Since then, the Canadiens have had to experiment, stumbling on a unit of Oliver Kapanen between Demidov and Juraj Slafkovsky, which has worked out exceptionally well, to the point it makes sense to keep them together and play Newhook somewhere else. That likely means in the bottom six, which only increases the team\u2019s depth up front, which is already pretty fairly impressive in scale.<\/p>\n 4. More of an Eventful Trade Deadline<\/p>\n If recent reports are to be believed, Patrik Laine, the other remaining injured Hab, is on his way out of town via trade (once the roster freeze is over and he\u2019s healthy). While that has yet to be firmly verified, it\u2019s an intriguing possibility as the 28-year-old Finn represented their big 2024 offseason acquisition, whose team-leading 15 power-play goals in just 57 games were instrumental in helping the Canadiens surprisingly make the playoffs. <\/p>\n That they did as soon as they did seems to have accelerated the rebuilding team\u2019s timeline to contend. Now, one year after general manager Kent Hughes stood pat at the trade deadline at Nick Suzuki\u2019s suggestion<\/a>, it\u2019s ironic that trading Laine could be necessary to bolster the team ahead of a hopefully lengthy playoff run.<\/p>\n There are both pros and cons to trading Laine<\/a> and at least part of his admittedly high $8.7 million cap hit to make room. However, that it\u2019s even being speculated speaks to the strength of the team.<\/p>\n Does Hughes absolutely need to make a move on March 6? Nope. It would amount to an arguable waste of resources to pay futures to acquire someone else (or even get someone to take on Laine\u2019s contract) when their goaltending is highly suspect this season. However, making a big splash would certainly be the next step in the team\u2019s progression. It\u2019s worth waiting to see how it all unfolds.<\/p>\n 3. The Calder Memorial Trophy Race<\/p>\n As things stand right now, Demidov leads the rookie scoring race with an impressive 46 points in 57 games. Fellow-forward Beckett Sennecke of the Anaheim Ducks is nipping at his heels, while New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer is right behind them both. <\/p>\n If the status quo holds, you have to believe the latter will become the favourite to capture the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league\u2019s top rookie, one year after Habs defenseman Lane Hutson did the same, in historical fashion<\/a>.<\/p>\n While it would be great for two Canadiens to win the award in consecutive years, that may not be in the cards. However, it\u2019s still very much possible for Demidov to run away with this thing. Even if he doesn\u2019t and the race stays close, he\u2019s already confirmed what Habs fans had suspected since he got drafted, that he\u2019s a superstar talent. Watching him excel as soon as he has, has been a pleasure, and it should continue to be into this season\u2019s home stretch, and conceivably for many years to come.<\/p>\n 2. Cole Caufield\u2019s Hunt for 40 Goals<\/p>\n Cole Caufield<\/a>\u2019s disappointment of a rookie season feels like ages ago, especially this season after the large degree of success the 25-year-old has enjoyed. After having been snubbed by the U.S. Olympic team, Caufield, who had already been leading the Canadiens in goals, went on a huge heater, scoring 11 in eight games. He now has 32 in 57 games, putting him in prime position to:<\/p>\n Establish a new career high (37).<\/p>\n Become the team\u2019s first 40-goal scorer since Vincent Damphousse (1993-94).<\/p>\n At least flirt with 50.<\/p>\n Obviously, none of these accomplishments are by any means necessary for Caufield to achieve, although they would be nice. Being as close as he is to a) and b) above kind of makes it seem like a matter of \u201cwhen\u201d and not \u201cif,\u201d but *knock on wood* the priority is obviously less so his individual success relative to the team\u2019s. Thankfully, both seem to be synonymous with one another.<\/p>\n 1. A Lot More Goals in General<\/p>\n Caufield is one of five 40-point scorers on the Canadiens (Suzuki, Hutson, Demidov, Slafkovsky). If they each get to 70, they would match a mark set by the 1976-77 Habs, which is widely considered to be the best team in history. Granted, they will fall well short of the seven 60-point scorers that team had and likely even the seven 50-point scorers the 2007-08 team had, but this team seems to represent something of a happy medium between the two.<\/p>\n Le Canadien pourrait potentiellement avoir 5 marqueurs de 70 points ou plus \u00e0 la fin de la saison\u2026quelque chose qui ne s’est pas vu \u00e0 Montr\u00e9al depuis 1976-77!\ud83d\ude33#lesickpodcast<\/a> @TonyMarinaro<\/a> @Antho_Martineau<\/a> @alavoiemartel<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/ynSFcE4BRf<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) February 6, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n Case in point: The offensively-inclined 2007-08 team<\/a> had just one 70-point guy: Alexei Kovalev. It would hardly be a shock for Suzuki (65), Hutson (58) and Caufield to each surpass Kovalev\u2019s 84 points, which had been a highwater mark for Canadiens scorers this century, before Suzuki hit the point-per-game plateau for the first time in his career last season. And, like Suzuki, the Canadiens keep one-upping themselves with each passing season. Everyone saw them as a team on the rise, but not to the degree that they would form what is literally the third-most prolific offense in the league.<\/p>\n Related: 10 Stats that Define the Canadiens\u2019 2025-26 Season at Olympic Break<\/a><\/p>\n All that to say, the Canadiens clearly play a highly entertaining brand of hockey for better or for worse, based on their unique knack of putting themselves in position to (successfully) engineer late-game comebacks. Once the Olympic break comes to an end, the ensuing month and a half will likely represent end-to-end excitement if for no other reason than it\u2019s been pretty much that since the get-go this season. Here\u2019s to them flipping the script in late April though, and, dare one suggest, (well) into May.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a>![\"Alex](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Alex-Newhook-Canadiens-1200x900.jpg\")
Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Newhook \u2013 (Amy Irvin<\/a> \/ The Hockey Writers)<\/p>\n![\"SUBSCRIBE](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Canadiens_Banner-1200x122.jpg\")
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