With more than a quarter of the season already in the bank, the Montreal Canadiens have been playing a lot better than most people expected. To be fair, the bar was pretty low.
While they don’t appear to have the makings of a playoff team yet, the Habs, which went through one of the most miserable seasons in their history last year, find themselves somewhere among the middle of the pack.
Aside from positive factors like head coach Martin St. Louis, and star players like Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki ā all of which have helped the once-helpless Habs escape from the league’s basement ā there are a handful of others who have also stepped up their game.
With that said, here are five Canadiens players who have been better than expected this year.
Kirby Dach
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When Kirby Dach was brought in via a blockbuster trade with the Chicago Blackhawks at the NHL Entry Draft, many fans did not know what to think of the underperforming prospect.
He’s gotten off to a great start this season, though, finding chemistry and success on the first line with Suzuki and Caufield. With Dach’s help, the trio has exploded offensively and is currently on pace to be the best line the Habs have had in three decades.
Sean Monahan
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The deal that brought Sean Monahan to Montreal was highway robbery.
In an offseason of great change, the Calgary Flames were desperate to shed cap space and gave up their injury-plagued centre (and a first-round pick) in order to do so. Since joining the Habs, Monahan, who has 16 points in 24 games this year, has reminded everyone just how good he can be when he’s healthy.
Having the 28-year-old forward in the lineup is a win-win for the Habs since he can either be an excellent trade piece at the deadline or a great leader on and off the ice going forward.
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Arber Xhekaj
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Going into training camp, few people knew who Arber Xhekaj was ā or even how to pronounce his last name.
The young blueliner has since become a fan favourite. From laying out huge hits to dropping the gloves and even scoring a few important goals, Xhekaj has been a force to be reckoned with.
If he keeps playing this way, Big X may just earn a permanent spot in the big league.
Mike Hoffman
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At the beginning of the season, Montreal fans were calling for Mike Hoffman to be traded, even booing him when he touched the puck. Suffice to say, expectations were not high for the player, who had signed a three-year deal worth $13.5 million last summer.
Despite the boatload of criticism, Hoffman seems to have turned a corner, scoring four goals (including an overtime winner) and six points in the seven games he played over the month of November.
Him getting on the scoresheet on a consistent basis is a good thing, regardless of whether fans want the Habs to trade or hold the 33-year-old.
Samuel Montembeault
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Since it was announced that Carey Price would miss the 2022-2023 season, there was no question about Jake Allen taking on the starter role between the pipes.
Samuel Montembeault, though, has quietly shown both fans and teammates that he is worth keeping around. In his first eight starts this season, the Becancour native has earned five wins, boasting an impressive .924 SV% in the process ā a far cry from his numbers last year.
If he continues at this pace, he will surely see more ice time.
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