Playoffs?

[Sasha Orlov]

The difference is you’re just moving the goalposts.

Get real dude smh

 

[Paddyjack]

I expect they will make it, by the skin of their teeth. Then I hope we face the Leafs in the first round... But then again, I wouldn't be surprised if they don't.

100% it will be a more interesting season.

 

[Guess]

Still missing the depth needed to account for injuries. Bottom 6 F are pretty bad, and our D too young. We'll progress and probably won't be out of the playoff picture until much later than last season, everything would have to go right for us to get into the playoffs.

All we need is noticeable progress every season, that'll bring us ahead of Ottawa/Detroit/Buffalo in due time.

My guess: barely eek into playoffs in 2025-26, contenders by 2027-28.

 

[le_sean]

Get real dude smh

You said bottom 5. I gave you the bare minimum of 1 extra win getting them out of the bottom 5. That’s without the additions. I would think the team that ended last season could do it with the young players taking yet another step.

But we are adding two really good offensive players. Heck three with Hutson. To me 5 extra wins is extremely realistic. Where does that take the Habs? Right with Philly and fighting for a WC spot until near the very end.

To say this team is bottom 5 again is just asinine.

 

[The Real Timo]

Still missing the depth needed to account for injuries. Bottom 6 F are pretty bad, and our D too young. We'll progress and probably won't be out of the playoff picture until much later than last season, everything would have to go right for us to get into the playoffs.

All we need is noticeable progress every season, that'll bring us ahead of Ottawa/Detroit/Buffalo in due time.

My guess: barely eek into playoffs in 2025-26, contenders by 2027-28.

We need more depp.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

You said bottom 5. I gave you the bare minimum of 1 extra win getting them out of the bottom 5. That’s without the additions. I would think the team that ended last season could do it with the young players taking yet another step.

But we are adding two really good offensive players. Heck three with Hutson. To me 5 extra wins is extremely realistic. Where does that take the Habs? Right with Philly and fighting for a WC spot until near the very end.

To say this team is bottom 5 again is just asinine.

Go ahead and bookmark my post if you want idk what the point in arguing about it is lol

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

I love the Laine addition but let's be real he's another guy that can never play a complete season. We're banking on staying healthy and the youth taking big steps forward, which is no different from what every other team in the bottom is doing. Teams like Chicago and San Jose actually added multiple good players this offseason and are in real danger of passing us. We are most similar to teams like Anaheim or even Arizona, who have good young players but not enough veteran depth and experience. The teams who are most in trouble are Calgary and Columbus, who I think are safely behind us in their rebuilds.

 

[JianYang]

First thing that entered my mind as well.

 

[HabsAddict]

With a healthy Laine, Dach and add Hutson, that's 70-80 goals between them. On paper, that should put them into the playoffs...BUT we have 3 defenseman in diapers so expect 280-300 goals against.

So NO, we won't make it.

But next year should be interesting if we cut down the goals against.

Also a major factor is we need a defensive system which will cut down goal against.

 

[domiwroze]

If everything goes well and we keep the injuries to a minimum? Sure.
Losing Dach, Dvorak AND Newhook to major injuries making Evans our 2nd center was rough.

If we can learn to win those 1goal games and again, stay healthy, I don't see how we're not at the very least a bubble team pushing for playoffs like DET last year.

 

[CanadienShark]

We should absolutely be fighting for a spot at least. It wouldn't surprise me if we sneak in.

 

[Chadstudsky]

Not even close , that defense is putrid

Already in mid season form are we?

 

[Lshap]

The team still f***ing sucks, adding Patrik Laine does not move us out of bottom 5 lol

We still need James Hagens to be drafted by the Habs before entertaining this conversation.

I think even with Laine, unless more moves come, 1st overall is more likely than a playoff spot.

If Montreal is as bad as you believe, it means the young core hasn't progressed and/or key players are injured again. The bulk of our core is in place and should be showing what they can do – not necessarily playoffs, but more wins and tangible progress. If Suzuki, Slaf, Caufield, Guhle, Dach, Newhook, Laine, and Montembeault still can't drag this team out of the bottom-5, it means our rebuild has failed. Hagens and Demidov aren't going to magically transform this roster into a winner.

 

[BLONG7]

You said bottom 5. I gave you the bare minimum of 1 extra win getting them out of the bottom 5. That’s without the additions. I would think the team that ended last season could do it with the young players taking yet another step.

But we are adding two really good offensive players. Heck three with Hutson. To me 5 extra wins is extremely realistic. Where does that take the Habs? Right with Philly and fighting for a WC spot until near the very end.

To say this team is bottom 5 again is just asinine.

So many 1 goal losses, should easily correlate to a few more wins, which puts us in the hunt.
Do I think we make it, no, but we will be in the hunt most of the year.

Man games lost to injury has to be reduced in a significant matter for any kind of season is The Big Question.....

 

[xX SEYF Xx]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1828231261610983458

 

[rickthegoon]

If we can get near ´league average ‘games missed due to injuries = I think we squeeze in

 

[sandviper]

I think some of you are gonna be really disappointed this season if you think its playoffs or bust.

We are a top-6 injury away from being a surefire non-playoff team. Even with a healthy top-6, a lot needs to go right AND a lot has to go wrong with teams around us.

Our defence is even LESS experienced with recent departures as crazy as that sounds.

I am going to be a little positive and think Slaf, Caufield, Suzuki will continue to play well. I think Laine will bounce back and Dach will have a decent season. I can only hope Anderson can only be better than last year and Monty to keep solid.

If everyone is healthy and playing decently, especially defence, we can definitely knock at the wildcard spot but more likely, I am expecting an 85 point team. I’d like to make the playoffs, sure, but as long as we’re better than last year, that’s the progress I want. More consistency, better defence, beat teams we should be beating.

The rebuild got a quick kick in the butt drafting Demidov and getting Laine, but anyone mimicking Dorion and saying it’s over, I think you’re out to lunch but you do you.

 

[Habs10Habs]

I'm looking for the "Close but no cigar" option.

Though I do think we're going to be quite entertained this year.

 

[Whalers Fan]

This team has finished bottom 2 in the conference for the past three seasons. To go from that to playoffs in one season would be quite the leap. I just don't see it.

 

[David Suzuki]

Need a big step forward from our defense to even have a shot IMO. I doubt it but crazier things have happened.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

If Montreal is as bad as you believe, it means the young core hasn't progressed and/or key players are injured again. The bulk of our core is in place and should be showing what they can do – not necessarily playoffs, but more wins and tangible progress. If Suzuki, Slaf, Caufield, Guhle, Dach, Newhook, Laine, and Montembeault still can't drag this team out of the bottom-5, it means our rebuild has failed. Hagens and Demidov aren't going to magically transform this roster into a winner.

A lot would have to go wrong for us to be a lottery team this year.

Even with the brutal injuries we were still amongst the top teams in one goal losses. With a healthy CC and Dach we might’ve even made the playoffs last year.

Far better chance of us making the playoffs than being a lotto team again.

 

[le_sean]

Our defence is even LESS experienced with recent departures as crazy as that sounds.

I do think one move remains and it’ll be to add a veteran on the defence. Either through waivers or a cap dump. A guy you don’t mind sits in the pressbox every now and then.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

If we make the playoffs with this squad I will be chirping every poverty franchise all summer.

Not gonna lie I've seen worst of our teams make the playoffs than this one , not expecting it but anything is possible

 

[StCaufield]

If the team stays healthy which I doubt I think they’re a bubble team. Not convinced at all about Primeau though but Monty I have a little more faith in

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

If the team stays healthy which I doubt I think they’re a bubble team. Not convinced at all about Primeau though but Monty I have a little more faith in

No team is going to stay completely healthy. But it’s one thing to suffer injuries, a whole different ballgame to lose Dach for a year and have CC’s shooting percentage drop by almost half.

We’ve been incredibly unlucky in terms of injuries.