Poor Len looks back at the Canadiens' surprising season

The Canadiens bowed out of the NHL playoffs last night, losing 4-1 (in that game and in the series) to the Washington Capitals. Habs fans are not too disappointed though, because nearly no-one expected them to make the playoffs, and there is much to look forward to in the 2025-26 season. Our National Sport (As Long As It's Hockey) Editor, Poor Len Canayen, grades the players' performance this year, and offers some advice to management.

Tank youse, Hed. Les Glorieux played well last night, but suffered from a couple of defensive miscues and faced a red-hot goalie at the other end. They played exciting, entertaining hockey, and that's good. And a look at the players who've participated in this series gives fans well-founded hope that they'll have a deeper playoff run next year.

Goalies:

Jakub DOBES: Rookie nerves and goes down too early, but made some nice saves and, with good coaching, should keep his position as backup goalie next year. Grade C

Samuel MONTEMBEAULT: Pulled a hamstring in Game 3 but probably couldn't have done better than Dobes last night. Has had a good solid season as he grows into his starter's position. Grade B.

Cayden PRIMEAU: Rode the pines as backup last night. Had a poor start with the big club last fall, but was best in the AHL for the remainder of the season. Still worth a look for next year. No grade.

Defence:

Alexandre CARRIER: Came to the Habs at trade deadline and played well enough to be targeted by the opposition's heaviest hitter. Wilson just about killed him in a vicious check into the boards in Game 4. Serge Savard (who knows about these things) called him the Habs' "most complete defenceman." Grade B.

Kaiden GUHLE: Missed a lot of time through injuries but came back late in the season and played well in the playoffs. Able to lead a rush, has a good shot. Grade B+.

Lane HUTSON: What can one say about this 31-year-old rookie phenom? Amazing stick-handler. Set record for most points by a rookie defenceman. Should win the Calder Trophy. Just needs to remember that he is sometimes required to play defence. [Why does he play defence, anyway? Ed.] Grade A-. 

Mike MATHESON: He's a horse, stalwart on the blue line and plays big minutes. Skates fast, shoots hard (but not always on target), key man on defence. Grade A-.

David SAVARD: Subject of many trade rumors. Strictly defence, blocks more than his share of shots, almost no presence outside of his own zone. Grade C.

Jayden STRUBLE: Solid stay-at-home defenceman but when the chips are down you wish for someone who brings a little more grit. Grade C.

Arbere XHEKAJ: Watched a lot of games from the press box because indiscipline causes costly penalties. Wants to shoot but needs target practice. Kept his cool against Washington, thus probably keeps his job as #6, over Struble. Grade C. 

Forwards:

Josh ANDERSON: Most improved player on the roster, IMHO. Skates faster than I remember, fearsome on the rush, not afraid to fight, never gives up. If only he had an accurate shot. A team leader. Grade A-.

Joel ARMIA: Another subect of trade rumors. Not as strong as last year but teliable on 4th line, and very good on the PK. Grade C. 

Cole CAUFIELD: The little ball of fire had a career-high season, good playoff series after regaining his position at the left dot. Pint size makes him weak on defence. Gotta love him though! Grade A-.

Kirby DACH: Who? Injuries kept him out of the lineup since December (?). Had same fragility problem the year before. Should hang up his skates for good. No grade.

Ivan DEMIDOV: KHL superstar joined the Habs just in time for the playoffs. Just watching him skate and stick-handle is a true pleasure. Had a couple of good looks vs Washington but inexperience playing big, tough guys showed. Will take only a little more seasoning to star with les Glorieux. Grade B.

Christian DVORAK: Sleep-walked through first half of the season before settling into a role as go-to faceoff guy. Has trouble staying on his feet, and hands of stone. Probably still worth keeping. Grade B-.

Jake EVANS: A 4th-liner who sometimes looks like he should play higher in the lineup. Good on the PK, sometimes good for a short-handed goal. A keeper. Grade B-.

Brendan GALLAGHER: Still the heart and soul of la Sainte Flanelle, and had a better season than the previous. Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'. Grade B.

The three non-Canadians in this next group are all trade bait, IMHO:

Emil HEINEMAN: Swede. Got the only goal in last night's game but, in spite of his size, generally a non-factor in the games he played in the regular season and in the playoffs. Doesn't get a lot of ice time, and there's a reason for that. Grade C-.

Oliver KAPANEN: Read paragraph on Heineman. Rinse and repeat except for the part about getting a goal. Grade D.

Patrik LAINE: You'd think a Finn would be tougher, but Laine's always pleading illness or injury. Probably never fully recovered from a substance abuse problem. Has a good shot from his "office" at the left dot, but doesn't pass much, doesn't play defence. Lazy. Grade C.

Alex NEWHOOK: Hey, you don't get a pass just because you're a Canadian. Newhook is very speedy, often splits the defence, but then...  nothing happens. "Going nowhere fast!" Doesn't pass, shoots wide more often than not. Grade C.

Michael PEZZETTA: An "energy player" at best. Said to be a good guy in the room. Still on the roster because there has to be a backup if anyone gets injured. Didn't play enough to get a grade. 

Jury SLAFKOVSKY: An enigma. Big guy, good skills. But would his stats look as good if he didn't play with Suzuki and Caufield? Is a puzzlement. What would it take to get him to play with more intensity? Grade B.

Nick SUZUKI: There's a reason why he wears the "C" on his chest. There's nothing he can't do and doesn't do. This season was his best ever, and that's saying something. Grade A. Captain Nick, we wish you many more years!

Advice to Kent Hughes: Take whatever you can get to let some other team deal with Laine's problems. Lose the Swedes; maybe Toronto would like them. Keep Dvorak and Evans unless you can get an equal or better replacement. Prioritize finding a replacement for Savard, who played his last game last night. Tell coach to take time developing Hutson and Demidov. Don't ask too much too soon. And don't make any decisions on goaltending until you've seen Jacob Fowler. 

All in all, the Canadiens had a suprisingly good year. Next year is almost guaranteed to be even better!