It takes a lot more to make grand declarations than two games. After all, the Montreal Canadiens’ wins against the Seattle Kraken and Colorado Avalanche to end their West Coast road trip were just the seventh time they have won two games in a row all season. Only twice has that happened with two games in regulation. They have never won three in a row, as they get ready to face the Philadelphia Flyers.
However, it’s clear to see where things are going. Starting next season, the Canadiens should expect to play meaningful games in March and April.
The emergence of key players including, but not limited to, Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovský, Cole Caufield, Alex Newhook, Kaiden Guhle, Samuel Montembeault, and Cayden Primeau show that this team is ready to take the next step.
This isn’t all about how this team will look with Kirby Dach and Joshua Roy in the lineup because injuries can and will happen. It’s about the way that this team is going to be built beyond this season. Going into next season, you will start to see a shift in how this team’s top players are surrounded. The Canadiens, to be frank, haven’t had to worry about depth. It doesn’t matter what the bottom six looks like when you’re not battling for a playoff spot.
You will start to see a difference in how the team is constructed. Some of that will likely be using some of the team’s depth on defence to have more depth at forward. I would expect this team to have much better internal options next season if it happens that a top-six forward or two go down to injury.
Back to my original point, though, this team is competitive now. Even without the expected reinforcements and even with injuries to key players. Even far out of a playoff spot. They are competing and winning games they simply weren’t a year or two ago.
I am not going to declare they are a playoff team as soon as next season, nor am I going to declare the rebuild over. The goalposts, however, move next year. The Canadiens competing for another lottery pick next season instead of a playoff spot would be a failure. At a certain point of a rebuild, the focus becomes winning games. Some teams can take that step, others falter. That tipping point starts next season for the Canadiens.
