It looks like the word “playoffs” is beginning to re-enter the Montreal Canadiens’ vocabulary for the first time since their epic run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final ended.
As they enter the second full year of their rebuild, general manager Kent Hughes recently revealed that while the postseason is unlikely this season, it is not out of the question.
“We’re not coming in thinking it’s a given we won’t make the playoffs,” Hughes said at the team’s annual golf tournament on September 11.
While the young Habs lack experience and find themselves in a strong Atlantic Division that includes high-octane teams like Toronto, Boston, and Florida, hockey fans have seen over the years that anything can happen when the team starts clicking.
However, being able to string together enough wins to earn a ticket to the postseason would require several key factors to align.
Here are four things that would have to go right for the Canadiens to secure a playoff spot in 2024:
They remain healthy
The Canadiens have been one of the league’s most injured teams over the past two seasons.
For example, key pieces like Cole Caufield, Sean Monahan, Juraj Slafkovsky, Kirby Dach, and Brendan Gallagher all missed a good chunk of the 2022-23 campaign, not to mention the career-ending injuries that Shea Weber, Paul Byron, and Carey Price have endured in recent years.
As a result, they have made significant changes to their medical staff over the offseason in the hopes of keeping their top players healthy throughout the year.
If they can do that, they’re almost guaranteed to win more games.
They score more goals
It’s no secret that Montreal needs more offensive production.
In fact, 17 of the Habs’ 31 wins last season were by only one goal.
With that said, Caufield was on pace to score over 40 goals last season before an injury cut his campaign short. His return and linemate Nick Suzuki, nearly averaging a point per game, will surely aid them on the scoresheet.
Throw in a healthy Monahan and a more developed Slafkovsky and Dach, and it’s fair to say that the Habs can score more goals this year.
But will it be enough to put them in a prime position?
A true starting goalie emerges
Jake Allen and Samuel Montembeault pretty much split the crease down the middle last year. But Montembeault, who is six years his teammate’s junior, finished the season with slightly better numbers all around.
Soon after, the Becancour, Quebec, native was called upon to represent Canada at the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, where he hel∂atped lead his country to a gold medal.
If Montembeault carries that confidence into the season, Montreal may have a No. 1 going forward rather than a two-man tandem.
The stability that comes with having a bona fide starter could likely boost the team’s morale and performance.
One Atlantic Division team falls
When it comes to talent, the Atlantic might be the best division in the NHL.
The Boston Bruins finished at the top of the league’s standings last season. But after losing in the first round of the playoffs and seeing top-line players like Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, and Tyler Bertuzzi leave the team, they will have a much harder time contending.
The same cannot be said about the Leafs, though. Their stacked squad got even stronger this past offseason after advancing to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 19 years.
Meanwhile, young teams like the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators are further along in their respective rebuilds than Montreal.
Then there’s Tampa Bay and Florida, both of which remain tough to beat.
Suffice it to say, there is a very small margin for error when competing for a playoff spot in the division. And if Montreal can miraculously secure one, they better hold on tight.