In just a few years, the Montreal Canadiens have seen their roster (and front office) transformed from top to bottom.
While many of the new additions, which include plenty of young talent, have been welcomed, fans have also had to say goodbye to some of their favourite players amidst the Canadiens’ ongoing rebuild.
And in some cases, those departures have been hard to swallow, especially when we see guys putting up solid stats in different uniforms.
As we inch closer to the halfway point of the season, here are four ex-Habs players who have found success with their new teams.
Tyler Toffoli
An integral part of the Habs’ run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, forward Tyler Toffoli was beloved in his brief stint with Montreal.
In fact, he expected to play out the entirety of the four-year contract he signed with the Canadiens in 2020. But it wasn’t so.
After being traded in February 2022, he’s continued to excel with a two-season tenure with the Calgary Flames and, most recently, the New Jersey Devils.
Over 25 games with the Devils this year, the 32-year-old has netted an impressive 12 goals and 21 points.
He’s projected to finish the year with a career-high 41 goals and 72 points.
Casey DeSmith
One could argue that this one doesn’t count, as goalie Casey DeSmith was flipped less than one month after he was acquired by the Canadiens in the three-team offseason blockbuster deal that involved Erik Karlsson going to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Nonetheless, the Canadiens, who were holding four NHL-ready goalies at the time, chose to send the veteran netminder to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Tanner Pearson before letting him suit up.
Since then, DeSmith has been solid backing up starter Thatcher Demko. Recently earning his first shutout of the season, the 32-year-old has already racked up five wins in Vancouver and is currently riding a 2.57 GAA and .917 SV%.
To add insult to injury, those are better numbers than both Jake Allen and Cayden Primeau.
Phillip Danault
Fans were not happy when former Habs GM Marc Bergevin allowed centre Phillip Danualt to leave as a free agent in the 2021 offseason.
The defensive forward proved vital in shutting down the offensive units of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights throughout Montreal’s playoff run. As a result, the LA Kings did not hesitate to pay him handsomely.
Since then, he’s been a welcome addition to their top six, beating his season high in points in his first two seasons in California.
While Danault’s value is not usually indicated on the scoresheet, he’s already logged six goals and 15 points over the past 23 games, and is on pace for another solid year.
Funnily enough, shortly after being fired by the Canadiens in 2022, Bergevin joined the Kings as a senior advisor to the general manager, thus reuniting with Danault.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Originally selected third overall by the Canadiens in 2018, expectations for the Finnish forward were high right off the bat. But his development was slow and sometimes unsteady.
He ended up signing a one-year, $6.1 million offer sheet in the summer of 2021 with the Carolina Hurricanes in a move that shook the hockey world at the time.
With four goals and 10 points through his first 10 games this season, the 6-foot-2 centre started the 2023-24 campaign as one of the NHL’s most productive forwards.
Kotkaniemi’s since slowed down, but is still on pace to finish the season with 47 points, which would mark a career best for the 23-year-old.
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