It won’t be as dire as everyone thinks.
It’s unlikely that the Montreal Canadiens will make the playoffs, or even be on the playoff bubble. The team’s rebuild is in its infancy and the Atlantic Division is the toughest in hockey. But that doesn’t mean the Habs won’t significantly improve.
Here are four bold predictions for this season.
Feel free to come back at season’s end and ridicule these takes.
1) The Canadiens will accumulate 80-points in the standings
Last season Montreal finished with 68-points and an increase of 12-points is realistic. The team dealt with significant injuries to players like Cole Caufield, Mike Matheson, Sean Monahan and Kirby Dach. They started last season with five rookie defenseman and an 18-year-old first overall pick, most should progress nicely in their second full seasons. Finally, getting rid of the dead weight in exchange for young hungry players will provide a nice bump in points.
2) Juaj Slafkovsky will get more than 42-points
Slafkovsky’s first season wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. The season started with a wide eyed enthusiastic kid looking to make an impact and finished with dejection, a loss of confidence and an injury. He was limited to just 39-games.
While ending the season hurt wasn’t ideal, Slafkovsky was able to take the time off to heal up and spend time in the gym getting leaner and quicker. His training camp was solid scoring two goals and earning a role in the top-6. Playing with a pass first guy like Kirby Dach, if Slafkovsky goes into traffic and to the net the goals and points will come.
3) The Canadiens will have a top-10 powerplay
This bold prediction, maybe a little more difficult to justify. The powerplay a year ago was putrid. Not only did it not score with any regularity, it often zapped momentum. The powerplay was effective just 16 per cent, good for 29th in league.
With so much focus from the coaching staff placed on this area of the game, I think they’ll find solutions. If you look at the first unit, three important pieces in Monahan, Matheson and Caufield missed large stretches of time. That’s your quarterback, trigger man and goal line player. Their presence can’t be understated.
4) Cole Caufield will score 50-goals!
Need we say more…? He would have done it last season if not for the injury.
A couple notes head of tonight’s game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Candiens.
Who to watch for tonight:
For the Habs, watch out for Josh Anderson who loves playing against Toronto. He has 13-goals in 30 career games against the Maple Leafs.
Meanwhile Auston Matthews has recorded 23-goals in 33 games against Montreal.
Lineups:
Montreal Canadiens:
Forward:
Caufield – Suzuki – Anderson
Newhook – Dach – Slafkovsky
Pearson – Monahan – Gallagher
Harvey-Pinard – Evans – Ylönen
Pezzetta
Defence:
Matheson – Savard
Guhle – Kovacevic
Xhekaj – Harris
Barron
Allen
Montembeault
Primeau
Toronto Maple Leafs:
Forward:
Bertuzzi – Matthews – Marner
Domi – Tavares – Nylander
Knies- Minten -Jarnkrok
Gregor – Kampf – Reaves
Defence:
Rielly – Brodie
McCabe – Klingberg
Giordano – Liljegren
Samsonov
Woll
Enjoy the game everyone.
thehabsblog.com 
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