3 Wild Predictions for the Montreal Canadiens This Season – The Hockey Writers – Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens enter the 2026-27 season with expectations that are much different than they were only a few years ago. Montreal has established itself as a playoff team, its young core continues to develop, and there is enough talent throughout the lineup to believe another step forward is possible. Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Ivan Demidov and Lane Hutson headline a group that should only continue getting better.

Still, every NHL season comes with developments nobody saw coming. Players break out, prospects force their way into bigger roles and teams occasionally exceed even their most optimistic expectations. With that in mind, here are three wild predictions for the Canadiens in 2026-27.

1. Ivan Demidov Leads the Canadiens in Scoring

Taking the scoring lead away from Suzuki would be quite the accomplishment. Suzuki has become one of the NHL’s most reliable offensive players and remains the engine of Montreal’s attack. However, Demidov might have the pure offensive talent necessary to eventually become the most productive player on the roster.

Why not as soon as next season? Demidov already showed flashes of his potential during his first full NHL campaign and gained valuable experience during Montreal’s playoff run. The next step should be becoming one of the Canadiens’ primary offensive weapons from the beginning of the season.

His situation should help. Demidov should receive significant power-play opportunities, and Montreal will continue looking for ways to surround him with players capable of finishing the chances he creates. His combination of vision, puck skills and creativity gives him the ability to produce points even when he isn’t scoring himself.

Reaching the 90-point range would certainly qualify as a breakout, but it isn’t impossible. Suzuki, Caufield and Slafkovsky aren’t going anywhere, meaning opposing teams won’t simply be able to focus entirely on stopping Demidov. If Montreal’s power play takes another step forward and Demidov remains healthy, he could quickly establish himself among the league’s most productive young forwards.

This would be quite a surprise if Demidov dethrones Suzuki, but stability, consistency and progression will be needed for it to happen.

2. Lane Hutson Reaches a Point Per Game and Finishes Top Three in Norris Voting

At this point, predicting big things from Lane Hutson doesn’t feel particularly bold. Predicting that he will score at a point-per-game pace and establish himself as one of the three best defensemen in the NHL is another story.

Hutson has already established himself as one of the most dynamic offensive defensemen in hockey. His ability to create offense from the blue line, carry the puck through traffic and find teammates in areas that most players don’t even see makes him incredibly difficult to defend.

Reaching a point per game over an entire season would mean flirting with 80 points, something very few defensemen are capable of doing. However, Hutson is in an ideal situation to get there. He plays huge minutes, quarterbacks Montreal’s top power-play unit and is surrounded by an increasingly dangerous group of forwards.

If Hutson does reach 80 points, the Norris Trophy conversation will naturally follow. Winning it could be difficult with some of the elite defensemen around the league, especially because Norris voting isn’t based solely on offensive production. Hutson will also need to continue improving defensively and prove that he can handle difficult matchups while producing at an elite level.

But a top-three finish? That feels possible. If Hutson reaches a point per game while helping Montreal challenge for the top of the Atlantic Division, he could finish the season as a Norris Trophy finalist and further establish himself as one of the NHL’s premier defensemen.

3. The Canadiens Finish First in the Atlantic Division

The Atlantic Division remains one of the most difficult divisions in hockey, and Montreal isn’t going to have an easy path toward the top. There are established contenders throughout the division and several teams capable of reaching the playoffs.

However, the Canadiens aren’t the rebuilding team they were a few seasons ago either. Montreal now has legitimate star talent throughout the lineup. There is also enough depth around them to survive the inevitable injuries and cold stretches that come throughout an 84-game season.

Winning the Atlantic would probably require something around 115 points, depending on how competitive the division becomes. That would represent another significant jump for the Canadiens, but young teams don’t always develop gradually.

The expectations surrounding this team have changed quickly. Perhaps the biggest surprise of 2026-27 will be realizing that Montreal isn’t chasing the Atlantic’s best teams anymore. They’ve become one of them.