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Can the Montreal Canadiens actually survive playoff hockey — or are they missing a crucial piece?
The speed, skill, and talent are obvious. But when the games tighten up, the hits get heavier, and the whistles disappear… do the Canadiens have enough muscle to win when it matters most?
In this show, we break down:
How the Habs stack up against the NHL’s most physical playoff teams
Whether Montreal’s skill-first core gets worn down in heavy series
If size and toughness are holding them back from a deep run
The type of “extra muscle” this roster may need to compete and win
What history tells us about size, grit, and success in the Stanley Cup Playoffs
Playoff hockey is a different animal — and the Canadiens are getting closer. The big question is whether they’re built for war… or still missing something.
👇 Drop your take in the comments:
Do the Habs need more size, or can skill win it all?
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#nhl #hockey #montrealcanadiens
37 Comments
Missing a 2C that is as good with the puck as he is away from it – Kapanen better without the puck unless he’s shooting it… Slaf is driving that line and playing like a center the way he drives it up the middle.
But taking Slaf from Line 1 to have a functioning 2nd line is robbing Peter to pay Paul so finding a 2C for 2-3 years wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Need a solid RD in a Savard role too in my opinion
Man of the Habs could land both Schenn Brothers it would fill both slots nicely
Big bodied Stanley cup winners.
Other guys out there sure that could help, but mainly need to add size, grit and Stanley cup playoff experience.
Sherwood would have been great but he just got sent to San Jose, so unless Sharks flip him he’s off the board.
What's happening with the new show on 690?
I am all about crazy high danger, just saying.
Would the Habs be interested in acquiring Vincent Troceck?
Kapanen has been great thus far! Wonder if he has hit a wall in the last week. Won’t get any rest playing in the Olympics. Having said that, I prepared to wait to see what he and/or Michael Hage are before surrendering assets for a vet to fill the role.
More size on D and up front is an obvious need. Guys like Mike McCarron Anthony Mantha could be cheap upgrades in the bottom 6.
They will not make the playoffs thiss year to hey need to get harder to play against add size
MANY a rebuild has been ruined by reaching a bit too soon. LA Kings (PLD) and NYR come to mind. Habs need to follow the path, not become "contenders" before the internal development plays out a bit more.
They made a huge mistake letting Armia go
Will Cuyle would be ideal but highly doubt that he's available and at what cost
They have Dach, Anderson, Slafkovsky, Blais, Xhekaj. We do need some 'better' larger players. Draft and develop. Still looking in two years trade or sign one or two guys like that to fill things out.
Buffalo isnt trading Tuch, except for Suzuki, so not trading Tuch.
We have Dach and Anderson and Blais in the bottom six. Throw in Florian Xhekaj.
I always wanted to see what a Slaf, Anderson, Dach line could do. Never tried that and it feels like a waste of Slafkovsky.
Gallagher will be gone when the Canadiens are a real contender.
Evans was great in the playoffs until scheifele assassinated him.
Texier has a reasonable size and has some skills.
Has anyone else noticed that since November 12th, the Habs are a .500 team? Take your time, we're not going aywhere far this year. Don't jump the gun and ruin the rebuild. Just wait for and develop Hage, Zharovsky and add a couple of muscle forwards in the next couple of years.
To get a heavier forward line… Convert Arbor into a fourth line right winger… Put his brother Florian at center … Get Anderson to play left wing fourth line
Top six forwards …. To get …. Voronkov …. Cullie …. Crouse …jenner … T. Miere from Jersey
mtl missing Emil Heineman style players on the 3rd line. a very good 2c, a 2nd pairing physical right D and an elite right winger that is strong on forchecking like slaf. Too many left D's. So we are not ready to go all in for the stanley cup for the next 2 years basically.
How about evans and a pick for B Jenner, and Laine for evander Kane, ideally we can get a pick for Laine , but kane would be good assurance should they loose Blais on waivers
Montreal's weakness is goaltending and being small
So why are we afraid to have discussions around Caufield and Suzuki? Atleast around Caufield, he is way too small, he scores goals on the rush and skating into the net areas without being hounded. Once the game requires dirty goals net front presence and he struggles very much.
What about an upgrade on Caufield? Plekanec was a player who gets you to the playoffs not though it…I view Caufield the same.
First thing first…. Habs are not contending for the cup for at least 2 -3 years. Lots of work to do and we need patience for development. Stay competitive so the kids can learn to win but we have another wave of talent coming that need to do the same thing with. Detroit is doing it right. We need to stay on course and not rush things.
They need size, they need to retire the cement hands, they need Monty back 100%, he's 70% right now.
Tom Wilson on our top line
If I’m Hugo I go hard after Pospisil
Now that we know Sherwood cost two seconds and a middle tier depth piece, what would Coleman cost?
Good conversation guys. Sean, enough with the golf analogies please. You’ll jinx our playoff spot.
Dvorak and Armia solidified our bottom 6 last year, too bad we let them, we could have used them for two more seasons to transition and they both wanted to return. I really wish Newhook didn’t get hurt so long term, he is so good going up and down the lineup.
I still think this year’s team is better than last year’s due to Slaf, Dobson and Demi, but I agree with Marco that the bottom 6 is missing consistency and grit. Danault is great in the faceoff dot but he’s still adjusting to the system. Gally plays with soul on every shift but he lacks size and doesn’t seem as fast to pucks as in previous years. Veleno is playing his role well but I don’t think he is a long term solution.
If your D is big you can get away with not as much size up front. The Hutson-Carrier pairing works in the regular season against crap teams but won't work in the playoffs. Imo they need a big RHD for Hutson.
Gallagher was on our first when we went to the cup final.
The good news is that they at least have a lot of assets to make a deal: Dach, Newhook, Struble, Jackeye, Engstrom, Beck, etc.
You don't have to be a hockey savant to know that they have to get bigger and nastier to go far in the play-offs..
msl has no clue that skill must be supplemented by muscle. Is it time for him to bench Arber again? Habs will never take a Cup without muscle, and a coach that knows what to do with it. Playoff last year was an embarrassment.
Evans, Gallagher, bolduc and the other interchangeable players need to find themselves a value.
Marco, not to shock you but I actually agree with most of your assessment, primarily I agree that 'team size' isn't just about 'individual player size', e.g. its about the 'fight in the dog'. With that said we know Galli can't keep up no matter if he looks like he still has the fight. Beyond that, further to my comment from yesterday (?), I think we have the players to play a bigger game, I think its more getting them to recognize that they have to. Bolduc CAN play big, but to a comment of yours some time ago, someone needs to smack him upside his head & remind him why he's here. As for Anderson on the top line, while I too get frustrated that he keeps hitting posts & crossbars, I think he does have the skill, just a bit of on-going bad luck and hasn't been playing with the most skilled guys. He certainly has the speed, size & grit. He did play a season with Suzuki & Caulfield in 2022-23 and they were 'decent to good' (all 20 goals or more and Caulfield was just starting his trajectory). Texier mostly plays with grit but we could use just a bit more on the top line. Veleno has more speed then I think people credit him for and has been playing a bigger game. Dach isn't as mean as Anderson and we just need to know if he can stay healthy. Ultimately I think we have the players that can 'play to size', we'll know over the next 7 games if they want/can play that way as skill alone won't carry us through the next 7 games.
so yall didnt watch evans during the playoff run? he was tough and a big piece before he got cheap shot bro
Joel Armia"s board work was underrated he didn't have to be mean or greasy to be effective.
Why did D'Amico throw Evans' name in when talking about bottom 6 players who won't get you through the playoffs? He's already forgotten about how key he was in their run to the final.
The show would be better if D’Amarco kept his focus on the camera. You have good commentary and analysis.
but…we know this lol…and we know MTL will have the next 2-3 years to address this as they become true contenders. It is FAR EASIER to go out and acquire grit/role players than it is to acquire skill and high end talent (perfect example is TB when they went out and got Maroon/Coleman/Goodrow to transform their bottom 6.)
Dach on the 1st line could play a tough guy to play against if he can stay healthy.