How Good Can The Montreal Canadiens Defense Be This Season?

The Montreal Canadiens had an excellent offseason. The big acquisition was the trade of Defenseman Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders at the end of June. With this big name coming to join the blueline, how good can the Montreal defense become this year? If we take a deeper look at it, this is a group that could be an underrated defense group going into the season. 

Montreal Canadiens Defense Core Looks Good With Hutson and Dobson 

The Montreal Canadiens’ defense is looking good for next season as it features two premium defensemen at the position. Lane Hutson, the reigning Calder Trophy winner, had excellent production last season. He played all 82 games, scoring 6 goals and adding 60 assists. He was one of the best all-around defenseman in the league last year. He truly had a remarkable rookie season. 

Add in Noah Dobson, who had a down year last season with the New York Islanders, and is looking for a fresh start. Just two seasons ago, Dobson was an elite defenseman, putting up 70 points and scoring 10 goals. Both Dobson and Hutson averaged over 20 minutes on ice last season, which are numbers worthy of being a No. 1 defenseman. This defense group will be exciting because it has two top defenseman.. 

Questions Facing the Montreal Defense

How will Dobson fit in right away? There’s always the chance that it will take some time for him to adapt to a new team. Whatever issues he might have shouldn’t be too big a deal, as usually once training camp gets underway and preseason gets started, the player tends to get more comfortable in a new system. It doesn’t happen that fast for everyone, however. 

The defense for the Montreal Canadiens is looking bright, just like the future for the team as a whole is looking bright. They exceeded expectations last season by making the playoffs and are aiming higher this season.