The Canadiens 2024-25 will look a lot (too much?) like the Canadiens 2023-24

The Canadiens’ season is (finally) over. The club had a season that can indeed be described as “better than last year”, but one reality remains: the club was virtually eliminated from the playoffs once the famous holiday trip was over.

The team’s last 30 or 35 games were therefore COLLECTIVELY FLATLESS, and turning the page on the 2023-24 season did me a world of good. Honestly!

The good news: yes, the club has progressed this season. Just look at the number of points scored by the club’s top players and compare that with the previous season. Or read Guillaume Lefrançois’ article in La Presse this morning…

Will the Habs be better next year? I really think so. The young players in the group have gained experience and should all be back in September. Others could also join them (first draft pick, Lane Hutson, Logan Mailloux, David Reinabcher, etc.).

How much better will the club be? It all depends on the summer additions. Because guys whose contracts run out at midnight on July 1 are few and far between (and not very influential).

Everyone will have forgotten Tanner Pearson(UFA) after the summer…

In the case of Colin White(UFA) and Chris Wideman(UFA), it’s already done…

I’m not convinced we’ll want to go to arbitration with Jesse Ylonen(bye bye?)…

The only other player at the big club whose contract is due to expire will be Arber Xhekaj. And since he’ll be RFA with no arbitration possible, he’ll certainly be back with a salary that won’t be astronomical.

In short, there won’t be that many changes.

Kent Hughes mentioned that he wanted to add offensive talent and a bit of physicality/robustness to his group. He also indicated that he would not be buying out any contracts.

Given that the odds are in favor of the Habs having the sixth overall draft pick, and that in recent years, guys drafted in the sixth spot don’t play in the NHL the following season, I don’t think we’ll be able to count on this top pick for the 2024-25 season.

Unrestricted free agents? I’d be surprised if we manage to make a major splash on that front, although Steven Stamkos’ name has been linked to the Habs by Dan Rosen (NHL.com), so I think it’ll be quiet on that front.

I think Montreal management will try to trade their first pick from the Jets AND a defenseman in return for a forward in the mold of Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook…

And maybe take on a bad contract a la Sean Monahan and Tanner Pearson…

That’s it.

The biggest addition will be Kirby Dach, returning from injury.

And some young defensemen will still have to spend some time in Laval before graduating to the big leagues.

The Canadiens’ 2024-25 edition will therefore be very similar to this season’s. Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson and Joel Armia will all still be with us. Let’s hope Gallagher and Armia play like they did at the end of the season, and that Josh Anderson finds himself again.

The problem is that there isn’t enough offensive talent in the prospect pool. After Joshua Roy, it’s down to Emil Heineman, Filip Mesar and Owen Beck.

My prediction, a year in advance, is that we won’t make the playoffs in 2024-25, and that by this time next year, we’ll start thinking that this rebuild is getting long in the tooth. In the summer of 2025, Habs management will start thinking about putting together a winning team. We’re just not there yet.

In a gust

– Ouch!

– Mark Stone should play tonight.

– Who’s your pick?