we also have to be cognizant that we’re going to have a ton of rookies in the lineup in the next few years. We still have to be patient. Roy, Hutson and maybe Beck and Mailloux could be here this season.

 

[admiralcadillac]

I doubt it. Performance of Slaf last season. Getting Dach Back. Suzuki and Caufield are solid first liners. Good chance they trade for another top player. Young defense will continue to mature. Rookies like Beck, Reinbacher, Mailloux will start poking through. Team should take step ahead.

Without wanting to be pessimistic, basically every team at the bottom of the barrel this year got better. The question is did we get a lot better or marginally better - and how much worse did many bubble teams get.

 

[Lshap]

Yes but we also have to be cognizant that we’re go out Ng to have a ton of rookies in the lineup in the next few years. We still have to be patient. Roy, Hutson and maybe Beck and Mailloux could be here this season.

That's fair. I'm not expecting the rookies to play like polished NHL players. Not yet, anyway. But I am expecting to see meaurable progress for Guhle, Slafkovsky, and Roy. I am expecting to see Dach... period. He could be a major force if he's healthy and can return to his previous level of play. Newhook is another player who could become a solid middle-six forward.

As our young players develop, I'm hoping to see incremental improvement and a few more wins. It'll give me hope we have a good foundation in place before adding key pieces like Demidov, Reinbacher, and whoever Hughes trades for.

 

[StCaufield]

Not sure why anyone even speculates where teams finish. There’s teams every single year that surprise and ones that fail like Jersey last year for example. If this team can stay healthy for once then who knows

 

[Lshap]

Not sure why anyone even speculates where teams finish. There’s teams every single year that surprise and ones that fail like Jersey last year for example. If this team can stay healthy for once then who knows

Yeah, hockey predictions are usually terrible. Nobody saw Vancouver doing so well and NJ, Buffalo and Ottawa doing so poorly. Few people really believed Edmonton would make it so far. Most people believe what happened last year will automatically happen again this year. That never works out... thank goodness!

I'm predicting Montreal finishes at .500, but there's a huge variance up or down that we'll never see coming.

 

[Scintillating10]

Without wanting to be pessimistic, basically every team at the bottom of the barrel this year got better. The question is did we get a lot better or marginally better - and how much worse did many bubble teams get.

Habs have 4 of top forwards in NHL. At some point this team has to respond. That defense is decent defense. Hutson be shot in arm to it. Savard is solid, Guhle is good player, Matheson is 62 points. Goaltending is at least average. Good Depth in bottom 6. Evans, Armia good defensively. Gallagher 16 goals. Farm system is among best in NHL. Be adding to parent team at some point this season. Reinbacher, Mailloux, Himerman, Beck.

This team can forever be terrible. That's close to .500 team.

 

[PepsiMayWest]

I'd be quite disappointed with another bottom 5 finish, personally. I'm expecting them to be around 90 pts or so, hopefully in a close enough race for the final playoff spot to keep the final weeks somewhat interesting.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I'd be quite disappointed with another bottom 5 finish, personally. I'm expecting them to be around 90 pts or so, hopefully in a close enough race for the final playoff spot to keep the final weeks somewhat interesting.

It's DigBickSubban!!!

 

[PepsiMayWest]

It's DigBickSubban!!!

RIP to the greatest username of all time... thanks a lot, Frenchy.

 

[Angler]

I know I'm stating the obvious, but injuries will be the biggest factor in dictating the standings at the bottom of the league. That goes for all teams involved (although I think the Sharks will be near the bottom regardless).

If the Habs are healthy, I could see them getting a pick around 8-12, but if there are significant injuries I think they fall into the 4-8 range.

 

[admiralcadillac]

Habs have 4 of top forwards in NHL. At some point this team has to respond. That defense is decent defense. Hutson be shot in arm to it. Savard is solid, Guhle is good player, Matheson is 62 points. Goaltending is at least average. Good Depth in bottom 6. Evans, Armia good defensively. Gallagher 16 goals. Farm system is among best in NHL. Be adding to parent team at some point this season. Reinbacher, Mailloux, Himerman, Beck.

This team can forever be terrible. That's close to .500 team.

I think the bottom six is one of the worst in the league to be honest. Goaltending will not be a strength, and the defense is promising but young. I expect the team to score more but let in a shit ton of goals.

 

[StCaufield]

I think the bottom six is one of the worst in the league to be honest. Goaltending will not be a strength, and the defense is promising but young. I expect the team to score more but let in a shit ton of goals.

Goaltending is better than we think imo. Like we are you said our bottom 6 is one of the worst and I agree with that. Those guys need to help the goalie as well but they definitely don’t. I think the goalie stats are inflated