The Next Step In The Montreal Canadiens Rebuild Is To Play Meaningful Games

There is a lot of hype surrounding the Montreal Canadiens this season. They are looking to take the next steps in rebuilding. Whether they make the playoffs or not is not the ultimate goal.

The goal of the Montreal Canadiens is to be in the mix. That means playing meaningful games in March and April, the next step in the rebuild. Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Jeff Gorton and General Manager Kent Hughes have been building a great young team to compete for years, since the Canadiens' last run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.

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Montreal fans have been very receptive to this approach. It's the same approach Gorton took in New York when he rebuilt the Rangers. Players like Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Lane Huston, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Arber Xhekaj, and Kaiden Guhle, as well as acquiring Patrik Laine.

The pieces are in place for the Canadians to take the next step. It will be a difficult division for that execution to happen. However, as Martin St. Louis behind the bench, the Canadiens are ready to be in that situation.

However, as Jeff Gorton told TSN Radio in Toronto, he doesn't want to overpromise. The Canadiens will take it one day at a time and see where they are at the end of the season. But he understands the hype and buzz surrounding the Canadiens this season.

Writing for NHLRumors.com

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Bryan Hayes: “I'm with Jeff Gorton, Executive VP of Hockey Operations with the Montreal Canadiens. I talked about that series of ambitions, the rebuilding, where it was going on for a few years, and you, yourself, Kent Hughes, owned it. Everyone is clear on that. I think the fans, from my perspective, in Toronto, it felt like the people in Montreal were very understanding, very accepting of this.

But I get asked, I'm sure you get asked all the time, and you're the guy who would have that answer like, where are you in the stages of this rebuild? What would you say to the fans if they asked you, where are we? The Final Chapter? Are you still writing chapters? How do you explain that to the fans?”

Are the Montreal Canadiens a Playoff team this season?

Jeff Gorton: “Yes. I mean, I hate to be the guy who doesn't say anything all the time, but we're moving in the right direction. I think we have the pieces to be better this year. We want to be. We've used that phrase here a lot and people get frustrated with the same word in the mix. We want to be in the mix by the end of the year.

But I don't want to be, you know, I don't want to promise anything. We are very much ahead and we will go inside. So we'll take it one day at a time and see where we are. I think we will get better. I'm happy where we are. We will have to see. There are many good groups.

I'm sure you guys do. You are trying to pick which teams will make the playoffs. It's difficult. It's not easy to make the playoffs in the National Hockey League. And you look, to see what groups might come up and how you can get in there.

Can Patrik Laine return to being Montreal's leading scorer?

So, we're looking at that, but we're taking it one day at a time, and we'll see what awaits us.”

If you were to ask him bluntly or bluntly, he might admit that the Canadiens' season will be disappointing if they don't play meaningful games.

Also, a lot of young kids are playing on this season's roster, but the Montreal Canadiens shouldn't be out of the playoffs in December. It will be interesting to see what happens this season in Montreal.

The train of hype and buzz is real. While they are rebuilding, the Montreal Canadiens expect to play meaningful games in March and April of this season and, next year, will be out of the playoff mix in the Eastern Conference.