The Montreal Canadiens’ 2023-2024 season has ended.
Other than the clinics being full again, it was a positive season for the Canadiens as their rebuild gets underway in earnest. This rebuild is in the best hands of a Canadian team manager since Serge Savard. Kent Hughes is great.
In Game 82, the Canadiens and Red Wings had another dandy matchup, with Detroit winning 5-4 on penalties. Montreal has lost 25 games this season by one goal.
wild Horse
The future of the defense is very bright. The next wave had a chance to shine in the last two games, and they did. It was expected that Lane Hutson might need a year’s worth of seasoning in the minors, but judging by the two games he played, that will need to be reevaluated.
Hutson looked very comfortable at the NHL level. He logged over 22 minutes of ice time on Monday and 23 minutes, 32 seconds on Tuesday. He played great all over the sheet.
When Hutson was on the ice with Nick Suzuki’s line, the Canadians were just a handful in the Detroit zone. He read their actions brilliantly and often found free passes.
Hutson was finally able to show off his skills on the power play and lived up to his high billing. In one rush, he easily confused three players and gained the offensive zone. Hutson moved around on two and backed off on another before finally giving the ball to a teammate.
These are skills the Canadian hoped he could apply to the professional game, and in the two contests he had no difficulty at all. In the third period, Hutson held the puck for eight seconds and ran through every Wings player. In the end, he took a shot in the slot that was barely stopped. It was sensational. The crowd roared.
The next shift, he was buzzing on the blue line so nicely that he actually forced David Perron to do a 360. Perron then backed away and gave up. he gave up. Hutson took a shot on goal, but it was deflected by Juraj Slavkovskiy.
For Slavkowski, it was goal number 20. He was also mobbed by his teammates. This was important because this goal was the catalyst for his $250,000 performance bonus. Hutson was the architect of the goal. he was great.
As for Hutson’s defensive play, he wasn’t challenged much in the second game. Again, he looked exactly the same as he did at Boston College. It’s not difficult at all. He won’t be at Laval next season. He’s too good.
Logan Mailloux played in his first NHL game on Tuesday as a reward for a great season with Laval. One of the top defenders in his league, Maylou has a big shot and uses his large frame with authority.
Mailloux is prone to the odd defensive gaffe, but talent is the foundation of being a top-four defender in the NHL, and improving his decision-making is a solid component to work on over time. Mailloux has all the offensive skills needed to be a strong NHL defender.
Like Hutson on Monday night, Mailloux also earned an assist in his first period of NHL hockey. It wasn’t as pretty as Hutson decking three players, but he started a 2-on-1 rush with an outlet pass to Brendan Gallagher. Gallagher then set up Alex Newhook perfectly, and Newhook took the shot.
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Newhook and Gallagher have been in good form over the last 12 games and are already looking excited for next season, scoring one point per game. Newhook set career highs in goals and points this season. Not bad for a player who missed a third of the year.
Gallagher also showed that the second half of the season isn’t over yet. Gallagher scored two goals on Monday and added another on Tuesday to finish the season with 16 goals. A total of 16 is plenty for a player who doesn’t get a lot of power play time.
Suzuki’s batting line also scored an annual goal. Helper Suzuki finished the season with 77 points, easily surpassing last year’s best of 66. He’s not a point-per-game player, but I feel like he can get there next season.
Cole Caufield had a goal of finishing his disappointing season with 28 goals. I wish it had been such a disappointing season for everyone. This line finished the season with 51 goals in his final 41 games. The Canadiens are trying to become the first team to reach the 100-goal line mark since Bellows-Danfoss-Mullen in 1993.
wild goat
The big negative after the final day of the season was Kaiden Guhr’s admission that he suffered a concussion. Gule has not been on the field since being hit from behind by Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
It was a dirty blow that the NHL did nothing about. So did his Canadian teammate, who let Kucherov slide free after punching Goulet between the numbers. This is the second concussion Guhle has suffered this season. The cumulative effect of concussions is the greatest danger, and it is concerning that Mr. Guhl was unnecessarily re-concussed.
Guhle is feeling better, but not well enough to play in the final game of the season. He has been asked to play for Canada at the next world championship. Guhle accepted the invitation, but he plans to play only if he feels healthy.
The world championships will begin on May 10th in the Czech Republic.
Arbor Shekai also met with the media before the contest. What became clear in that interview was that Zekaj played almost the entire season with a shoulder injury. He also admitted that he kept the injury a secret from the Canadiens’ training staff.
Zekai wanted to play hockey, but it is not recommended. Your doctor will tell you whether playing may cause long-term damage. That’s advice to heed. Thankfully, Zekai will be ready for next season.
The unusual downside was that the points the Canadiens earned made it difficult for them to qualify for the lottery as the No. 5 seed. The Coyotes must tie at least their last game in Arizona to earn the fifth spot. The Coyotes will host the Edmonton Oilers. The Canadians are guaranteed at least No. 6 after Ottawa wins in Boston.
Wildcard
The Canadiens are close to emerging from this rebuild. They still need 50 to 60 goals, but they should be able to get most of them next season with a healthy second line led by Kirby Dutch. Also, Joshua Roy returns from injury and Alex Newhook’s situation stabilizes with a regular linemate and move to a more comfortable position on the wing.
The club also plans to draft from picks 5 to 8, which will also lead to a big improvement as the talent in the forward position is outstanding in this draft. Unless the Canadians hit the lottery for Macklin Celebrini, look to Ivan Demidov, Caden Lindstrom, Barkley Catton, Tigi Iginla, or even Cole Yzerman to add goals in the coming years. I’m going to do it.
However, they may not actually use that top pick, and they may not use the pick they acquired from the Winnipeg Jets. General manager Kent Hughes may choose to take a proven NHL talent with his first-round pick. He could also take advantage of excess talent on the blue line to dramatically improve the roster this summer.
The Canadiens have 12 bonafide NHL defenders, but they only have six set. This, combined with the lack of quality forwards, means caution should be taken in the idea that there could be a major move.
Listening to all of the conversations owner Jeff Molson has had with various media outlets, it’s clear that the organization feels ready to start making moves to turn the future into the present. Montreal has tons of assets, but no stars.
The Canadiens have more cap space than they need, and if they can’t play on the market this season, players like Leon Draisaitl could end their rebuild and start getting excited next year. The free agent market is calling on Hughes to strike at the right time.
The players have to want to come and that’s the best news in this new regime. Whereas previous administrations had a saying like, “If you want loyalty, get a dog,” this management treats its players with respect, and the league as a whole has found Montreal to be a great environment. There is a growing momentum for it to become a destination to discover.
This was not necessarily an important aspect in Michel Therrien’s time, but it is very important in today’s world. Martin St. Louis is a coach that players want to be around. The downside of the league is that St. Louis has created an environment where learning and growth are the cornerstones of winning and titles. There’s no such thing as tough love, just love.
Hughes has earned a reputation not only as a tough negotiator, but also as a man who cares about his people. It may seem strange to say that the future is brighter than at any time this century for a team that finished near the bottom of the table, but it’s the truth.
I hope you have a wonderful summer! thank you for reading. Without you, the call of the wild will only exist in my head.
Montreal-based sports writer Brian Wilde will be giving Wilde’s call on globalnews.ca after each Canadiens game.
