The Montreal Canadiens plan for a great 2024 season

With no playoff appearances, the Montreal Canadiens' season is almost over. But since October, they have taken steps in the right direction, both at the team level and with the individual development of their top players. They surpassed last season's 68 points and also had career years from star players Nick Suzuki, Cole Caulfield, Mike Matheson and 2022 first-round draft pick Juraj Slafkowski. Now that the season is winding down, Canadiens General Manager (GM) Kent Hughes must figure out where the Habs are and an offseason game plan to take the next step.

The Canadiens need to sign key prospects

Hughes has already begun signing top prospects from the NCAA and overseas. With Boston University (BU) finishing early in the Frozen Four, Hughes was able to sign star defenseman Lane Hutson to a three-year entry-level contract (ELC) and 2020 NHL draft second-round pick Luke Tuch to two years. ELC.

Starting with Caufield, Hutson may be one of the most anticipated prospects to play in Montreal. The 5-foot-10 defenseman is often compared to star young defensemen Adam Fox of the New York Rangers and Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche. If he can play at their level in the NHL, he will be an instant star.

Tuch's signing was a bit more complicated. The Canadiens originally wanted to sign him last season, but Tuch declined and spent another year at BU. Montreal wanted him to sign an amateur tryout (ATO) contract with the Laval Rockets of the American Hockey League (AHL) this season. Tuch, however, wanted to get his ELC right away in order to hit free agency early.

The Canadiens also have several restricted free agents (RFAs) who will need contracts this offseason, most notably Arber Hekage, Jesse Ilonen and Justin Barron. Xhekaj is the most important signing and could sign soon. His gritty style of play, excellent skating and puck-handling abilities give him an edge over the other two.

Barron and Ylonen were left in a difficult position, as neither player played well enough to convince management that they were a must-sign. Both have great skill but can't put it together at the NHL level, and both have regressed in terms of production this season. Barron can get the benefit of the doubt because he's a quarterback and they usually take more time to develop. However, Ilonen may have played his last games in Montreal. Hughes will have to determine who moves forward, and Montreal will have $18.7 million in cap space next season, including long-term injury reserve (LTIR) money, when Carey Price is placed on LTIR.

Canadians will have to make some trade-offs

Hughes needs to quickly decide who he wants on Montreal's defense in the future, especially on the left side. At the NHL level, they are already loaded with Matheson, Hekage, Jayden Struble, Kayden Goulet, Jordan Harris and now Hutson. All but Struble have top-four potential, and Matheson and Goulet have established themselves as top-pair defenders.

With the emergence of Hutson and his potential to become a regular NHLer next season, something has to give. Hutson played just one game but looked very good and logged over 20 minutes and an assist. The Canadiens also have David Savard, Jonathan Kovacevic, Logan Mailloux and Barron on the right side. Granted, the right side is manageable, with Savard and Kovacevic in the final years of their contracts, and Mailleux and Barron not yet full-time NHL employees.

With six potential starters on the left side and two players who will be unrestricted free agents (UFAs) at the end of the season, Hughes must clear space by September to give his players the ice time they need. This will not be an easy decision for the GM, as he will have to determine who is needed in the future and whether or not the players are ready for the next level. Savard and Kovacevic will be traded regardless of the 2025 trade deadline, but it would be wise to move at least one of them in the offseason.

It is even more difficult for the left. Matheson P.K. The best offensive defenseman since Subban, but he also gets in the way of Hutson, who could be the best offensive defenseman for Montreal. The team has the ability to move Matheson, and his value is high enough that he is coming off the best season of his career on an offensive team.

Related: Canadiens' Lane Hutson scores first point in NHL debut

Hughes could also bring out some young players like Harris, Struble or Barron. If they feel Hutson isn't ready to take Matheson's place, Hughes could move one of the younger players in hopes of getting the most value instead. Struble is an easy moving target, as Hekaid is as much a defender as he is an attacker. Barron is an RFA and hasn't established himself as a full-time NHL player. It can be moved to make sure there's room for David Reinbacher and Maylu. Either way, Hughes should move some quarterbacks in the offseason, which could help improve his offense depending on his return.

Not only does Hughes need a trade to make room on the blue line, but he also needs an offense. With so many defensive players, he can use them plus His four first-round picks and 24 overall draft picks over the next two seasons to get the young offensive star. This can greatly improve the team and kill several birds with one stone.

Canadians need to attack during the draft

The 2024 NHL Draft will be Hughes' third as the Canadiens' CEO. His first draft in 2022 in Montreal could be one of the team's best in decades. In that draft, he was able to select Slafkowski, Hutson, Filip Mesar, Owen Beck and Adam Engstrom, all of whom are looking to have successful careers in the NHL. Last season's draft may be good, but it may not be in a draft that's rich going forward. The Habs went against the grain and took Reinbacher fifth overall, with Matvey Michkov and Ryan Leonard still on the board. They also went heavy on the net, using three of nine picks to draft Jacob Fowler, Quentin Miller and Evgeni Volokhin. Fowler dominated the NCAA this season, and Volokhin did the same in the Russian Junior League (MHL).

This year's draft is heavy on defense in the first round, so it's safe to say Hughes will draft a forward if you expect the unexpected. Not because he wanted to go against the norm, but because he had no choice. The team is starved offensively and they have too many potential top defenders and goaltenders. The Canadiens will draft fifth or sixth and have a high-quality forward available. Hughes knows he needs an offensive star, and he knows this is a great place to get the draft.

Maclin Celebrini should go first, but once he's drafted, three, possibly four, defensemen will be drafted before Montreal's pick. If so, one of Ivan Demidov, Kaiden Lindstrom, Berkley Catton, Cole Eiserman or Tij Iginla will be available, and any of those forwards is what the Habs need.

No matter what the Canadiens do this season — they're busy — they're on the cusp of taking the next step and making the playoffs. To take the next step, they need to fill a hole or two in their lineup, which is another top-six offensive player and some skilled depth. If they can achieve that this offseason, the playoffs will become a reality, and with young players lacking experience, the drive for 25 could begin sooner than anyone thinks.