Off-season over/under: How many goals will these Habs score next season?
The NHL is in the dog days of the off-season.
Article content
Sure, Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has managed to swing trades the last two Augusts — acquiring Patrik Laine in 2024 and shipping Jeff Petry in and out in 2023 — but for now, it's the calm before the pre-season storm.
Article content
Article content
The Habs already had a busy summer. On the eve of the NHL Draft, they acquired offensive defenceman Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders and signed him to an eight-year, $9.5M AAV extension. Then they added a trio of Quebec-born forwards in Zachary Bolduc, Samuel Blais and Joe Veleno to compensate for the losses of Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia and Emil Heineman.
Article content
Article content
The Habs finished in the middle of the pack in scoring last season: 17th in the league with 243 goals. The club expects improvements on offence to come from within.
Article content
Article content
In his debut Habs season, the Finnish sniper scored 20 in 52 games, good enough for 31.5 had he played all 82 games. Laine has had trouble staying healthy in his career: the last time he suited up more than 70 times was the 2018-19 season. Last training camp, he suffered a knee sprain that kept him out until December and he didn't show blazing speed upon his return. But if he's healthy, few in the league possess a shot as potent as his. There's also the motivation of being a pending unrestricted free agent next summer.
Article content
2. Juraj Slafkovsky: over/under of 25 goals
Article content
Article content
For two consecutive seasons, the former first overall pick in 2022 has come out of the gate slowly, only to pick up the pace in the second half. After an injury-riddled rookie campaign, the 6-foot-3, 225-pound winger scored 20 and 18 goals in his next two seasons, but considering his chemistry with the top line, more is expected as he develops. At just 21 years old, is this the season he improves his consistency on the scoresheet?
Article content
3. Ivan Demidov: over/under of 20 goals
Article content
Who really knows what to expect from the Russian rookie. He didn't look out of place in two regular season and five playoff games after unexpectedly coming over from Russia, and after watching Lane Hutson capture the first Calder Trophy by a Hab since Ken Dryden, fans are clamouring for Demidov to make it back-to-back. It's easy to get carried away with the 19-year-old forward, but there could be growing pains as he adjusts to a new league with less time and space to create offence.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
6 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Mourinho's Fenerbahce rallies with 5 goals to beat Feyenoord in Champions League qualifying
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) — Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce surged into the Champions League qualifying playoffs by overturning a two-goal deficit on Tuesday against Robin van Persie-coached Feyenoord. Fenerbahce had lost 2-1 in the Netherlands last week and fell further behind in the second leg of the third qualifying round clash when Feyenoord defender Tsuyoshi Watanabe scored the opener in the 41st minute. Mourinho's team rallied quickly with two goals before halftime — the second by Colombia forward Jhon Durán, on a season-long loan from Saudi club Al Nassr — on the way to a 5-2 win Tuesday. Fenerbahce advanced 6-4 on aggregate score. Fenerbahce will host Benfica or Nice in the first leg of the playoff round next week with a place in the lucrative 36-team league phase at stake. Benfica started the second leg against Nice with a 2-0 lead at home later Tuesday. Rangers advanced to the playoffs 4-2 on aggregate against Viktoria Plzen despite a 2-1 loss Tuesday in the Czech Republic. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. The Scottish club will host the first leg of its playoff next week against Club Brugge or Salzburg. Russian-owned Pafos, the champion of Cyprus, beat Dynamo Kyiv of Ukraine 2-0 to advance 3-0 on aggregate. Copenhagen beat its near neighbor Malmo 5-0, one week after a scoreless draw on the other side of the Oresund Bridge that connects Denmark and Sweden. Copenhagen's reward is a two-legged playoff against Swiss champion Basel. ___ AP soccer:
CTV News
15 hours ago
- CTV News
Legends from 1976 Canada Cup team to reunite at Serge Savard invitational
Team Canada's Darryl Sittler puts the puck past Czechoslovakian goalie Vladimir Dzurilla to score and win the Canada Cup in overtime in Montreal, on Sept. 15, 1976. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chuck Stoody TERREBONNE — The 1976 Canadian men's hockey team is reuniting almost 50 years after winning the inaugural Canada Cup. Bobby Orr, Darryl Sittler, Bobby Clarke and head coach Scotty Bowman are among the 16 team members expected to gather this morning at Le Mirage Golf Club for the Invitation Serge Savard. Sittler scored the overtime winner that sealed Canada's 5-4 victory over Czechoslovakia in the second game of the best-of-three final on Sept. 15, 1976, at the Montreal Forum. Orr was named the tournament's MVP after tallying two goals and seven assists in seven games. The legendary defenceman, and two-time Stanley Cup champion, later called the Canada Cup title the highlight of his career because it was the only time he wore the red and white Maple Leaf in an international tournament. The 1976 Canada Cup was the first of five such events, and a precursor for best-on-best play at the world championships and Olympics. The Soviet Union, Sweden, the United States and Finland also competed in the inaugural tournament, with games held in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Quebec City and Philadelphia. Several former members of the Montreal Canadiens will also take part in today's invitational, organized to raise funds for student-athletes at the University of Sherbrooke. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 12, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
16 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Legends from 1976 Canada Cup team to reunite at Serge Savard invitational
TERREBONNE – The 1976 Canadian men's hockey team is reuniting almost 50 years after winning the inaugural Canada Cup. Bobby Orr, Darryl Sittler, Bobby Clarke and head coach Scotty Bowman are among the 16 team members expected to gather this morning at Le Mirage Golf Club for the Invitation Serge Savard. Sittler scored the overtime winner that sealed Canada's 5-4 victory over Czechoslovakia in the second game of the best-of-three final on Sept. 15, 1976, at the Montreal Forum. Orr was named the tournament's MVP after tallying two goals and seven assists in seven games. The legendary defenceman, and two-time Stanley Cup champion, later called the Canada Cup title the highlight of his career because it was the only time he wore the red and white Maple Leaf in an international tournament. The 1976 Canada Cup was the first of five such events, and a precursor for best-on-best play at the world championships and Olympics. The Soviet Union, Sweden, the United States and Finland also competed in the inaugural tournament, with games held in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Quebec City and Philadelphia. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Several former members of the Montreal Canadiens will also take part in today's invitational, organized to raise funds for student-athletes at the University of Sherbrooke. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 12, 2025.
