The Montreal Canadiens have received a strong vote of confidence in the Stanley Cup race this NHL season.

Speaking with Jay Onrait, TSN director of scouting, Craig Button backed them as a legitimate contender. He made it clear that the Canadiens deserve serious attention.

Advertisement

“Yes [the Canadians are a Stanley Cup contender], and I don’t think you can look at it any other way,” Button said.

MORE: Connor McDavid impressed by Oilers’ defensive depth amid playoff push

Button pointed to the team’s rapid rise from a rebuilding group last season to one of the Eastern Conference’s top performers. A year ago, the focus was simply on making the playoffs, but that narrative has now shifted.

“Well, what now this team is showing through their really good disciplined play,” Button said. “Rookie goaltender tandem in [Jakub] Dobes and [Jacob] Fowler, you know, magic with their top line, [Juraj] Slafkovsky, [Nick] Suzuki and [Cole] Caufield. Caufield on the cusp of 50, which is a different magic when you do it for the Montreal Canadiens.

Advertisement

“A second line, [Alex] Newhook, [Kasperi] Kapanen, [Ivan] Demidov, who has been really good. Blue line, health, everything that goes with it.”

So, Button clearly explained why there is no reason to doubt Montreal’s status as a contender.

Meanwhile, Montreal’s results support the claim. The team holds a 44-21-10 record and sits near the top of the Atlantic Division. They have also secured key wins against strong opponents, including the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning.

The reason why the Montreal Canadiens are winning Games

Button also emphasized that these victories are not accidental. He noted the Canadiens are winning through disciplined play and execution. That consistency has helped them prove they can compete with elite teams.

Advertisement

“And when you start to think about how – they’re not winning games by accident,” Button said. “They’re winning games because they’ve shown that they’re not only capable of winning games, but because when they play that way, they’re better than the teams they are playing.”

“So to say that they’re not a legitimate Stanley Cup contender this season, I think, would be a real indictment of me not understanding how good the Montreal Canadiens are because they’re that good.”

MORE: Patrick Kane breaks historic NHL record held by Brett Hull

Montreal’s turnaround comes after years of rebuilding and a long Stanley Cup drought dating back to 1993. Now, the team appears ready to challenge at the highest level.

With momentum building and confidence growing, the Canadiens have firmly entered the conversation as a serious Stanley Cup contender.