Diving into lineup projections is always entertaining. It allows us to envision certain players playing with others that we might not have seen yet. It comes at a time when the regular season has yet to begin, and anticipation is high. For the Montreal Canadiens, there are more combinations than most teams have because of the talent at each position and the ability of many players to play multiple positions.
With the Canadiens this season, barring any injuries, there are some players pretty much locked into certain spots in the lineup. With so many injuries last season, we got many different looks at potential combinations of players to see what worked and what didn’t. Martin St. Louis and company also have to think about seeing some players play certain roles they will be expected to fill in the future.
Sportsnet’s Eric Engels shared the projected Canadiens’ lineup in his eyes and from what he’s seen so far. There are some interesting predictions and players in roles that weren’t expected. We’ll get into all of that below, along with the lineup for reference.
Cole Caufield—Nick Suzuki—Alex Newhook
Juraj Slafkovsky—Kirby Dach—Josh Anderson
Rafael Harvey-Pinard—Sean Monahan—Brendan Gallagher
Michael Pezzetta—Jake Evans (Christian Dvorak)—Emil Heineman
Mike Matheson-Kaiden Guhle
Arber Xhekaj-David Savard
Jordan Harris-Johnathan Kovacevic
Samuel Montembeault
Jake Allen
Cayden Primeau
Surprises in the Canadiens’ Forward Projections
Caufield and Suzuki are the building blocks of the team and top line. They aren’t being separated, not with the chemistry they have as a duo. Unfortunately, Caufield’s injury lost them half a season together. What surprises me is Newhook potentially getting a shot on the top line. I would think that the second line is the highest we’d find him this season since Anderson and Dach can play on the right side and have more experience playing with Caufield and Suzuki. Newhook has played center and left-wing so far in his career, so he would have to get acclimated to his off-wing.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone to find Dach playing center on the second line this season. He is suited for the top six, at the very least. After the chemistry he formed with Caufield and Suzuki, I also wouldn’t be surprised to find him lining up on the right wing at times if the team needs a goal or to switch things around for the remainder of a game. Slafkovsky didn’t have the rookie season many hoped for in Montreal, especially with his injury. Well, he’s back at full health and has been working hard to improve his game. If he’s already being looked at in the top-six after coming off of four goals and 10 points in 36 games, the Canadiens have confidence in him to give him the best opportunity to succeed.
Monahan was the second-line center for the Canadiens last season when he was healthy, so I was expecting his name to show up there again. It was clear that he improved the team while he was present in the games, but the Canadiens also didn’t have Newhook yet or much insight into how Slafkovsky would play in the NHL. Monahan should serve well in a third-line center role, but I wouldn’t be shocked to find him higher up to help out the second line. Gallagher, like Anderson, is right where he should be. As for Harvey-Pinard, it shouldn’t surprise you that he could find himself in a third-line role. Any lower and his scoring ability won’t really have an impact, and there isn’t much space for him any higher in the lineup. He’s still eligible to be sent down without waivers, but I don’t see the Canadiens doing that.
There are a couple of interesting things to point out about the projected lineup here on the fourth line. This was crafted before Tanner Pearson was acquired, so we can easily imagine Pezzetta coming out for Pearson there. Evans has been the fourth-line center in the past and is a strong option for the Canadiens. I wouldn’t expect to find him higher with how much talent fills the roster. But what is intriguing is Dvorak’s place in the lineup when he’s healthy. If this comes true, he has had a quick fall from a top-six center to an average third-line center or fourth-liner.
As for the right side, Engels believes that Heineman is ready to step into the NHL. He has three-plus seasons of experience in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) and spent some time last season in the American Hockey League (AHL). While he does have professional experience, he is also younger than Jesse Ylonen and Lias Andersson and isn’t eligible for waivers. I think it might be too soon for Heineman to make the team and get in the lineup without more injuries.
Defender Moved Around in Montreal
The Canadiens have no shortage of defensemen coming very soon. This includes Justin Barron (who arguably could already be a full-time NHLer), David Reinbacher, Lane Hutson, Logan Mailloux, and more. But right now, it doesn’t seem like any of them will make the team this season since they are all exempt from waivers, and there are those who aren’t.
Of the Canadiens’ top-six defensemen expected to slot in to start this season, only one of them played even close to a full season in 2022-23, and that was underappreciated Johnathan Kovacevic. He’s nothing special, but he does his job and has earned a spot on the team. I have no issue with him playing a full season on the right side again for the Canadiens.
The first surprise comes with the potential of Guhle getting a top pairing role. With the amount of left-shot defensemen on the team right now, it comes as no surprise that this moves him over to the right side of the ice to play alongside Matheson. I and many others, although wanting Guhle to get a shot like this to play top minutes, thought Savard was bound to be in that role again. Savard is definitely more suited for a shutdown second-pairing role, so all in all, this could be a great move.
Last season, both Harris and Xhekaj were rookies, but Harris got over three more minutes of ice time than Xhekaj, who looked like he would fit in well as a third-pairing option. He surprised with his shot and physicality, but Engels has him playing top-four minutes this season. In my opinion, I don’t know how long that will last if it comes to pass, but Savard could also be a partner that allows Xhekaj to thrive and produce more this season. We have really only seen 51 games from Xhekaj, so there is a test in front of him if he is to be a top-four defenseman on the Canadiens this season.
Canadiens Goalies Right Where They Should Be
From before Casey DeSmith was acquired and then traded away, it was expected that Montembeault and Allen would go into this season as a tandem. DeSmith brought in a bit of panic until he was dealt, but Primeau’s presence may also cause some concern. It was believed that DeSmith was acquired to add some goaltending depth if Primeau were to be taken off of waivers if he didn’t make the Canadiens in training camp. He is NHL-ready and another team could take a chance on him if there’s an injury.
Some, such as Engels and myself, think that it might be best to keep Primeau on the NHL roster to begin the season and give him some starts. That way the team can get an even better look at him in games that matter more before potentially losing him. There is an easy way to keep him on the roster, and that’s to only have one extra forward and defenseman in the NHL. I assume Joel Armia or Pezzetta can be that at forward, and Chris Wideman or Gustav Lindstrom can be that on defense. Losing any of them would cause far less stress than Primeau.
Related: Canadiens’ Goalie Tandem Among NHL’s Worst This Season
Opportunity sure seems to be afoot in Montreal, and that can only mean good things for the future. The Canadiens won’t be competing this season and likely won’t next season, but giving young players a chance to shine will only benefit them and the team moving forward.
