Nick Suzuki’s trio has 42% of the goals scored by the current Habs lineup

Since Juraj Slafkovsky joined the Suzuki-Caufield duo on a permanent basis, this trio has been by far the best and most consistent on the team. By far, in fact. You can see it when you watch the games, but the statistics are even more striking.

One presented on RDS illustrates the Habs’ crying lack of depth.

So far this season, Suzuki, Caufield and Slafkovsky have 61 goals. The other three current trios combined have 53 goals. To add insult to injury, the defensemen have 31 goals. The trio accounts for 42% of the team’s goals, which is far too many.

Optimistically, a healthy Kirby Dach would have turned things around. Combined with a long rebuild, it’s already good to see that a combination can be viable in the long term. There’s also the possibility of the team’s next top pick in June, which could be a game-changer in the top-6.

However, we need to find this player, and it won’t be easy to choose the right one. There’s also the possibility of a trade like the ones that brought Dach and Alex Newhook to Montreal.

However, realistically, we seem so close, but also so far away.

There are so many “ifs” right now. Yes, there’s a possibility that Dach will become a good second or even first center, and that there will be enough talent acquired over the next few years.

If all goes well, the Habs will have one of the NHL’s best offenses before too long. But if not, the gap will remain and we’ll have to find other solutions.

For me, the solution is simple: take advantage of this year’s first pick to find a forward capable of playing on a top-6 forward eventually, whether through the draft or via a trade.

In gusts

– Interesting.

– A case that continues to be the talk of the town.

– It could have been an expulsion.