The injury bug has once again struck the Montreal Canadiens this season. Currently, forwards Alex Newhook, Kirby Dach, Patrik Laine, as well as defenceman Kaiden Guhle, are out long-term with injury. Despite various additions in the offseason, these injuries have exposed the Canadiens lack of depth both up front and on defence. Thankfully, Montreal’s stars have been carrying the load, but the depth is evidently starting to hinder the team. Let’s analyze the Canadiens depth and discuss how they can improve upon their current roster.
Montreal Canadiens Depth Analysis
Forward Depth
Montreal’s centre depth has been a question mark over the last several years. Dach, who was expected to be the solution, has been hampered by injuries. Currently, Oliver Kapanen is slotted in the number two spot. However, despite a good start to the year, he isn’t the solution in that role. Furthermore, Montreal’s bottom six as a whole has struggled to produce anything offensively and is searching for an identity.
Brendan Gallagher has long been a fan favourite, but it’s clear that he isn’t an NHL-calibre player anymore. Number eleven gives his heart and soul on every shift, but his foot speed and endurance are failing him at his age. His linemate, Josh Anderson, also has been struggling this season. His impact in the playoffs was well-needed, but he has become too inconsistent to remain a reliable option. The two veterans are both on large contracts that are set to expire at the end of the 2026-27 season.
Speaking of contracts, Jake Evans signed a new deal last season to solidify the Canadiens bottom-six centre core for the foreseeable future. However, this season has been a struggle for him at both ends of the ice. He has been nowhere near the level that we saw last season. The rest of the team’s bottom six has been filled out by Joe Veleno, newly acquired Alex Texier, Zachary Bolduc, and a mixture of rookies. Veleno, who was signed in the offseason, has been irrelevant offensively with only a single point on the year. Montreal recently signed Texier to a one-year deal, and he has climbed his way into a top-six position in place of the struggling Bolduc.
Prosects Failed to Capitalize
The rookies that have come up, Joshua Roy, Jared Davidson, Owen Beck, and Florian Xhekaj, haven’t provided much support either. Three of them have all been sent back to Laval, while Davidson’s return to the minors is on the horizon. Many depth players and prospects have had the chance to seize a roster spot with the injuries, but nobody has been able to capitalize.
Defensive Depth
The Canadiens defensive depth hasn’t been much better. Veteran Alex Carrier was a huge reason for the Canadiens turnaround last season after being acquired from Nashville. However, this season has been a disaster, and he has been the team’s worst defenceman. Carrier has been a hindrance in his own zone and on the penalty kill. Furthermore, he doesn’t provide much in the way of offense. Unfortunately, the Canadiens only have two right-handed defencemen on the roster, which means Carrier receives big minutes on a nightly basis.
The other two defencemen who have struggled have been Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj. Struble has been paired with Lane Hutson all season. However, he isn’t right-handed, and this has forced Hutson to play on his off hand. Struble isn’t the elite shutdown defender that can allow Hutson to elevate his game offensively. As for Xhekaj, he hasn’t been the intimidating deterring presence that he has been in the past. Furthermore, he isn’t elite defensively and doesn’t provide much offense either. He is struggling to find a role in the team, and once Guhle returns, he is likely the odd man out. Prospect Adam Engstrom also saw a few games after his deserved call-up from Laval. However, he didn’t receive enough playing time to make an impact.
Potential Solutions on The Way
There is some hope for Canadiens fans, however. The return of their forwards and Guhle, especially from injury, will be a much-needed boost. Furthermore, prospects like Engstrom and Xhekaj will be full-time NHL players in a year or two, and several other prospects are on the horizon. This includes the Canadiens three best skater prospects in Alexander Zharovsky, David Reinbacher, and Michael Hage. Hage and Reinbacher should fill two massive holes for Montreal moving forward. Once some of the Canadiens prospects are ready for the next step, veteran contracts like Gallagher and Anderson will be expiring.
In the short term, we’ll likely see Sammy Blais called up to replace Jared Davidson. Furthermore, it’s been reported that Montreal has been scouring the trade market for help in all areas of its roster. Internally, Zach Bolduc finding his game would also be a major boost to the team’s offense. The Canadiens are in a good position now and in the future. Once they’re healthy and make a few moves, they’re in a good position for success this season.
Main Photo: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
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