November 21, 2024 | 1:50pm ET
By David Calabretta, TheFourthPeriod.com
CANADIENS TOP 10 POWER RANKINGS
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Cole Caufield, forward
MONTREAL, QC — Welcome to a new editorial series on the Montreal Canadiens that will go over a monthly ranking of the Canadiens’ best players, taking into consideration levels of expectations and overall play, beyond points, in determining the player’s rank, provided with extensive analysis.
We are 19 games into the 2024-25 season, and while media has been flowing into the negativity with the struggling Habs, here are the top 10 players so far this season based on expectations and delivery.
10. Joel Armia
Armia, 31, has started the season on the right foot, and more importantly in the NHL, after last year’s AHL demotion at the start of the season. The Finnish veteran is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and may have some extra motivation in his gas tank.
With two goals and six assists throughout 18 games this season, you must be satisfied of the play provided by a bottom six winger, especially given it took Armia 28 games last season to match that total. All in all, he has been a decent addition to the second powerplay unit as a potential placeholder upon the return of Patrik Laine which can be coming soon.
9. Juraj Slafkovsky
Look, you can argue he shouldn’t be on this list at all, but the list doesn’t carry a lot of candidates yet, however, inconsistency is the devil when it comes to young and upcoming rookies, and Slafkovsky is no stranger to it.
While he hasn’t been playing like the second half of 2023-24, Slafkovsky has still found a way to gather points despite not playing to the best version of himself, a positive to take from it. Last season during the last 42 games of the regular-season, the 2022 first-overall pick gathered 36 points. With one goal to his name so far, Slafkovsky has been a playmaker, with 10 assists to date. All he perhaps needs, at this point, is to find the net and the goals will start coming. Safe to say that the Slovakian has way more confidence at this time of the year as opposed to last November.
“Oh, I feel so much better,” Slafkovsky said from the 2024 IIHF World Championship, where he represented Slovakia. “I feel better on the ice. With the puck, without the puck, I just feel like I'm making better decisions. It's just easier to play out there.
“Obviously, people expected something [right away], but like I always say, it’d not always the first year. You're trying to build something and it's not going to happen quick. We are looking forward to being good in a couple years and stay good. That's our main goal. Honestly, I didn't care about other people and what they're thinking.”
He can be much higher however, and I am hoping in a month from now he is in the top five threshold.
8. Sam Montembeault
If we were talking about October 9th only, then he would be obviously No.1 on our charts, but like most Habs players, Monty is struggling to find consistency. After getting pulled for two consecutive Tuesday’s versus the New York Rangers and Seattle Kraken, reality hit for the Canadiens’ goaltender, and his name quickly started to fall out of Four Nations Talk for Team Canada. One takeaway from Sam Montembeault is that no one is harder on himself than him.
When talking about a potential Four Nations spot, Montembault said: “It’s still pretty far away, and I don’t want to think about it too much. If I want to be there, I’m gonna have to have better performances than what I’ve been doing in the last three games so far.”
There seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel however, after two consectuvie solid performances versus the Minnesota Wild and the Columbus Blue Jackets, followed by a shutout this week against the Edmonton Oilers. His name is still up there ahead of the roster deadline submission on December 2nd.
7. Emil Heineman
Probably the most underrated Canadiens player so far, Heineman has been a key player despite his low icetime. He may be the biggest winner, beating out the likes of Alex Barre-Boulet, Joshua Roy and Oliver Kapanen from their spots on the team. He has found himself comfortably in a fourth line forechecking role and the right flanked shooting threat alongside Lane Hutson on the second powerplay unit.
Heineman said it best, he’s living “the dream.”
“This time, I felt like I went out in camp and really gave it a good shot. I was really going to take this one and see where it took me, pretty much. I felt like I was more aggressive out there.
“That’s one of my biggest strengths – to use my speed, use my shot and win pucks back, be aggressive out there. So, I felt like that was one of the biggest things I brought this time and I’m continuing to work on that. Still adjusting to the league and it has been fun.”
6. Nick Suzuki
It hasn’t been the best hockey he’s played in his career but nonetheless, Nick Suzuki remains point per game with seven goals and 12 assists throughout 19 games this season. If you take points out of the equation, Suzuki started the month of October slow, seeming to lack rhythm, a situation that seems uncanny like the last few Octobers. He’s found success in the last few games, with six points in his last four, having a four-point night last week versus the playoff hungry Buffalo Sabres. I am excited to see how much the Habs’ captain pushes himself to potentially earn one of the last remaining spots on Team Canada during the next three weeks ahead of the deadline.
5. Josh Anderson
For the first time since the 2021-22 season, Josh Anderson seems to be thriving in a new role. While he has never been known for his defensive play, the Ontario native has been a crucial piece sidelined with Christian Dvorak on the Habs’ penalty kill. The Canadiens’ currently sit 12th in the NHL for best penalty kill percentage. Oh, and he’s scoring! Last season it took the 28-year-old up to the middle of December to score his first goal of the season, whereas so far, he already has four goals. I am not going to sit here and say he’s worth his $5.5 million cap hit, but it’s digestible as of right now.
4. Lane Hutson
You know you’re good when fans from other teams are talking about you. Whether it’s positive or it’s trash talk, that means Lane Hutson is starting off his NHL career on the right foot.
Hutson, 20, has 11 points in 19 games this season, all being assists, still looking for his first goal. However, one thing is for certain, No.48 is guaranteed to put on at least one highlight calibre play every single game.
The Canadiens’ second powerplay unit used to be painful to watch, yet now, it has become more exciting then the first unit at times, and that is all because of Hutson. I’ve never seen a rookie in the NHL feel as comfortable in making gutsy moves as Hutson does. The Canadiens’ defenseman currently sits 3rd in rookie scoring in the NHL, sitting just behind Logan Stankoven and Russian sensation Matvei Michkov. I have a feeling he’ll be in top 3 on my list next month, don’t ya think?
3. Jake Evans
Contract year Jake Evans? Sign me up, right now. Evans has always been kind of under the radar during his tenure in Montreal, and he is the perfect example of hard work. Selected in the 7th round of the 2018 Draft, the Canadiens have found themselves the perfect 4th line center for years to come (Thanks, Marc Bergevin). It’s clear he’s become a favourite of head coach Martin St.Louis.
“I know he is capable of playing in different chairs,” said St. Louis. “He played a good game. He plays important minutes. When he plays on a second line like that, I am comfortable with him on the ice against the other team’s top lines.
“He is able to be responsible. That line was tiring tonight. I didn’t even know Jake was a seventh-rounder. When you get to a certain age, the league doesn’t care what round you were drafted. It doesn’t. If you can play, you’re going to play in this league.”
Evans has been crucial on the penalty kill and with his impressive 5v5 play. With 10 points in 19 games this season, he has earned himself a promotion on the second line with Alex Newhook and Cole Caufield. Teams will most definitely be calling him ahead of the trade deadline.
2. Brendan Gallagher
Oh man, what a feel-good story it is for longtime Montreal Canadien Brendan Gallagher. Everything seems to be working so far with the 32-year-old veteran, scoring eight goals in his first 19 games this season, and more importantly, he finally looks 100%. In 2021-22, he had seven goals in 56 games, in 2022-23 he had eight goals in 37 games, and in 2023-24 he had 15 goals. Gallagher is on pace for 32 goals this season, and while he may not hit it, he is playing important hockey for the Habs.
Like Anderson, the 31-year-old is currently making $6.5 million across the next four seasons, and while he still isn’t living up to his cap hit, he has been a serviceable veteran presence for this young Canadiens’ team. Gallagher has been amazing alongside Evans and Anderson for the most part of the season and has been one of the Canadiens’ best players on a nightly basis.
1. Cole Caufield
Last but not least, with a touch of the magic “13” from his childhood hero Johnny Gaudreau, Cole Caufield is doing Cole Caufield things, and that is scoring goals. Look, there’s always going to be critics, saying his defensive numbers are bad, he’s not passing enough, but he’s doing his job, and that is scoring goals. With 12 goals in 19 games this season, Caufield currently sits in the top-five in the NHL for most goals. He may even be “Ovi Esque” as most of his goals have been from the exact same spot. He’s been the best of the batch in Montreal so far this season.
I am looking forward to next month’s power ranking recap, hopefully seeing some new names on this list such as Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook, who haven’t exactly been playing their best hockey to date.
Perhaps even a Patrik Laine mention in the month of December!
All in all, the season remains extremely young, and there is lots of time left for improvement.