Canadiens get younger with rebuild underway

After the NHL Draft, free agency and other offseason moves, NHL.com is examining where each team stands ahead of the 2022-23 regular season, which starts on Oct. 7. Today, the Montreal Canadiens:

2021-22 season: 22-49-11, eighth in Atlantic Division; did not qualify for Stanley Cup Playoffs

Key arrivals

Kirby Dach, C:The 21-year-old was acquired in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks at the 2022 NHL Draft on July 7 for the No. 13 and No. 66 pick. Dach had 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) in 70 games last season, his third in the NHL after Chicago selected him with the No. 3 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. … Mike Matheson, D:The 28-year-old was acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins on July 16 for defenseman Jeff Petry and forward Ryan Poehling. Matheson had 31 points, including an NHL career-high 11 goals, in 74 regular-season games and six points (one goal, five assists) in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games last season. … Evgenii Dadonov, F: The 33-year-old was acquired in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights on June 16 for defenseman Shea Weber. Dadonov had 43 points (20 goals, 23 assists) in 78 games last season.

Key departures

Jeff Petry, D:Petry had 27 points (six goals, 21 assists) in 68 games last season. He had spent the eight seasons in Montreal, including the past three as an alternate captain. ... Alexander Romanov, D:Romanov, who was traded to the New York Islanders during the 2022 draft for the No. 13 pick, had 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 79 games last season, his second in the NHL. ... Ryan Poehling, F: Poehling had 17 points (nine goals, eight assists) in 57 games last season. … Mathieu Perreault, F: Perreault, who is still an unrestricted free agent, had nine points (four goals, five assists) in 25 games last season, his first in Montreal. … Kale Clague, D:Clague signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Buffalo Sabres on July 13. He had 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 36 games with the Los Angeles Kings and Canadiens last season, including five points (two goals, three assists) in 25 games with Montreal after he was claimed off waivers on Dec. 4. ...Laurent Dauphin, F:Dauphin signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Arizona Coyotes on July 13 after he had 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 38 games last season.

On the cusp

Juraj Slafkovsky, F:The 18-year-old, who was selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft, will have every opportunity to make the Canadiens' opening night roster. The 6-foot-3, 218-pound left wing had 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 31 regular-season games for TPS in Liiga, Finland's top professional league, and seven points (two goals, five assists) in 18 playoff games. Slafkovsky was also voted the most valuable player of the 2022 Beijing Olympics, when he scored seven goals to help Slovakia win the bronze medal. ... Justin Barron, D: The 20-year-old had two points (one goal, one assist) in five games with Montreal before sustaining a season-ending ankle injury that did not require surgery. A first-round pick (No. 25) by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2020 NHL Draft, Barron was acquired in a trade for forward Artturi Lehkonen on March 21. … Jordan Harris, D:The 22-year-old, who was a third-round pick (No. 71) in the 2018 NHL Draft, scored one goal in 10 games with the Canadiens after signing a two-year, entry-level contract on March 26. Harris also had 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in 39 games as a senior at Northeastern University.

What they still need

Clarity at goaltending. Carey Price returned to make five starts at the end of last season, but the uncertainty surrounding the health of his knee remains a formidable obstacle in shaping Montreal's roster.

They said it

"Our guys worked pretty hard last year once [coach Martin St. Louis] came on board to try to salvage the season, and we feel that it was important that we gave them the opportunity to take a step forward as a group this year. I don't think we're believing that we're going to go compete for a Stanley Cup. We know that, but we do want to have the ability to compete every night." -- Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes on Martin St. Louis, who agreed to a three-year contract to remain coach on June 1

Fantasy focus

Slafkovsky has serious fantasy upside if he makes the Canadiens roster and plays on the top line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Slafkovsky is ranked third among rookies in NHL.com's fantasy top 250, behind Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers and Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power, and is worth targeting in the late rounds with a realistic ceiling of leading his class in goals. Although Montreal is still rebuilding, it has a young core worth prioritizing in keeper and dynasty leagues in Caufield, Slafkovsky, Suzuki and Dach. -- Pete Jensen

Projected lineup

Josh Anderson -- Nick Suzuki -- Cole Caufield
Jonathan Drouin -- Kirby Dach -- Brendan Gallagher
Mike Hoffman -- Christian Dvorak -- Evgenii Dadonov
Rem Pitlick -- Jake Evans -- Joel Armia
Joel Edmundson -- Chris Wideman
Mike Matheson -- David Savard
Jordan Harris -- Justin Barron
Carey Price
Jake Allen