I don't think that's very likely. Unless Hughes is extremely aggressive in changing the roster. We'll know more after the off-season. I think it's possible that they start to push in 2025-26 but I think the most likely scenario is that they start to push hard for 2026-27.
2026-2027 indeed seems like the most logical year for the Habs to open a contending window for the remainder of the decade.
With Allen, Armia, Dvorak off the books in 2025 and Price off the books in 2026, that’s no less than 22M available by then for impactful signings. (Slafkovski and Guhle will likely get substantial 8 years deal, but other young players are likely bridged like Dach and Newhook were.)
Anderson and Gallagher are also coming off the books after 2026-2027; that’s another 12M; they could (hopefully) be traded with retention before then since the Habs will recoup all their retention spots after 2024-2025 (Petry, Savard and Dvorak/Armia).
By the end of 2025-2026, Harris, Xhekaj, Barron and Struble will also all likely be waiver eligible, so a couple of them will be leveraged into trades to make room for Reinbacher/Hutson/Engtrom/Mailloux.
Finally, the Habs’ 2024 1st should start to have an impact and with 3 other 1st in 2024/2025, the Habs also have the ammunition to get another impactful player.