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

[Paddyjack]

They will be in the mix until February, then fall down the ranks when games get serious. Bottom 8-10

 

[The Great Weal]

One or more of Hutson/Mailloux/Reinbacher could impress and become a top 4 dman from the get go which would be a massive addition. Add in Dach playing more than 2 games, Roy developing more, CC bouncing back from his horrendous shooting percentage, and no Jake Allen taking Monty's games and the team could be better despite not adding anyone (which there is still time for).

 

[Tyson]

The young core will make huge strides. The off season has just started. The game is played on ice...not ready to concede the upcoming season just yet.
On paper many teams made many moves...whether they pan out...we shall see.

 

[JianYang]

Full time dach will make a difference. To lesser degree, so will full time newhook.

I don't expect playoffs at all but I think there's potential here to climb out of the bottom 5 next year.

It will come down to health quite a bit because the depth isn't quite there.

 

[Playmaker09]

I think Buffalo and New Jersey will push out the Islanders and Capitals. We will finish ahead of Columbus, Philadelphia, Detroit, Ottawa and Washington.

Pittsburgh and Islanders will finish ahead of us but miss the playoffs.

Washington just loaded up (to mediocrity).

 

[ottawa]

Would be happy with another top 5 pick but extremely disappointed if this core cannot get us out of the basement.

I expect them (Suzuki, Caufield, Slaf, Newhook, healthy Dach, Guhle) to take another step forward and at least get us close to ~22. I'm hopeful whatever prospects (Roy, Lane, Mailloux, Hutson, Beck, etc.) we have that make the team also help.

 

[Sterling Archer]

Current roster is bottom 10 team.

That being said, Habs aren’t sitting on their hands and I fully expect 1 or 2 forwards additions to the lineup that would make the team a potential playoff team, barring more devastating injuries.

 

[Goal Caufield50]

Full time dach will make a difference. To lesser degree, so will full time newhook.

I don't expect playoffs at all but I think there's potential here to climb out of the bottom 5 next year.

It will come down to health quite a bit because the depth isn't quite there.

hate to be down/realistic but will dach have a better season than Monahan? Montreal will not be better based on the competitors improvements

 

[CGG]

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.

Does everyone remember the Summer of Pierre in 2022 when Ottawa was crowned a playoff spot for all their awesome moves? They've missed the playoffs for 2 straight years since then and their GM got fired in the most hilarious manner for screwing up a no trade clause.

Does everyone remember the summer of 2022 when Columbus was the sexy pick for a playoff spot after signing Johnny Hockey? They've missed the playoffs for 2 straight years since then and their GM got fired, after having to fire Babcock before he even coached a game, and that franchise is now in shambles.

Sometimes winning the off-season means absolutely nothing. Teams make improvements when their young talent takes over and starts to show real progress, not by signing Jason Zucker or trading for Beck Malenstyn.

I have a really hard time thinking Detroit is taking a huge step forward, as all their old overpaid guys get 1 year older. They kept Kane, but threw away assets to get rid of Wallman, only to open up cap space to sign no one in particular. 4 of their top 7 D are castoffs from Montreal. They lost 3 of their top 8 scorers from last year and replaced them with... Erik Gustaffson, Tyler Motte, and the corpse of Jack Campbell. Woof.

 

[TheBuriedHab]

No, we will finish closer to a playoffs spot than the bottom this year, barring injuries.

Teams move up the standings based on how their core group develops, not based on the over the hill complementary players they sign in free agency.

We are adding Kirby Dach this year. A 1b center if all goes to plan. That is a huge addition. Newhook was on pace for 50 points over 82 games as well. Roy will play the full year. We should have more reliable depth scoring this year.

On defense, Hutson and Reinbacher/Mailloux should be added as well.

Teams like Washington and the Islanders made the playoffs this year. When we played them, while being decimated by injuries we were still the better team. I won't be shocked if we make the playoffs this year.

 

[Angler]

Well a lot can happen before the summer is over. Also many teams ahead of us are 1 injury away from finishing behind us, its really difficult to predict. My guess would be 6th-8th pick, but its hard to say.

 

[BLONG7]

The young core will make huge strides. The off season has just started. The game is played on ice...not ready to concede the upcoming season just yet.
On paper many teams made many moves...whether they pan out...we shall see.

There is a trade out there yet.............our team will imrove based on that move............and Dach's health
Maybe a few more of those one goal losses become wins.

 

[NobleSix]

I still think we see a trade from Hughes to bring in a forward before the summer is over.

I think given the natural progression of our young players, another forward, dach coming back and hopefully staying healthy, and no Tank Allen this team should improve a decent amount. People forget that the majority of games we played were actually decently competitive. A lot of 1 goal games and OT losses if I remember correctly.

I'm far from the most optimistic poster on here but I wouldn't be surprised at all if we finish outside of a top 10 pick

 

[morhilane]

One or more of Hutson/Mailloux/Reinbacher could impress and become a top 4 dman from the get go which would be a massive addition. Add in Dach playing more than 2 games, Roy developing more, CC bouncing back from his horrendous shooting percentage, and no Jake Allen taking Monty's games and the team could be better despite not adding anyone (which there is still time for).

No Allen should be good for about 5 more wins by itself and that's all the team need to finish with ~ 85 pts (they finished with 76pts last year) and be in a fight for a wildcard spot most of the season.

And while people are saying team x and y got better, most of the UFAs this year were on the wrong side of 30 and a lot more team didn't make any major move or lost depth. And patchwork job rosters are rarelly good the first season too.

 

[Habs]

and 82 pain full games

Grab one of the top 3 forwards next year and we are friggen golden, some real gems to be had. It will be worth the pain. Also watching the kids get better will be fun. Our goaltending and blueline will be far too raw to take us near the playoffs but selling off Savard or MM would be nice to secure another top pick

 

[GordonGraham]

Between 24-30 is a lock where exactly who knows ?

 

[Goal Caufield50]

No, we will finish closer to a playoffs spot than the bottom this year, barring injuries.

Teams move up the standings based on how their core group develops, not based on the over the hill complementary players they sign in free agency.

We are adding Kirby Dach this year. A 1b center if all goes to plan. That is a huge addition. Newhook was on pace for 50 points over 82 games as well. Roy will play the full year. We should have more reliable depth scoring this year.

On defense, Hutson and Reinbacher/Mailloux should be added as well.

Teams like Washington and the Islanders made the playoffs this year. When we played them, while being decimated by injuries we were still the better team. I won't be shocked if we make the playoffs this year.

Brace yourself. Dach has a chance offset Monahans production. Rookie D dont move the needle in the NHL. Bottom five finish is lurking. No teams are trying to tank.

 

[JianYang]

hate to be down/realistic but will dach have a better season than Monahan? Montreal will not be better based on the competitors improvements

If dach can be durable, he can definitely fill those shoes.

It cannot be understated how much of a blow it was to lose him for all of the season.

 

[Goal Caufield50]

Between 24-30 is a lock where exaclty who knows

28th ahead of san jose,, chicago anaheim and calgary/columbus. with injuries they could be bottom three. They are a bad team running on three years

 

[waitin425]

I love this thread for the amount of people who have set the bar so low this coming year. It means the board is going to be a positive place when we are threatening a playoff spot.

Slaf and Suzuki's growth last year will continue. Add Roy to that line and we could have a player threaten for Calder.

I hope Cole is with Dach and Newhook. We are about to be reminded how good Dach actually is.

I think we finish 12-16 from bottom.

 

[Treb]

This team will surprise people if healthy.

I would also be surprised if there isn't at least one add this summer, via FA or trade.

 

[CHfan1]

Although this team has finished last, 5th last, and 5th last they’ve continually improved season over season.

2021-22: 55 points, goal differential-98, games they competed in (either won outright or lost by only 1 goal) 41

2022-23: 68 points, goal differential-75, games they competed in 45

2023-24: 76 points, goal differential-53, games they competed in 57

I expect them to continue to take a step forward this year. Dach returns, I expect Caufield’s shooting % to improve, Slafkovsky to be consistent over an entire season, and defenceman like Guhle to take the next step forward.

I can see them improving by 8-10 points (in the 84-86 point range) this season.

Also the offseason isn’t over and it wouldn’t surprised if Hughes upgraded this roster before training camp.

 

[xX SEYF Xx]

Too early to have this thread.....................Wait until October.
All things considered, changes are still to be made................I have us in the 21st spot.....picking 11 or 12 next draft.

We are going to pick 11th AND 12th

 

[junyab]

KH said any additions will have to be in line with their current timelines and he also referenced we are still in a rebuild. This tells me we won't be adding anyone of significance.

 

[Trabdy2]

I think we'll finish 8th-12th from the bottom if we go with the roster we currently have. If we can add a decent top 6 F and stay reasonably healthy, I think we're in the 12th-16th from the bottom, playing meaningful games at the end of the year as we fight for a spot.