Heading into the 2025-26 season, the Montreal Canadiens are facing higher expectations. After qualifying for the postseason, Kent Hughes has added to his young roster. Habs fans have many talented players to be excited about, and this may be the most anticipated season in nearly a decade for the team. With that being said, it’s time to make some bold predictions for the 2025-26 Montreal Canadiens.
Montreal Canadiens 2025-26 Hot Takes
Patrik Laine and Cole Caufield Hit 40 Goals
The Canadiens haven’t had a forty-goal scorer since Vincent Damphousse in 93-94. This season, they could potentially have two. Cole Caufield has improved his goal totals every season since joining the Canadiens. This past season, he managed a career-high 37 goals. The 24-year-old is just entering his prime and will undoubtedly hit the 40-goal mark at some point in his career. He needs to find a bit more consistency and be less of a streaky goal scorer. If he does that, he could hit the mark as soon as this season. In doing so, he could make his case for the USA Olympic team.
As for Patrik Laine, he has already hit the forty-goal mark once in his career. The 27-year-old reached 44 goals in his sophomore season with the Winnipeg Jets. He was viewed as a potential generational goal scorer earlier in his career before injuries and off-ice issues began to affect his play. Now, Laine looks to become the same player he once was for Montreal. He managed twenty goals in only 52 games last season, which puts him on a thirty-goal pace. Laine’s bread and butter has been the power play, and he scored almost exclusively with the man advantage last year. He may not see as many minutes on the first unit, but Montreal’s second unit should see its fair share of ice time as well. If Laine can improve his five-on-five play and maintain his power-play dominance, we could see him hit thirty and maybe even forty goals once more. He is in a contract year and will need a strong bounce back campaign to earn another deal in Montreal.
Juraj Slafkovsky Reaches 75+ Points
When the Canadiens drafted Juraj Slafkovsky first overall in 2022, they viewed him as a star power forward who could complement Caufield and Nick Suzuki. While he has become the perfect complement to the duo, his own game hasn’t taken that next step yet. Slafkovsky has had back-to-back seasons of over fifty points, respectively. However, the Canadiens brass and their fanbase have higher expectations for the 21-year-old.
Slafkovsky has started slowly each of the past two seasons. However, in the second half of both campaigns, he turned it on and was on nearly a point-per-game pace. Last year, his poor play at the beginning of the season led to him being demoted down the lineup. This year, he needs a strong start, which will allow him to continue to play on the top line. Suzuki reached 89 points while Caufield hit seventy this past year. With a full season together, there’s no reason that Juraj Slafkovsky can’t find similar offensive success.
The Canadiens Finish Top-3 in the Atlantic
The Montreal Canadiens took a big step last season by qualifying for the postseason. This leap up the standings signifies a turning point in the team’s rebuild. With new additions like Noah Dobson, Zachary Bolduc, and the arrival of Ivan Demidov, the team is even better. The growth of its young players will be pivotal in how this season pans out for the Canadiens, but right now, the expectation is to make the playoffs.
When looking around the Atlantic division, the Canadiens are clearly the most improved team. Clubs like Toronto, Tampa Bay, and Boston all have taken a step back this offseason. The Panthers resigned their key players but face injury and fatigue to begin the year. As for the Ottawa Senators, who finished ahead of Montreal, the Canadiens have arguably as good a lineup now. We could see this Montreal Canadiens team take another step in the standings and reach the elite amongst the division’s elite. This could be the year that we see a changing of the guard in the Atlantic Division.
Main Photo: Eric Bolte- Imagn Images
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