An early look at the 2021-22 Canadiens

MONTREAL -- With a slew of new players arriving, in addition to the bevy of young players looking to make their mark, the Montreal Canadiens will have a fresh look heading into the 2021-22 season.

And while it's impossible to predict exactly how the newcomers and youngsters will mesh with the longstanding veterans, there seems to be a distinct shift in philosophy when it comes to the desired results.
The Canadiens kept much of the core that brought them to the cusp of the Stanley Cup last season, but favored a much more offensive approach to their roster-building compared to previous seasons, with plenty of opportunities for their young stars to take the next step in their careers.
That doesn't necessarily mean they'll abandon the defensive approach that served them well for the last decade, but in theory, the current lineup should lead to more exciting plays in the offensive zone, and ideally, a lot more pucks in the opposing net.
Breakout Candidate
The best is yet to come for 20-year-old Cole Caufield. And given his incredibly successful 2020-21 season, which saw him bring home a plethora of awards and accolades, including the Hobey Baker trophy as the NCAA's best player, the bar is already set rather high.
He'll arrive at training camp as one of the clear-cut favorites to win the Calder Trophy, but he'll be doing so having already established his value to the team, thanks to an extended audition last season which saw him play 10 regular season games, in addition to 20 playoff games.
It remains to be seen whether he can maintain his production from last season -- which, prorated to an 82-game schedule, was an impressive 33-goal pace -- but there's one thing we know for certain: Caufield is a game-breaking talent, the type of player that the Canadiens have desperately searched for over the last decade or so.

It's perhaps unfair to heap such lofty expectations on such a young player, but if there's one constant in Caufield's goal-filled path to the NHL, it's that he's the type of player who not only rises to the challenge, but actually embraces the opportunity to shine under pressure, as evidenced by his 2.15 points per 60 minutes of ice time in the playoffs last season, the high mark among all Canadiens players.
He also maintained positive underlying numbers at 5v5 during the regular season, connoting that his production is not only sustainable but should also only improve as he finds his rhythm in the NHL.
As for the power play, he won't just score goals with the man advantage. The threat of his shot, one of the best in the League, will open up passing lanes and scoring opportunities for his teammates.
Caufield may not finish his rookie season as the Canadiens' best goal scorer, nor should anyone count on him to do so, however, he will provide the type of high-danger scoring chances that lead to prolonged shifts in the offensive zone.
Simply put, Caufield is perfect for a market like Montreal. He wants to be a star and has the focus, dedication, and talent to reach star status.
Center Watch
With the departure of Phillip Danault, a unique opportunity has presented itself to Nick Suzuki. His ice time should increase significantly, as will his responsibilities as he's the front runner for the No.1 center spot on the team.
With that increase in responsibility, Suzuki will finally have the chance to show the rest of the hockey world his most underrated asset: defensive awareness.
That's not to say the Canadiens won't miss Danault's services, but Suzuki can follow in Danault's defensive footsteps, in addition to providing the type of offense that's expected from anyone playing big minutes on the top line.

The quality of competition will increase, but so will his quality of linemates, especially if Suzuki is given the opportunity to play with Brendan Gallagher.
It's no longer a secret: Gallagher is hockey's equivalent of a cheat code.
No other player on the roster can improve his teammates, as well as increase their offensive opportunities exponentially every time he's on the ice.
For example, when Gallagher was on the ice with Danault, their possession numbers hovered near the 57 percent mark -- an astonishing number. When separated, Danault's shot metrics dropped below 47 percent, whereas Gallagher maintained a positive impact.
There are centers in the League that can shut down opposing forwards while providing a reliable source of offense, and there's no guarantee Suzuki will accomplish this task with perfection next season, but he's certainly well-suited for the role, especially if he gets a little help from an analytics superstar like Gallagher.
Snipers
You could argue the Habs currently have the best offensive lineup in terms of potential goal-scoring they've had in the last few years.
Mike Hoffman, Josh Anderson, and Tyler Toffoli will provide goals, but they'll employ a different style to do so.
Hoffman is a traditional sniper, in the sense that he utilizes an elite release combined with perfect accuracy to score the vast majority of his goals. You can count on him to provide a 25-goal season, if not more, depending on how quickly the team's power play units find chemistry.

Anderson is similar to Hoffman, in that he uses high-danger chances to score, however, he tends to drive the net and generate his own chances due to positioning rather than an elite release.
Toffoli finds himself on the other end of the spectrum, using an elevated quantity of shots to generate his chances, much like we've seen from Gallagher over the years
The trio of talented wingers should do more than just drive the offense at 5v5, though that's certainly a rather important aspect of their duties. They should provide the lion's share of the offense on the power play, especially if Hoffman maintains the elite goal-scoring rate he's established on previous teams with the man advantage.
Darkhorse Potential
The Canadiens solidified their bottom-six with the acquisition of Mathieu Perreault and Cedric Paquette, to the point that they should easily outshine any combination that was put together last season.
However, injuries happen, and if the Canadiens were to require the service of one of their prospects, there are a few that would fit the bill.
Ryan Poehling, in particular, is the most interesting player in the potential call-up pool. After a somewhat underwhelming rookie season in the AHL, Poehling established himself as one of the Laval Rocket's best players last season.
Not only did he significantly increase his production, from 0.36 points-per-game to 0.89 PPG, but he also took the steps necessary to take the next jump in his career. His defensive game has improved by leaps and bounds, as has his skating, strength, and ability to properly utilize his wingers during any given shift.
Jesse Ylönen also has the potential to surprise this year, due to his elite shot and fantastic skating. He's not the type of player you'd put in the bottom-six, but if there's an opening in the top two lines, Ylönen would be the logical choice to provide instant offense.
Rafaël Harvey-Pinard still has some learning to do in the AHL, but if his rookie season is any indication, he's the perfect option for a call-up if the Canadiens are looking for some Gallagher-style grit. He won't score as many goals as Gallagher, but he will drive opponents crazy while making his bed in the opposing crease.
Blueline Challenge
With the news that captain Shea Weber will miss an extended period of time next season, there will certainly be many minutes, and roles, to fill on the blue line.
As per usual, it will be up to Jeff Petry to lead the charge in Weber's absence, and seeing as he's a model of consistency, both offensively and defensively, you can be confident that Petry will fulfill his 5v5 duties with aplomb.

As for the power play, Petry will once again be one of Montreal's key players, and though he doesn't possess the same physics-defying shot as Weber, he is among the most productive defensemen with the man advantage in the League, as evidenced by his 15 power play points last season, the 10th highest mark among all blue-liners.
Using a four-forward power play unit will also mitigate some of the impact of Weber's loss, though it does still leave the need for a power play quarterback on the second unit, a role that could potentially be filled by Alexander Romanov.
His vision, combined with his penchant for walking the blue line and opening up passing lanes for forwards, makes him one of the most interesting options to receive a healthy increase of power play minutes.

David Savard and Brett Kulak are also options on the power play, but they'd be best served to join Ben Chiarot and Joel Edmunson as the players who are tasked with playing a shutdown role during 5v5 play, a task in which they tend to excel.
Last Line of Defense
After undergoing successful knee surgery, Carey Price is expected to resume his duties as the Canadiens' undisputed superstar, but similar to last season, expect his workload to be much more reasonable than it was in the yesteryears.
As we saw during the Canadiens' exciting Stanley Cup run, a rested Price is the best version of Price, which puts an onus on Jake Allen, who performed his duties perfectly in his first season with the team, to maintain his high level of play as Price's backstop.
But don't be shocked if we see a third goaltender in the mix. Cayden Primeau is not quite ready to take on full-time goaltending duties in the NHL, but as the heir apparent, he's likely to receive a few starts if the opportunity arises.
Final Word
It's quite difficult to envision exactly where the Canadiens will end up at the end of the regular season, especially with the turnover at both the NHL and AHL level, however, given the likelihood that they'll add a significant number of goals to the lineup, as long as they maintain a respectable level of offense, punching a ticket for the 2022 postseason is a reasonable goal.
And once the playoffs start, as we saw last year, all bets are off. It's a different kind of test, one that the Canadiens are more than ready to take.
But in the long run, the season will serve as a measuring stick to gauge the progress and readiness of certain players to accept a much bigger role on the team, as well as the value of a revamped development program.
The veterans must continue to lead the way, but it's almost time for the next generation to take the reins.