Top 5 Canadiens Feel-Good Stories of 2023-24

Now, trading Monahan when general manager Kent Hughes did was the right move to be clear. However, it was just as clear that signing Gignac to an NHL contract had more to do with filling a roster spot than discovering a diamond in the rough within the organization, even if he had impressively been (and still is) leading the Laval Rocket in scoring.

Gignac’s first career NHL goal four games in was a nice touch. However, in the end, his story had more in common with Alex Belzile’s than onlookers may have wanted to believe. Once the Canadiens claimed Colin White off waivers to take his place, he found himself right back in the American Hockey League (AHL) to help the Rocket in their quest to make the playoffs.

4. Struble Comes From Out of Nowhere to Push for Spot on Defense

In contrast, defenseman Jayden Struble has established himself as a quasi-fixture on defense, after first getting called up following an injury to fellow-defenseman Arber Xhekaj. Once Xhekaj got healthy, Struble simply stayed. His strong play effectively gave the Canadiens the chance to give Xhekaj time to hone his skills in the AHL further.

Once Xhekaj returned to the NHL, the Canadiens obviously felt the need to find room to keep Struble. Fifty-five games later, he’s established himself as a mainstay when, heading into this season, everyone had assumed the Habs were set on defense for years to come, with five left-handed defensemen on the roster in all (excluding Lane Hutson).

With that in mind, Struble’s battle for a spot is far from settled. He’s still waiver-exempt entering 2024-25, making him a logical cut to refine his skills similar to Xhekaj did this year. However, to get this far after having been an organizational afterthought, at least in the eyes of many fans, has been impressive. The difference between him and, for example, Johnathan Kovacevic, who established himself last season, is age. Kovacevic is a still-young 26, but Struble, at 22 has so much higher in theory to go. This could be just the start.

3. Joel Armia Re-Establishes Himself as NHLer

Maybe few envisioned the Canadiens cutting a veteran like Joel Armia to start the season. However, the way 2022-23 went for him, with just three assists in his first 26 games, fewer still likely saw him registering a new career high in goals in 2023-24 with 17. However, that’s exactly what’s happened.

After getting another shot in the NHL due to injury, Armia has re-emerged as a middle-six force for the Canadiens. He hasn’t necessarily gone so far as to justify his $3.4 million cap hit. However, for his on-ice success this season, he has been named the team’s Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy candidate, also facilitating a hypothetical offseason trade as he enters the last season of his deal.

That may be the ideal ending to this specific feel-good story. However, Armia’s also re-endeared himself to Canadiens fans, making a return to the team in 2024-25 far from the worst possibility.

2. Cayden Primeau Justifies Canadiens’ Faith in Him

There were so many times goalie Cayden Primeau should have been exposed to waivers this season, at least in the opinions of many analysts. For example, out of training camp, when the Canadiens instead opted to carry three goalies, reducing the number of spots available elsewhere on the roster. Then when Jake Allen had earned a .934 save percentage (SV%) through his first four starts (by which point the Habs had thought to only give Primeau one).

Finally, there were each of the questionable games Primeau had put together himself. And there were quite a few. As it turns out, the less you play a goalie, the harder it is for them to find consistency. However, ever since the Canadiens wisely traded Allen at the deadline to the New Jersey Devils, they’ve been able to play him more. He’s responded in kind.

Since the deadline, Primeau’s gone 3-3-1 with a .924 SV%. Overall, he’s 8-9-3 with a 2.95 goals-against average and .910 SV%. His performance is all the more encouraging when you consider the league average is far lower than you might think. And, as a result, he maybe isn’t the goalie all those analysts thought initially either. He may be significantly better.

1. Juraj Slafkovsky Takes Huge Step in His Development

When Juraj Slafkovsky started off the season with two goals and seven points in his first 29 games, the Canadiens were at a crossroads. Logically they had three choices: Continue to refuse to put him in a position to succeed statistically by playing him at the bottom of the lineup, give him more playing time in the AHL or give him more playing time in the NHL.

They chose wisely by playing him on the top line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, which is the spot many envisioned him filling eventually. The former first-overall pick has since started reaching his potential at apparent light speed, with 41 points in his last 51 games. If a projected generational talent like Connor Bedard, who was the next first pick after Slafkovsky a year later, is a success scoring 60 points in 65 games as a rookie, the latter is in good shape as a sophomore (despite the narrative fans of rival teams like to push).

At 20 years old (and 6-foot-3, 230 pounds) Slafkovsky has seemingly just scratched the surface of his capabilities. The notion not only instills faith that he wasn’t just the right first pick at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft but also a great pick on top of that. Furthermore, it instills further confidence Hughes and company know what they’re doing.

So, even though 2023-24 is on the verge of ending on a relative low, with the Canadiens in the same exact spot in the standings as at the end of 2022-23, things are on track. Firstly, they’ve improved in terms of points (74 instead of 68, with two more games to play).

Secondly, they’ve got significant pieces in place as we speak, all at the same position entering the NHL Draft Lottery (currently) as last season, when fans felt they had a realistic shot at winning the right to draft Bedard. Literally, the only thing that’s changed is the team is far better, the light at the end of the tunnel closer than it’s been in a long time. It’s okay to embrace its heat at least a little bit… maybe start to feel all warm and fuzzy inside?