The Montreal Canadiens have had two difficult transition years, but recent odds released for next season predict fans will have to remain patient.
At the start of the 2022-2023 season, NHL betting odds had the Habs pegged to finish in the bottom-five of the NHL standings.
Due to a combination of historically high injuries, incredible relief offence from Laval and some otherworldly goaltending from Samuel Montembeault, the Montreal Canadiens still ended up finishing 5th-to-last.
It seems that, even with stars like Cole Caufield returned to health and a year older, the expectations are extremely low for the Canadiens next season, as they currently possess the 5th-lowest odds to win the Stanley Cup next season.
Now, it’s completely understandable that the Canadiens wouldn’t be considered contenders for next season, but it is telling that even bookies with smart money aren’t expecting a huge rise in points for Montreal next season, as teams like the Buffalo Sabres, Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins looked primed to make a run for Eastern Conference playoff spots next season.
The Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets, the two other Eastern Conference teams to finish in the bottom 10 this season, are already expected to take on great strides and will be aggressive on the trade front to improve their roster, especially with Ovechkin’s capitals.
As of now, it looks like the Philadelphia Flyers and the Montreal Canadiens could be the young cubs of the East next season.
Thus, the improved firepower of the already potent Atlantic Division, coupled with the steady improvement of every other franchise in the East could prove difficult for the Montreal Canadiens to overcome as of now.
However, as general manager Kent Hughes has said over the last 18 months, they’re currently more worried about how the team is playing, rather than a simple five-to-eight-point boost by returning to the tight and boring style of hockey played in Montreal over the years.
Perhaps the NHL bookies are a little too harsh on their prediction of another bottom-five finish for the Canadiens, but the smart money, as of now, doesn’t have the club rising out of the NHL’s basement just yet.
Much of that initial harshness comes from Hughes’ declarations that they won’t be going big-fish hunting in free agency this summer, and will only look to complete trades that will help the club improve in the long term.
Without bringing much more to the roster in the short term, Hughes is looking to impose a strong sense of accountability in his young team and force them to hit the next level in their development; rather than bring in outside help to move them along like so many failed rebuilds of the past have done.
It may not be what Habs fans want to hear, but the extra time taken now will bear fruit down the line; as the club sets itself up for success both on the ice and off the ice.
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