With a record of 9-10-2 to start the year, the Montreal Canadiens’ performance throughout the first quarter of the season can be summed up as mediocre.
And while some Canadiens players, such as Brendan Gallagher, Kaiden Guhle, and Samuel Montembeault, are playing above their calibre, others are not meeting expectations.
With that said, here are three Habs who have simply not been good enough this year.
Cole Caufield
With six goals on the season so far, Cole Caufield is in a four-way tie with Nick Suzuki, Sean Monahan, and Alex Newhook as the team’s leading scorer.
That may not sound bad on paper. But when we consider that the 22-year-old was expected to net 40 on the year, it becomes clear that he is not scoring nearly enough.
In fact, as of now, Caufield, who started the season on a hot streak, is on pace to score between 20 and 25 goals over 82 games.
Compare that to last season — when the young sniper was on an 82-game pace for 46 goals, scoring 26 before an injury took him out in January — and the problem becomes evident.
While the Canadiens’ top six has been shuffled as of late, hopefully, Caufield can find his finishing touch, which is imperative to the success of the team.
Cayden Primeau
Despite what the numbers say, Cayden Primeau has had plenty of good looks this season. Over his four starts, the 24-year-old has racked up two wins, a 3.41 GAA, and an SV% of just .898, which doesn’t look great.
With Montreal still holding three goalies at the NHL level and not wanting to lose their youngest to waivers, the most likely netminder to be traded this season is veteran Jake Allen.
However, general manager Kent Hughes may not be comfortable making that move until he’s convinced that Primeau can cut it as a backup. And that remains to be seen.
If Primeau finds his groove, though, Montreal could make a deal with a goalie-starved team, freeing up a roster spot for an extra skater in the process.
Josh Anderson
There are slumps and then there’s whatever Josh Anderson is going through.
Over 21 games this year, the winger has yet to find a goal, managing just a pair of assists in the process.
To make matters worse, Anderson is a minus-five and is leading all Canadiens forwards in penalty minutes with 24.
The most frustrating part of Anderson’s goalless streak is probably the fact that he gets more than his fair share of opportunities.
One indication of that is shots on goal. So far, Anderson has fired 42 attempts, the fifth most on the team.
Here’s hoping his first of the year breaks the ice and helps get him on a roll.
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