Out of the Bleu, Blanc, Rouge: Montreal Canadiens: The Best Canadian Team?
The week’s hottest Montreal Canadiens topics, served without the sugar-coating and with little concern for bruised feelings.
Which Canadian team has the best chance of bringing the Stanley Cup back to Canada?
It is one of those debates that returns every fall, right around the time the leaves begin changing colour, the evenings get shorter and hockey fans suddenly remember that summer was merely an unfortunate interruption.
Every Canadian market has its believers. Edmonton has its recent history and a roster built to contend. Toronto has its eternal optimism, which may be the strongest renewable energy source in the country. Winnipeg has an elite goaltender, assuming he actually wants to remain there. Ottawa believes its young core is ready to take another step.
And Montreal? Well, the Canadiens are quietly putting together something that deserves considerably more attention than it has been getting.
So, after looking at where each team finished last season and what they have done, or not done, this off-season, here is how I see the Canadian Cup contenders stacking up.
1. Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers remain my choice as the Canadian team with the best chance of winning it all.
They have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, which is rather like starting a poker game with two aces already in your hand. The addition of goaltender Frederik Andersen and other reinforcements gives them a chance to address some of the weaknesses that have plagued them.
The biggest question may be behind the bench. Mike Babcock is an experienced, accomplished and, shall we say, controversial choice. He has won at every level and knows what it takes to win. Whether his personality and methods mesh with this particular group is another matter entirely.
Still, when you have McDavid, you get the benefit of the doubt.
2. Montreal Canadiens
Yes, I have the Canadiens second.
That may raise a few eyebrows, but consider what is happening here. Montreal lost Brendan Gallagher, Patrik Laine and Joe Veleno? No, scratch that. The important point is that the Canadiens have not replaced their departing veterans with comparable free-agent names. So far, they have not added anything to their lineup in spite of the playoffs exposing glaring needs.
Instead, they are betting on the kids. And that is precisely why this ranking could look foolish in October or prophetic in April. Ivan Demidov is expected to take another step. Lane Hutson is no longer an intriguing rookie. The young defence corps is gaining experience, while players such as Juraj Slafkovsky, Kirby Dach and others have something to prove.
Montreal may not have had the loudest off-season but sometimes, the most important improvements are already in the building. Sometimes. You do not always need to buy a new engine when the one in your garage is finally starting to run properly. The Canadiens are still young and have plenty of question marks, but their upside is significant.
3. Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto finished last in the Atlantic Division last season, yet I still believe they have a legitimate chance to climb back into the playoff picture.
The changes are significant, particularly in goal and throughout the supporting cast. Sergei Bobrovsky gives them considerably more experience between the pipes, while additions such as Raddysh, Roslovic, Paul, Sissons and Duhaime add depth and physicality. Jim Hiller also takes over behind the bench after Craig Berube’s departure.
The Leafs were hit hard by injuries last season, so their final position probably did not tell the entire story. They remain a team capable of making noise, although at some point “this is our year” starts sounding less like confidence and more like a family tradition.
4. Winnipeg Jets
The Jets are difficult to figure out. They made changes after falling to the bottom of the standings, but the biggest question surrounding this team is not who they added. It is whether Connor Hellebuyck will still be there.
If their star goaltender gets his wish and is traded, the entire equation changes. If he stays, how much of a distraction would it be? And if he holds out, as suggested by some reports, it could be devastating.
Winnipeg has enough talent to be competitive, but losing an elite goaltender is not something you simply fix with a couple of depth additions. That would be like removing the roof from your house and buying a better welcome mat.
5. Ottawa Senators
The Senators have some intriguing pieces, and the addition of players such as William Eklund gives them reason for optimism.
But losing captain Brady Tkachuk, particularly under circumstances involving a trade request, is a significant blow. Leadership, physical presence and identity are not things you can replace simply by checking a box on a transaction list.
Ottawa could surprise, but I need to see more before moving them higher.
6. Calgary Flames
Calgary appears to be moving into a significant rebuild. The Flames have moved out several established veterans, including Nazem Kadri, Blake Coleman, Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar. The roster changes speak for themselves. This is a team looking toward the future rather than pretending tomorrow is still yesterday.
Simon Nemec is an intriguing addition and could become an important building block, but Calgary is not yet at the stage where I would expect a Stanley Cup run.
Sometimes you have to tear the house down before you can argue about what colour to paint the kitchen.
7. Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks have retooled rather than completely rebuilt, adding players such as Jamie Oleksiak and Paul Cotter? No, the important additions include Brendan Gallagher, Luke Schenn and others who bring experience and grit.
Losing Marcus Pettersson, Nils Höglander and Evander Kane changes their asset picture, but Vancouver still looks like a team searching for the right formula rather than one that has found it. They could move up this list. I just would not bet the farm on it.
So, Who Brings the Cup Home?
Based on last season’s results, the current rosters and the off-season moves to date, my ranking of Canada’s seven NHL teams is:
- Edmonton Oilers
- Montreal Canadiens
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- Winnipeg Jets
- Ottawa Senators
- Calgary Flames
- Vancouver Canucks
Of course, September rankings are worth about as much as a January weather forecast in Quebec. Things change quickly in the NHL. Injuries happen, prospects surprise, veterans decline and one bad trade can turn a contender into a spectator.
But if you asked me today to put my Canadian Tire money on one Canadian team finally ending Canada’s Stanley Cup drought, Edmonton gets the nod. Montreal, however, is closer than many people think.
And if the Canadiens’ young core takes the kind of step their supporters are hoping for, or if Kent Hughes wakes from his seemingly coma this off-season by adding a key element or two, that conversation could look very different by puck drop, and even more so by spring time.
After all, the best teams are not always the ones that make the most noise in September. Sometimes, they are the ones quietly sharpening their knives while everyone else is busy admiring the cutlery.
https://x.com/GrumpaDotCA/status/2095528185110610285
RAPID FIRE
📌 No, moving Arber Xhekaj from defense to the wing is NOT a good idea. The NHL is not a development league. You don’t learn a new position at that level. Some players have done it for short periods (Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Burns) but they have all returned to their position before long.
📌 Also, good enforcers who can keep up and play hockey are mostly effective when on the ice, not sitting at the end of the bench. Xhekaj is more of a deterrent playing 10-12 minutes on defense than 5 minutes watching from the bench.
📌 The Canadiens have released the list of 23 young players who will be attending their Rookie Camp from September 11-15. Most of the team’s top prospects, like Michael Hage, L.J. Mooney, and Logan Sawyer are in the NCAA or across the pound, like Alexander Zharovsky, Gleb Pugachyov, Aatos Koivu, Filip Eriksson, Bogdan Konyushkov and Yevgeni Volokhin. Add to that Bryce Pickford who is recovering from off-season surgery and it makes for a rather underwhelming list at Rookie Camp.
📌 Of course, most young pros like Owen Beck, Adam Engström, Brett Berard, Jared Davidson, Filip Mesar, Vinzenz Rohrer and Sasha Pastujov won’t be attending. The exceptions are Tyler Thorpe, Owen Protz and Luke Mittlestadt, who will attend rookie camp.
📌 For different reasons, Brad Marchand and Tim Stutzle are two of the players I dislike the most in the entire NHL. I feel like Marchand is a cheap shot artist while Stutzle is the biggest embellisher. So I have no sides to pick here. But seeing Sens fans up in arms about Marchand’s comment is rather… entertaining, to say the least.
📌 For those who may have missed it, it was reported that the Senators were “closing in on a decision on their next captain, between Thomas Chabot, Time Stutzle and Jake Sanderson”. To which Marchand replied, in a tweet: “Hahahah… Stutzle… hahaha”.
📌 On the Senators’ topic, Ottawa wanting to “honour” Brady Tkachuk, a Trump supporter who abandoned the team, his teammates and the fans is rather mind boggling… if not insane. Why would they even consider doing that?!?
📌 Colleague Pierre McGuire has mentioned that before on The Sick Podcast – The Eye Test, but the Flyers’ ownership reportedly approved the $18M offer-sheet to Leo Carlsson as pay back for the whole Cutter Gauthier fiasco with the Ducks. Now, Anaheim is struggling to sign Gauthier. Isn’t that interesting?
