Canadiens 2024-25: F*ck the mix, we have to end up in the cellar (again)

There was a buzz during the Canadiens’ rookie camp, as well as during the first days of the real training camp.

But ever since Cédric Paré took an axe to DekHockey and smashed Patrik Laine’s knee, the buzz has died down. Of course, knowing that Laine hasn’t had surgery and could return to action around Christmas has given some prospects renewed hope… but the buzz just isn’t the same anymore.

Fans were excited to see Christian Dvorak Patrik Laine in a Habs uniform. Unfortunately, the team that will start its regular season this week looks a lot like the one that finished the 2024-25 campaign. A campaign in which the Montreal club finished 28th in the standings, need I remind you?

The Habs have not participated in the playoffs for the past three springs. In short, since their elimination in the Stanley Cup Grand Final, the Habs haven’t even come close to playing a single playoff game…

The Lightning missed the playoffs five out of six years between 2007 and 2013, before enjoying their most successful seasons.

The Avalanche missed the playoffs six out of seven years between 2010 and 2017.

Rebuilding – or rather, building a dominant team – often takes more than three short years in the cellar.

Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Andrei Vasilevsliy, Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Ondrej Palat… they weren’t all drafted in the same three amateur drafts. It took place over several years.

The same goes for Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar and others in Denver.

Where am I going with all this?

It’s simple: I think the Habs would be better off in the long run if they lost the majority of their games this season.

Instead of trying to be in the mix (and at best, missing the playoffs by a few points), the Habs should tank for at least another year (and sell guys like David Savard at the trade deadline). Why draft 14th when you can have another top-5 pick?

Especially since you may have made a mistake with David Reinbacher! The Avalanche also made a mistake with Tyson Jost, and the Lightning with Jonathan Drouin. It happens to everyone.

F*ck no man’s land. Long live high draft picks in 2025!

We’ll try to be in the mix for real in 2025-26 when Ivan Demidov has been released from SKA (KHL) and Patrik Laine is back to 100%.

I know it was only the preparatory schedule, but after winning their first two games, the Habs have just lost four in a row. They failed to score a single powerplay goal – but allowed several – and their shorthanded offense worked like my Uncle Marcel’s old Chinese scooter.

Can we say that we really saw a collective progression throughout the group?

Brendan Gallagher… Josh Anderson… Joel Armia… Christian Dvorak… there’s still far too much dead wood – especially up front – to say we’re ready to turn the corner on this rebuild.

Trying to be in the mix for this group is as good an idea as trying to be in the mix for Québec solidaire when your name is Éric Lapointe or Kevin Parent…

Or trying to be in the mix for the federal Conservatives when your name is Paul Piché.

It’s like Sir Path and Montréal-Nord: they just don’t go together!

Montreal management needs to open its eyes and realize that adding James Hagens, Anton Frondell or Ivan Ryabkin will do the group a lot more good in the long run than finishing four points out of the playoffs.

I know everyone’s tired of seeing the Habs go through long winters and be eliminated when spring rolls around, but I think it’s best to accept this reality for another year. After that, we can aim for the playoffs (and the mix). The young defensemen will have gained experience and the team will have seven quality forwards.

What’s more, Dvorak and Armia’s contracts will have expired! Let’s not try to speed up the rebuilding process…

Overtime

– It’ll be up to him to start the season strong down there.

Logan Mailloux remains, in my eyes, a future NHL defenseman. Camp too ordinary; easily supplanted by Struble; not the status (contract) of Barron and the popularity of Hutson or Xhekaj. That said, the orange line will be occupied between Montmorency and Lucien Lallier this winter #Habs

– Francois Gagnon (@GagnonFrancois) October 7, 2024

– He’ll soon be a Raiders shareholder, if all goes well.

Tom Brady is one step closer to being an NFL team owner. https://t.co/aLrojiC9uo

– masslivesports (@masslivesports) October 7, 2024

– It’s not an attractive position.

It remains to be seen if the interest is mutual and if he’ll be the right man for the job. https://t.co/mroY2RX3Ml

– Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) October 7, 2024

– Logical.