Montréal, in a win now” era with a more veteran team, has a number of the ingredients required for a contending team: elite goaltender, elite number one defenseman and – perhaps – a number one centerman of the future in Alex Galchenyuk. Like many young players, Galchenyuk’s adjustment to the NHL has taken some time; he’s played primarily on the wing, but he will be debuting this season at center.
A pretty good team at 5v5 and the beneficiaries of the League’s best goaltender in Carey Price, the Canadiens had a lot of difficulty scoring on the powerplay (ranked 23rd) last season, and their overall goals for was ranked 20th league wide.