Playoffs?

[rickthegoon]

We need more depp.

But we have karakteur now

 

[Walrus26]

A wild card finish is quite likely to be the new in-house target for the season.

As others have rightly said, it really hinges on team health and the injury impacts elsewhere. If our top 6 and top 4 stay healthy, I think we make it.

 

[Habs13]

Playoffs!? Let's start with preseason!

 

[Lshap]

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.

That's how I see it, too.

I mean... I get the argument that future players – Reinbacher, Hutson, Mailloux, Demidov – will make the team even better in two/three years. But if the current core remains bad enough (or injured enough) to finish at the bottom again, three or four new players aren't going to turn it around.

 

[Essenege]

Playoffs or not, I certainly hope is that people in here will cheer and hope for it. Playoffs this year = contention in 3 years. With the added impact of 23-24 draft.

 

[Nova_Scotia_Vees]

Who knows what could happen, we definitely have the talent. If we could have traded for Askarov then yes. Lets see how Monty does.

 

[Benstheman]

Not there yet. Though i don't see us being far from the wild card group of teams. Caps, NYI, Pitts, Det are not a big reach if the young guys take a solid leap in development.

 

[StCaufield]

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.

If Hughes is serious about wanting to make the playoffs then we need a reliable smart vet or two for the 4th/depth. Basically someone moving Pezzetta to the press box would be nice. Evans on the 3rd line instead of dead weight Dvorak who can win some draws in the O zone

 

[Prettyisland]

I think we will score enough to get in. Keeping the puck out of the net is another thing. D might still be to green. Worse teams have made it in however

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

If Hughes is serious about wanting to make the playoffs then we need a reliable smart vet or two for the 4th/depth. Basically someone moving Pezzetta to the press box would be nice. Evans on the 3rd line instead of dead weight Dvorak who can win some draws in the O zone

I don’t think the 4th line changes anything.

Three things will determine if we make it.

1. Health - particularly in our top six.
2. The blueline is ‘good enough’ to overcome its inexperience.
3. The goalies have another solid year.

To me, there’s too much that has to go right for us to make it. I think we’re on the bubble outside looking in. Maybe we make it but I’d guess not.

On the flipside, it’d have to be a disastrous year for us to be a lotto team. Crazy injuries would be the most likely cause there. I don’t think that’s going to happen. Even with us being so young it’s hard to see a team that talented doing so poorly.

 

[McGuires Corndog]

It’s certainly possible.

1. Health: Dach and Laine will need to play more than they have the past few seasons. Applies to whole team though.
2. Goaltending: we’ll need to get bare minimum above average goaltending out of the tandem.
3. Progression: many players need to build on what they accomplished last year, we’ll need to see Dach take a step forward, Laine return to atleast 3/4 of his previous glory, and we’ll need young D men to breakout.

A lot needs to go right, but it’s possible.

My guess? We finish around 10-14th from the bottom.

 

[BLNY]

A lot would really have to go right for them to make the playoffs in 24/25.

Prior to landing Laine, there was more than 240 goals if healthy. Health is the key. Combined with Laine, there should be enough goals to flip some of those one-goal games.

Slaf(25)-Suzuki(30)-Caufield(30)
Laine(30)-Dach(20)-Newhook(22)

That seems like a relatively easily attainable 157 goals. They had some 70 goals from guys playing in the bottom six. That includes strong finishes from Armia and Gallagher and a horrid season from Anderson. 70 seems reasonable, and gets us to 227. Can we get 45-50 from the defence again? I think so. 275 goals is 42 more than last year - coming from Laine and Dach - and moves the club from 26th to 9th. No career years. No blip years. Just health and progression.

The other side of the coin is team defence. Can they play better 5-on-5? If it stays the same, 281, the team goal differential improves by more than 40. With more youth to insert on the back end, there will no doubt be some learning curve mistakes. Can they improve the PK?

The team had 76 points last year with more than 30 one-goal games. I think they finish somewhere between 85 and 90 points. On the outside looking in, but getting closer.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

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.

All it means is that the rebuild isn’t over, defense especially is not near competitive yet

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

A lot would really have to go right for them to make the playoffs in 24/25.

Prior to landing Laine, there was more than 240 goals if healthy. Health is the key. Combined with Laine, there should be enough goals to flip some of those one-goal games.

Slaf(25)-Suzuki(30)-Caufield(30)
Laine(30)-Dach(20)-Newhook(22)

That seems like a relatively easily attainable 157 goals. They had some 70 goals from guys playing in the bottom six. That includes strong finishes from Armia and Gallagher and a horrid season from Anderson. 70 seems reasonable, and gets us to 227. Can we get 45-50 from the defence again? I think so. 275 goals is 42 more than last year - coming from Laine and Dach - and moves the club from 26th to 9th. No career years. No blip years. Just health and progression.

The other side of the coin is team defence. Can they play better 5-on-5? If it stays the same, 281, the team goal differential improves by more than 40. With more youth to insert on the back end, there will no doubt be some learning curve mistakes. Can they improve the PK?

The team had 76 points last year with more than 30 one-goal games. I think they finish somewhere between 85 and 90 points. On the outside looking in, but getting closer.

Caufield alone could be 15 to 25 more goals this year. Add in Dach, Laine and Hutson… I think our offense is fine. Defensively though? I think it’s gonna be rough.

 

[Chadstudsky]

I'm a glass half full kinda guy and voted yes. Would I put money on it? No. I'm excited at the prospect of being excited to tune in this year, a new sports bar just opened in my small town and it's open til midnight 7 days a week. As opposed to the only other place in town that last called at 9:30. So it was either a shitty stream at home or get kicked out after the 2nd period. The stars are aligning.

Health and inexperience on D, those are my only two question marks. I think the Atlantic takes 5 playoff spots this year. Only NY, CAR, and NJ make it in the Metro. All we need is to be better than OTT, DET, BUF. Florida is weaker than last year. No other top team in the division got stronger IMO, the gap between teams is more narrow than ever and anything can happen!

 

[StCaufield]

All it means is that the rebuild isn’t over, defense especially is not near competitive yet

We don’t know anything about the D yet because it’s drastically changing. You’re probably right but still

 

[Hannibal]

I expect us to be in the race most of the year, but not making it.

That would be a good step.

 

[BLNY]

Caufield alone could be 15 to 25 more goals this year. Add in Dach, Laine and Hutson… I think our offense is fine. Defensively though? I think it’s gonna be rough.

I wasn't comfortable predicting 50 goals for Caufield. The offense does have to spread around. If the power play improves, that will certainly add to his goal totals. He showed last year that's more of an all around player than many thought he could be. I think he continues down that path.

 

[Nicko999]

Team has the talent but will need to get lucky.

Habs are an injury prone team so most likely we will miss.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I wasn't comfortable predicting 50 goals for Caufield. The offense does have to spread around. If the power play improves, that will certainly add to his goal totals. He showed last year that's more of an all around player than many thought he could be. I think he continues down that path.

I’m not comfortable predicting it either. But it is a real possibility. Last year I completely ignored the surgery and was wrong to do so. We have to constantly re-evaluate players (particularly young ones) as they develop. All the underlying numbers were there but he shot horribly. So, we have to assume it’s still a problem for now.

I’ve got him penciled in for 35.

 

[The Real Timo]

Lol... watch Dach and Laine get injured early in the season and this place crashes and burns

I really hope that Habs will have better luck with injuries this season. Enough already.

 

[le_sean]

I think we will score enough to get in. Keeping the puck out of the net is another thing. D might still be to green. Worse teams have made it in however

Just last year. The Caps were horrendous.

 

[Lshap]

All it means is that the rebuild isn’t over, defense especially is not near competitive yet

For sure, the rebuild isn't over, but we're not starting from scratch. Half the seats on the bench are already filled with young players brought in to be part of our future. We should be seeing some sign of progress. If our current guys can't win more games than last season it means they're either not that good or they can't stay healthy, in which case Habs invested in the wrong core. Demidov, Reinbacher, and a 2025 mystery pick aren't going to turn around a bottom-5 roster.

 

[Justin11]

Not there yet, I don't think Habs make the PO's, but almost certainly will not be in the bottom 5 again.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

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.

I just think it is shaping up to be another, but hopefully our last, write off year. Every team is counting on their young players to get better, Hughes isn't going to make any win now moves until Demidov and Reinbacher are both wearing a Habs jersey.

The defense is still weak, the goalie is still a question mark, and our core is incredibly injury prone. Most of these problems should fix themselves with the prospects we have, but it isn't happening next year. 1 more year of pain seems likely.