The Montreal Canadiens 2021-22 NHL Season In Review

The Montreal Canadiens were in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2021 advancing all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, but this season they found themselves out of the running early for the playoffs, at least they did win the lottery at the end of the day.

Let’s start a new series here at Puck Prose where we highlight the 2021-22 season for different teams. First up: The Montreal Canadiens.

The Rundown:

Record: 22-49-11 (55 Points)
Finish: 8th in Atlantic Division
Goal Leader: Cole Caufield – 23 Goals
Point Leader: Nick Suzuki – 61 Points
Time On Ice Leader: Ben Chiarot 23:33 ATOI
Top Goalie: Sam Montembeault  8-18-6 Record
Key Injuries: Carey Price, Shea Weber, Jake Allen, Cole Caufield

Best Player Performance:

The Montreal Canadiens had a lot of injuries and a lot of issues this past season, but I guess one big success of the season has to be that Nick Suzuki played in every game. While the Canadiens struggled, Suzuki played relatively well, putting up 61 points at 22, and he won almost 50 percent of his faceoffs.

As the team goes forward in their rebuild, it is excellent for them to know that they can build their lineup around Suzuki and other young guys like Alexander Romanov and Cole Caufield, who both played a lot of games this season.

Overall Takeaways:

The overall takeaway of the season has to be a lot can change in one year. In 2021 the Canadiens were just a few wins away from hoisting the Stanley Cup, then this past season, they found themselves winning the draft lottery.

Maybe Montreal is not the best team in history to make it to the Stanley Cup Final, or perhaps losing Phillip Danault hurt them more than they realized, or maybe it was the injuries to so many big players like Weber and Price that cost them another chance at the playoffs. It was a combination of all those factors and then some.

NHL Draft:

So what is coming up at the NHL Draft? The Canadiens won the lottery and are drafting first overall this summer. They also own Calgary’s first-round pick, and they have two seconds, three thirds, three fourths, and some more picks in the later rounds.

This Canadiens team is rebuilding, and the draft will be critical for them to build their roster for the future. With the top overall pick, it is a guarantee that they will be able to bring in a really talented player like Shane Wright. After that first pick, things won’t be as easy as they look for the best of the best around the world.

Hopes For Next Season:

I do not think many people expected the Canadiens to fall as much as they did this past season. Next year’s expectations might match the result. Montreal is rebuilding which means their on-ice performance next season might not be the best either. But with the additions they make at the draft in the upcoming months at least, there will be some young talent available to watch!