Canadiens’ nightmare seeding, matchup scenarios for 2026 NHL Playoffs

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, The Montreal Canadiens were once hockey’s most glorious entity. They were the franchise that every other team in the NHL emulated. The Canadiens have won 23 Stanley Cups, a figure that no other franchise can come close to matching. However, none of those championship have come since 1993, and it has been well over three decades since the Habs skated around the Montreal Forum with the sport’s legendary chalice.

While multiple generations have passed since the Canadiens set the standard for the way the game should be played, the Canadiens are clearly on the upswing after many years of ordinary play. They are not there yet, because the Canadiens are still in need of playing defense the way they once did and they certainly don’t have the goaltending that they once had.

However, when the Canadiens are passing the puck around in the offensive zone, it does bring back memories of Les Glorieux and the great players of generations past. The Canadiens once had Rocket Richard, Jean Beliveau, Yvan Cournoyer and Guy Lafleur. They had brilliant defensemen in Larry Robinson and Serge Savard and a Hall of Fame goaltender in Ken Dryden.

Now the names are Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen. The defense is led by Lane Hutson and the goaltender is Jacob Fowler.

No, these players are not of the level of the great players who came earlier, but they are brilliant players who will only get better from this point forward. There are few teams that have their offensive capabilities, and if the Canadiens are going to assert themselves, earn a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the second consecutive year, and win a round or more, it will be their offensive skill that separates them from their opponents.

Current spot would not be ideal for the Canadiens

The Canadiens are currently in the Eastern Conference playoff structure, sitting in third place in the Atlantic Division. If the current position holds, the Habs would play the second-place Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round. That’s a nightmare match up for Montreal.

The Lightning was in first place in the division for many weeks this season. They have since been caught and passed by the resurgent Buffalo Sabres. The Lightning feature the brilliance of Nikita Kucherov, who currently leads the league in scoring with 119 points. He has raced past Connor McDavid, and Kucherov has the inside track on both the Art Ross Trophy (leading scorer) and the Hart Trophy (Most Valuable Player).

Kucherov is supported by high-scoring Jake Guentzel, superquick Brayden Point, defensive stalwart Victor Hedman and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. While the Lightning has slumped since their return from the Olympic break with a 6-7-1 record, there is no reason to believe head coach Jon Cooper’s team won’t get back in top form.

Tampa Bay went 19-1-1 during an earlier hot streak, and that’s the team the Canadiens want to avoid at all costs. Even if the Canadiens can pass Tampa Bay and gain home ice in the series, the Canadiens want to avoid the Lightning.

Canadiens are fighting for playoff lives

Montreal’s position inside the top three of the Atlantic Division is anything but secure. The Canadiens and the Boston Bruins both have 86 points, and the Habs have the advantage in the standings because they have played one game fewer than their long-time rivals.

In addition to the Bruins, the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators are fighting for a spot in the playoffs. Both the Red Wings and the Sens are Atlantic Division rivals on the outside looking in at this point, but they could find a way to earn a playoff spot with a brief hot streak and a couple of painful losses by the Canadiens and Bruins.

If Montreal slips out of the top three but is able to earn a wild-card spot, they would face either the Carolina Hurricanes or the Sabres.

While Buffalo has had a magical season, the Sabres will start the postseason with a 0-0 record. Their success during the regular season won’t matter a bit when the playoffs get underway. The Sabres have no experience in the postseason, and the pressure could be overwhelming.

An early loss in a home playoff game could create a sense of panic in the Sabres. The Canadiens may be able to take advantage and create doubt within a team that has had a sensational season.

However, if they are forced to line up against an experienced team like the Carolina Hurricanes, that is another nightmare scenario that the Canadiens would want to avoid. Carolina has one of the best teams in the league and they have been consistent playoff performers. Finding a way to beat the Hurricanes seems like it would be out of reach for the Habs.

Canadiens’ nightmare seeding, matchup scenarios for 2026 NHL Playoffs

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