Heading into the Four Nations tournament, the Montreal Canadiens are in desperate need of a break. The team has gone 1-8 in its last nine contests and the playoffs are slipping away. The team is now closer to a bottom-five pick than a playoff position. Despite this, the Eastern Conference Wild Card race is still anyone’s game at this juncture. However, once the Canadiens return from the Four Nations break on February 22, they will be only two weeks away from the NHL Trade Deadline. Needless to say the team’s season hinges on what they do in the handful of games leading into the March 7th deadline.
Montreal Canadiens Outlook Coming out of Four Nations Break
Montreal Canadiens Have Been Reeling
The reeling Canadiens have lost all the mojo they carried into 2025. They haven’t been getting stellar goaltending, the defence has seemingly self-imploded, and they aren’t getting the same level of production from their key players. Nick Suzuki, typically the Canadiens most consistent offensive threat, has just one assist in his last six contests. Cole Caufield has just one goal in his past eight, while Patrik Laine has been held off the scoresheet entirely in eight straight. The lack of production from Juraj Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach this season has also been well-documented. The duo has been wildly inconsistent at the best of times. Even rookie sensation Lane Hutson hasn’t had the same offensive consistency he did down the stretch.
All of these factors contribute to why the Canadiens have been struggling. The Canadiens aren’t a deep enough team to afford the inconsistencies they’ve seen from their star players. The untimely injuries to Emil Heineman and Kaiden Guhle have also hurt the team down the stretch. Heineman should see a return to action soon, however. In Guhle’s case, his injury is more serious and he will likely miss the remainder of the season.
Tough Schedule Caught Up With Canadiens
The Canadiens recent struggles can be attributed to a myriad of things. However, a major one was the strength of the schedule they faced. The Canadiens played many of the NHL’s juggernaut teams on the road during their hot stretch. While they fared well in these contests, the strength of schedule accompanied by the grueling travel they had to endure undoubtedly caught up with the Canadiens. This is to be expected especially for a young team like Montreal.
The Montreal Canadiens earned themselves a well-deserved break. With few of their players participating in the Four Nations tournament, it allows for the team to recharge their batteries. If they can come out and play like they did at the start of 2025, they can vault themselves back into the playoff conversation.
Teams Outlook post Four Nations Break
The Canadiens return from the break and immediately face their division rival Ottawa Senators. This is followed by a matchup with the Hurricanes before three relatively easy games in a matchup against the Sharks and a back-to-back with the Sabres. If the Canadiens can beat Ottawa and win the three games easier matchups, they are right back in the mix. This five-game stretch dictates what direction Kent Hughes will go at the deadline.
If they fail to improve their position we will likely see some names on the move for Montreal. Pending UFAs like Joel Armia, Christian Dvorak, and David Savard are likely candidates to be moved. Jake Evans is a more interesting name as the team would like to bring him back. However, his interest and dollar value have grown around the league. Veteran Mike Matheson‘s name has also surfaced in rumours recently. If the team can’t rebound following the Four Nations break, we could see a fire-sale in Montreal as they fall toward another top-five pick.
Main Photo: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
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