It’s no secret that the Montreal Canadiens have been starved for the offence for quite some time.
In fact, it’s been nearly 40 years since the Canadiens last had a top-10-point leader in the NHL. To make matters worse, the last time Montreal saw a player net more than 80 points in a single season was back in 2007-08 when Alexei Kovalev logged 84.
That sorry streak could soon be broken with young guns like Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky hitting their stride.
In the meantime, though, let’s have a look back at the Habs’ leading scorers of the past decade and a half.
2008-2009: Alexei Kovalev (65 points)
In back-to-back seasons, Kovalev led the Canadiens in points. Despite a slight dip in production from the previous year, the Russian winger remained an offensive threat, contributing 65 points to the team’s cause in 2008-09.
Defenceman Andrei Markov was only one behind him with 64 of his own.
2009-2010: Tomas Plekanec (70 points)
Centre Tomas Plekanec was the Canadiens’ top point producer during the 2009-10 campaign. Known for his two-way play rather than his goal-scoring, Plekanec notched an impressive 70 points in the season preceding Montreal’s unlikely run to the Conference Finals.
2010-2011: Tomas Plekanec (57 points)
Plekanec continued to produce offensively into the 2010-11 season, leading the Canadiens in points for the second consecutive season with a respectable 22 goals and 35 assists.
2011-2012: Max Pacioretty (65 points)
American forward and eventual captain Max Pacioretty had a breakout season in 2011-12, establishing himself as one of the Canadiens’ premier offensive talents.
Pacioretty notched 65 points in 79 games, setting the stage for the years to follow
2012-2013: Max Pacioretty (39 points in 44 games)
Despite playing in fewer games, the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season saw Pacioretty continue his production. With 39 points in just 44 games, Pacioretty was nearly on pace to break the 80-point curse.
2013-2014: Max Pacioretty (60 points)
Pacioretty led the Canadiens in goals (39) and points for the third consecutive year in 2013-14.
Defenceman PK Subban and centre David Desharnais were not far behind with 53 and 54 points, respectively.
Despite the unimpressive individual stats, Montreal would once again make an Eastern Conference Finals appearance that season.
2014-2015: Max Pacioretty (67 points)
Pacioretty continued to dominate Montreal’s score sheet during the 2014-15 season, posting a career-high 67 points.
2015-2016: Max Pacioretty (64 points)
Pacioretty led the Canadiens in points for the sixth consecutive season, logging 30 goals and 34 assists over the course of the team’s 2015-16 campaign.
2016-2017: Alexander Radulov (54 points)
Russian winger Alexander Radulov made an immediate impact during his first (and last) season with the Canadiens in 2016-17.
With his dynamic skill set, Radulov tallied 54 points, emerging as a key contributor for Montreal.
2017-2018: Brendan Gallagher (54 points)
Heart and soul forward Brendan Gallagher enjoyed a breakout season in 2017-18, leading the Canadiens in with a career-high 54 points.
2018-2019: Max Domi (72 points)
Acquired in an offseason trade with the Arizona Coyotes, Max Domi wasted no time making his mark in Montreal during the 2018-19 season.
With a career-high 72 points, Domi, the son of ex-Toronto Maple Leafs enforcer Tie Domi, energized the Canadiens’ offence, quickly endearing himself to fans.
2019-2020: Tomas Tatar (61 points in 68 games)
Slovak forward Tomas Tatar emerged as the Canadiens’ points leader during the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season with 22 goals and 39 assists.
Centre Phillip Danault was a distant second on the leaderboard with 47 points that season.
2020-2021: Tyler Toffoli (44 points in 52 games)
In his first year with the Canadiens, Tyler Toffoli made an immediate impact, leading the team in points during the shortened 2020-21 campaign.
With 44 points in just 52 games, Toffoli also helped the Canadiens make the playoffs, consistently contributing throughout their epic run to the Stanley Cup Final.
2021-2022: Nick Suzuki (59 points)
Young centre Nick Suzuki emerged as the Canadiens’ points leader during the 2021-22 season, showcasing his potential and skill. With 59 points, Suzuki provided a glimpse of what the future holds for the Canadiens’ offence.
2022-2023: Nick Suzuki (66 points)
Continuing his development, Suzuki hit another point milestone in his first year as captain, logging 26 goals and 40 assists for the Habs.
Follow Channels and Categories