Being put on the top line means a a sorely needed fresh start for Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky. After seeing his development arguably stagnate on a line with Alex Newhook and Josh Anderson, Slafkovsky played with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield against the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 4.
Slafkovsky thankfully scored as a result of the preferential deployment after having been held pointless since the season opener. While he had had a few good games in spite of a lack of production, it had become apparent a change was in order for the sake of his confidence, whether it be in the American Hockey league or on the top line. Head coach Martin St. Louis seems to have made the right decision.
It’s obviously too early to say if the top line is where Slafkovsky will stay. However, it’s at least where many envisioned him playing when the Canadiens drafted him first overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, himself included (from “Stu Cowan: There would be a lot for Canadiens to like about Juraj Slafkovsky,” Montreal Gazette, July 6, 2022). For now though, it’s where he belongs even if only for the change in scenery.
That change has worked wonders so far, albeit for a single game. These other Canadiens players can similarly use changes of fortune for the better, as they’re struggling to start 2023-24 too. Here are the top five Habs who are failing to meet expectations:
5. Sam Montembeault
To be fair, goalie Samuel Montembeault is coming off a game in which he let in an unimpressive five goals. That’s unless you’re looking at it from the perspective of the offensively incapable St. Louis Blues, who scored a season-high six in their 6-3 win over the Canadiens (one empty-net goal).
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So, take Montembeault’s 3.32 goals-against average (GAA) and .894 save percentage (SV%) with a grain of salt. Had this piece been written before the Canadiens’ latest loss, he might not have made the list. Nevertheless, there’s no disputing Montembeault has failed to impress in this season’s early going.
It’s harder to take considering Jake Allen has been so good in comparison (2.72 GAA, .927 SV%). Considering Montembeault is the younger of the two who had been seen as potentially having more of a future with the organization, it’s less than ideal to say the least, especially for him as he’s a pending unrestricted free agent.
For some comparison, Montembeault was among the league leaders in goals saved above expected last season (11.8 according to MoneyPuck). So far this season, he’s at -1.3. Allen being at 4.4 is bad enough, but it’s worse for Montembeault when you consider Cayden Primeau is only at -0.5 (one game). Things can still take a turn for the better in Montembeault’s favor. In his defense, he hasn’t been horrible, just not someone worth committing to over the long haul.
4. Jake Evans
Similar to with Slafkovsky, forward Jake Evans hadn’t hit the scoresheet since the first game of the season. Unlike Slafkovsky after the loss to the Blues, he still hasn’t scored another point.
Of course, expectations are different as Evans is a fourth-line forward, which is why he only takes the No. 4 spot on the list. However, two seasons removed from having scored 13 goals and 29 points, he had hopefully been in line for a bounceback campaign (two goals, 19 points in 54 games in 2022-23). Things seem to be headed in the opposite direction instead.
Evans’ lack of ice time is an obvious contributing factor (13:19). It’s also worth noting it’s decreased the last two seasons, so it’s not all on him. It’s more so how he may be perceived by the Canadiens, which just may be to a degree in contrast.
Evans isn’t under the gun to the same degree as Montembeault, as he has an additional season under contract after this one before hitting free agency. However, the Canadiens are fairly flush at center organizationally speaking. So, he’s going to have to start showing (scoring) more if he wants to stay a Hab once players like Owen Beck are ready for the big time.
3. Mike Matheson
At the other end of the spectrum, you’ve got defenseman Mike Matheson, who leads the Canadiens in ice time. He’s actually also producing relatively in line with expectations (two goals, five assists). However, he’s one case where the numbers don’t tell the whole story, at least not the numbers that are readily accessible.
If you dig deeper, Matheson simply isn’t keeping the puck in the opposite zone effectively. That’s what the eye test also says. It’s prompted speculation he’s injured, which is very possible considering how well he played last season and how well he’s played in spurts this one.
Few should have reasonably expected Matheson to keep up the pace relative to last season. However, any suggestion to that effect was more so with regard to his production, not his overall play. Unfortunately, the opposite is currently true.
On the plus side, Kaiden Guhle has picked up the slack as a potential top-pairing left-handed defenseman. It’s just unfortunate since Matheson is just 29 and was seen as a fixture for the foreseeable future in spite of the youth movement. If it’s gotten to the point where you’re hoping he’s injured, it’s a bad sign, especially considering the team’s injury situation over the last few years (and currently).
2. Alex Newhook
Partly as a result of that injury situation, forward Alex Newhook’s great start to the season has been derailed. With Kirby Dach out for the season, the Canadiens showed confidence in Newhook to replace the former at center. It hasn’t worked out as hoped, with Newhook almost mercifully put back on the wing of a returning Christian Dvorak against the Blues.
Related: Top Canadiens Ramifications of Kirby Dach Injury
To his credit, Newhook notched an assist against the Blues. However, he also assisted on a goal in the team’s previous game, a performance which in part predicated the position switch. As Sportsnet’s Eric Engel wrote, when the Canadiens were still flying high after an optimism-inspiring 3-2 shootout loss to the Stanley Cup-champion Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 30, “Newhook, who has three goals, hasn’t scored since the third game, and his linemates haven’t scored at all.” They’ve now lost three straight, so there’s even more of a sense of urgency in the air.
Slafkovsky was obviously one of those linemates. So, to a degree, the change has gone to plan. It’s just a shame there was only one spot on the top line, as Newhook in principle could complement Caufield and Suzuki fairly well. Nevertheless, a) Slafkovsky has his size going for him, whereas Newhook is just (an admittedly dense) 5-foot-11 and b) that plum assignment doesn’t work for just anyone.
1. Josh Anderson
No one knows that better than Anderson, the third member of that failed second line. Anderson started the season on the top line, but was eventually moved off it, due to a variety of factors. They presumably include that combination rarely having worked in the past… and the Dach injury, which prompted a need to spread out the scoring.
Unfortunately, Anderson hasn’t scored, at all. He has one assist, but that’s obviously not good enough. For one, assisting on goals isn’t exactly his bread and butter. He’s paid to score. In fact he scored a decent 21 last season and has consistently scored at that pace if not greater in his three-plus seasons with the Canadiens.
As a result, it’s hard to see that second line’s lack of success as being Anderson’s fault. He’s not meant to be the straw that stirs the drink, but rather its finish. That finish has obviously been lacking for him altogether, which should prompt questions as to what his role on this team is.
Anderson is a physical (and fast) force, who helps create space for his linemates, so there is undeniable value in his game. However, with a cap hit of $5.5 million per season, he needs to be scoring for it to be worth it.
At this point, it’s fairly clear general manager Kent Hughes sees Anderson as being a part of the core. It’s been reported Hughes has turned down offers for the power forward in the past. So, this is more a case of finding the right home for Anderson in the Canadiens lineup than a different home altogether. He has his place, but if it’s not on the first line and not on the second… well, long story short, he’s need to get going to live up to his contract, more than anyone else on this list.