Équipe: 2022-23 Canadiens de Montréal

Date de création initiale: 19 janv. 2023

Publié: 20 janv. 2023

Mode - plafond salarial: Basique

This is an approximation of where I'd like to see the roster in a few years with youth progression.
Of course not all the players I've earmarked will pan out or reach their potential. Those will have to be mitigated with smart signings.

I've started with Slafkovsky growing into a 1st line power forward. The alternative is keeping Dach as a winger on that line, which may be possible if we develop a 2C (Beck/Kidney/Draft?).

Smilanic and Heineman are billed as scorers, with Heineman having the more rounded game.
Smilanic might be a longshot as a top 6W, but again, if he doesn't pan out we may need to add a player there through other means. Mesar should be the playmaker on this line and Dach has already proven effective with a sniper/creative playmaker on his line.

Heineman, Beck, and Roy, I see as a dynamic 3rd line which can play a 200 foot game and provide secondary offense. The potential is there for one or more to hit top 6, which would swap them with counterparts on the 2nd line here, but this is simply hopium on my part to have 3 solid lines that can produce offense.

Kidney is more likely to take a top 9 role where someone else I've projected doesn't cut it, but I wanted to include him in the lineup as a C. The 4th line is more likely to feature a veteran C (maybe Evans even sticks around). Gallagher is going nowhere anytime soon and barring LTIR, this will be his best place in the lineup at that point. Ylonen could also go up the lineup or simply fall off. We won't lack for 4th line options regardless.

The back end is where things start to get really dicey.
To start, I don't see Montembault as a long term solution in goal and Dobes has the tools but it's a toss up whether he makes it as a starter (as it is with most goaltenders). Montembault is only still here because it isn't important who is sharing the net in the backup role, we need to identify a future starter. This might end up as an area we need free agency or trade to address, as drafting a goaltender now isn't likely to produce a starter with 3 years.

For defense, we look really weak without veterans on the blue line, but this group will have more experience at that point. Best case scenario is Guhle establishing himself as a true 1D, Barron proving to be a top pairing option, and Xhekaj proving capable of a top 4 role. While plausible, that's a lot of hopium as Barron is more likely to top out as a 2nd pairing defender and Xhekaj's long term viability in a minute munching role is questionable.
Mailloux is included by default due to our lack of RHD depth.
Regardless, defense is likely to be another area of expenditure in a few years, where we have holes to address via trade/UFA. For now, we have to be patient and do our best to develop the players we have, instead of signing players to compete for those spots.

Of course there are other prospects with potential to make the team in this time frame, this is simply my personal vision of the path ahead, biases and all.

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