How the Canadiens’ Youth Movement Is Leading the Team

Now, the Canadiens have pieced together one of the best-looking teams in hockey so far this season and it’s all due to the hunger of the kids. Their desire to want to get better and give 100% every night really shows. They want to win now.

Canadiens’ Young Core Leading the Charge on the Ice

When the Canadiens get the puck, they’re so dangerous. The presence Lane Hutson commands at the blue line speaks volumes by itself. He’s like a young Cale Makar walking the line. Hutson doesn’t need a lot of time to scan and diagnose a play and can always fit a puck through a screen to score or get a rebound chance in front of the net. On Oct. 16 against the Nashville Predators, Hutson saved a shot on an empty net chance and made a stretch pass to Caufield, who scored the game-tying goal. That eight-year contract extension is looking so good right now, as he has nine points so far.

Even when the Canadiens don’t score a goal, the duo of Demidov and Hutson shines, as they’re both wicked fast and have phenomenal hands. The two of them showcased that against the Buffalo Sabres when they kept passing and dropping the puck back to one another, leading to an eventual grade-A scoring chance. Demidov had two assists and a power-play goal against the Canucks on Saturday, making it a three-point night.

It’s not only them; the whole team is performing exceptionally well. Alex Newhook and Oliver Kapanen are emerging as goal scorers, with Newhook having three and Kapanen having four. The Noah Dobson trade has taken off, and he looks as motivated as ever. Then, Suzuki, with his 11 assists, and Caufield, with his seven goals, have taken over the first line.

When talking about the current Canadiens play, you cannot forget Jakub Dobes , the 24-year-old machine in between the pipes. He has quickly become one of the best young goaltenders in the NHL and has kept the Canadiens in many contests, averaging 28 saves per game, including a 36-save night against the Calgary Flames. Dobes has a .940 save percentage (SV%) and a 1.77 goals-against average (GAA) through five starts, and according to Sportsnet, is the first rookie in back-to-back seasons to start undefeated.

The Canadiens sit with the best record in the Atlantic Division and are in a three-way tie for having the best record in hockey with the Utah Mammoth and the New Jersey Devils, an Eastern Conference foe. Unless something drastic happens, this should keep up all season long. Head coach Martin St. Louis has them pointed in the right direction; they just have to keep flying.