Are the Montreal Canadiens Building the Next NHL Superteam?

It feels like the Montreal Canadiens are on the verge of building something great.

The Habs play a blistering-fast pace and possess an exciting young core that has Montrealers thinking that a first Stanley Cup championship since 1993 could arrive sooner rather than later.

A redux of the "Flying Frenchmen" is underway thanks to the talented roster and culture change that general manager Kent Hughes and president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton have instilled at Bell Centre.

Hughes and Gorton have given head coach Martin St. Louis the patience and trust needed to mentor this team and build from learning moments.

St. Louis has hung a poster in the Canadiens’ dressing room: “Win The Day.” Though it sounds like something out of Ted Lasso, it keeps players focused on immediate goals through smaller steps while keeping the ultimate goal in mind.

Through seven games, Montreal ranks second in the Atlantic Division with a 5-2-0 record and 10 points.

Top line forwards Nick Suzuki (89 points – 30 goals, 59 assists) and Cole Caufield (70 points – 37 goals, 33 assists) each eclipsed the 70-point mark last season.  

Suzuki has already recorded 10 points (one goal, nine assists) through seven games, while Caufield has registered eight points (five goals, three assists) over the same span.

Star defenseman Lane Hutson is coming off a Calder Trophy-winning rookie season, and Hughes bolstered the blue line by adding former 70-point defenseman Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders.

Then, there’s the game-changing talent of rookie right wing Ivan Demidov. The 19-year-old entered the preseason as the favorite to win the Calder Trophy.

Demidov’s unpredictable and flashy style of play will remind Montrealers of former Hab Alexei Kovalev. In a city that adored the flamboyant play of Guy Lafleur, Demidov is going to be a big deal.

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