The Montreal Canadiens barely missed the playoffs last season and will be looking to change that. Here are three key players for the Habs this season.
The Montreal Canadiens missed the playoffs by just two points last year after many people assumed that they wouldn’t even get close. The emergence of Max Domi and the rebound of Carey Price allowed the Habs to tread water until their captain Shea Weber returned and gave the team a fighting chance.
This season they will have a healthy year of Weber, the young team will have a year of experience under their belts, and Carey Price at his full form gives any team a chance. Here are three key players for the Canadiens:
3. Max Domi
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Max Domi played his first season in Montreal last year after getting traded by the Arizona Coyotes. The result was the best season of his career, with a career-high in goals, assists, and points. He lead the team in scoring with 72 points and had the second-most ice-time among Canadiens’ forwards.
Part of his success is credited with his chemistry with the Habs’ first-line center, Tomas Tatar. The two of them both established new career-highs in points and gave the Canadiens a strong first-line to rely on.
Both players had an offensive touch but were also responsible defensively which earned Claude Julien‘s trust. The Habs will need Domi to produce like the first-line player he is supposed to be if they want a shot at the playoffs.
2. Shea Weber
When Shea Weber returned from his injury last season, the Habs became one of the best 5-on-5 teams in the NHL. His big net-front presence, as well as his offensive capabilities, gave the Canadiens’ defense a new weapon to use. Weber and Jeff Petry were heavily relied upon and the pairing played over 23 minutes a night.
Weber isn’t just a great defenceman, he’s also the captain and a leader in the locker room. Having an established veteran presence who has achieved so much success will be important on a team with so much young talent.
The Canadiens’ average age is 27.4 and they are one of the younger teams in the NHL. With young budding talents like Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Nick Suzuki, having Weber there when things aren’t going well or when they are facing uncertainty will be a huge help.
1. Carey Price
Carey Price’s play will make or break the Canadiens’ season. Montreal lives and dies by his goaltending and he is the most important player to the team. Two seasons ago, he had the worst season of his career because of the pile of injuries he suffered throughout the season. He recovered and last season he started looking like himself again.
Having full-Price back guarantees the Canadiens make it to the postseason because when he is on, he is the best goalie in the world. Having Price playing his best hockey, paired with the Habs’ stingy defence and their young scoring talent is a danger to the entire league. The fate of the NHL rests in Price’s glove.