Nick Suzuki, C -- He led the Canadiens in points (NHL career-high 61 in 82 games), points per game (0.74), even-strength points (38) and power-play points (20) last season. He has become a workhorse No. 1 center (ranked 14th among NHL forwards with 20:31 of ice time per game), thrived on a line with Caufield down the stretch (34 points in final 37 games), and could be a fantasy bargain based on average draft position if available anytime outside the top 120 overall.
NHL.com point projection for Suzuki: 60
Juraj Slafkovsky, LW -- It's unclear if Slafkovsky, the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, will play in the League this season, but he's still a fringe top five rookie in NHL.com's fantasy rankings and should be considered a fringe top 150 overall player with a chance to land in Montreal's top six. Slafkovsky scored seven goals in seven games for Slovakia at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and forms a strong young core for long-term fantasy leagues with Caufield, Suzuki and center Kirby Dach (acquired by Canadiens from Chicago Blackhawks after Montreal passed on Shane Wright to draft Slafkovsky).
NHL.com point projection for Slafkovsky: 45
Kirby Dach, C/RW -- He had NHL career highs in points (26 in 70 games), power-play points (six) and shots on goal (116) with the Blackhawks last season despite playing mostly in their bottom six and on the second power play. Dach, the No. 3 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, is a fantasy breakout candidate after the trade to the Canadiens and should be their No. 2 center with likely exposure to a potential bounce-back right wing in either Brendan Gallagher or Josh Anderson, and potentially Slafkovsky.
NHL.com point projection for Dach: 41
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Other MTL players to consider in fantasy: Brendan Gallagher, RW; Mike Matheson, D; Jake Allen, G; Jordan Harris, D; Josh Anderson, RW; Evgenii Dadonov, LW/RW
Injured player: Carey Price, G
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