Montreal Canadiens Predictions for 2025

January 1, 2025

Fans of the Montreal Canadiens woke up on the first day of 2025 feeling pretty good. 2024 ended with the Habs having won their three final games – contests where they were serious underdogs. With a 17-17-3 record, the Canadiens are ascending through the standings and fans who were despondent just weeks ago are realizing what it feels like to be “in the mix”.

Here are some predictions for the Habs for 2025.

The Habs will play meaningful hockey in March.

This is not a mirage. This is the team Jeff Gorton, Kent Hughes and Martin St. Louis believed they had when they raised expectations that the Habs would be in the mix for the playoffs. The team was already beginning to find their way together when three significant things happened.

Patrik Laine returned from injury and had an immediate impact, improving the Habs power play and strengthening the second line. Then Hughes acquired Alexandre Carrier, stabilizing the D group while sending a message they were willing to invest in who the team is right now. Then right after the Christmas break, Jakub Dobes was called up and Cayden Primeau was waived, an acknowledgement that the efforts of the team should not be pissed away by the performance of one.

The team is coming together and as long as they’re performing, Hughes will continue to support them. They’ll play meaningful hockey in March.

Despite being in the mix, GM Kent Hughes will maximize the trade deadline.

For the first time in his tenure, Hughes will not be a clear deadline seller. But he will also not lose perspective on what they need to do to become a legitimate contender.

Hughes will find a way to get a return on players whose value is high and/or are not part of the picture moving forward and he will also find a way to help the team, without squandering assets. In other words, he’ll be a buyer and a seller, but he will be smart about it.

I can see a world where some pending UFAs are moved and the assets are used to acquire another pending UFA they hope to re-up in July.

Kent Hughes will add via free agency or a summer trade.

My bet is on another right shot defenseman, unless Logan Mailloux can improve his defensive game to at least an NHL third pair level. Hughes won’t want another Barron scenario.

Trent Frederic will also look very good in Montreal, replacing Dvorak at 3C. What if he is both a deadline addition and a July signing?

Two rookies will join the Habs roster in the Fall of 2025.

One of those rookies will be Ivan Demidov, of course. He will join Laine and Kirby Dach on the second line, and will be such a 200-foot force that it will be unclear who between him and Dach is the designated centreman on any given night.

Owen Beck will also make the leap to the NHL after a strong finish to his first pro season.

The Habs will end 2025 with a new contract for Patrik Laine.

Laine will only get stronger as he fully rehabilitates and adds Demidov to his line. His love for hockey will have been reignited in Montreal, and will re-sign before the Habs break for Christmas.

Are some of these predictions a little out there? Sure. But did you really want to read an article that warns of all the rumours that won’t amount to anything?

Happy New Year!