<p>Last season, the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/montreal-canadiens/line-combinations">Montreal Canadiens</a> earned a playoff birth for the first time in four years. They may have been eliminated quickly, but taking that step forward was major for a franchise that’s been in a full-blown rebuild losing in the Stanley Cup Final in 2021. </p>



<p>This offseason, the Canadiens <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/montreal-canadiens-noah-dobson-trade-new-york-islanders-sign-eight-year-contract-extension-nhl">acquired Noah Dobson</a> from the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/new-york-islanders/line-combinations">New York Islanders</a> and Zac Bolduc from the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/st-louis-blues/line-combinations">St. Louis Blues</a>, improving both their forward and defensive corps, which are already on the upswing.</p>



<p>Heading into the 2025-26 season, Montreal fans and hockey observers are now wondering how good this group could be and if they might be the next 100-point team in the NHL. </p>



<p>On Wednesday’s episode of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbxk-4C8PCk&amp;t=1971s" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Daily Faceoff LIVE</em></a>, Tyler Yaremchuk and Matt Larkin rank all seven of Canada’s NHL teams and discuss where the Canadiens fall on that list. </p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="140"></div>



<p><strong>Tyler Yaremchuk</strong>: I’m going to give you some props, because I see the ranking you’re about to throw my way, and I wish I had the guts you have. I wanted to put Montreal higher, but you actually did. </p>



<p><strong>Matt Larkin</strong>: Yeah, I’m all about that hype train … if you look at Montreal, you’re getting a full season of Ivan Demidov, who is probably the No. 2 prospect in the world after Matthew Schaefer. Lane Hudson, he just had his rookie season and is still ascending. You traded for Noah Dobson, you have a new defenseman for your top pair. Your bottom six is young and physical, and I should say, Sam Montembeault is a good goaltender, especially as the team around him improves.</p>



<p>The Habs were already a playoff team last year, and I think they can keep getting better. I like them as a breakout team, I could see them being a 100-point team this year. So yes, that’s my hot take: the Canadiens are Canada’s second-best chance of a Stanley Cup right now. </p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="179"></div>



<p><strong>Tyler Yaremchuk</strong>: A 100-point team, that would be very interesting. They were at 91 last year, is there a path? Okay, what’s Demidov worth, is he an extra couple points here and there? You talk about Hudson, does he somehow have another level? I needed very little convincing to get on this Montreal hype train. </p>



<p>That Zac Bolduc deal, if he ends up just being a 20-goal, third-line player, that changes the whole look of that lineup. When you go Demidov, Bolduc, Dobson: three potential impact guys. </p>



<p><strong>Matt Larkin</strong>: Absolutely and I <em>love</em>hat  that trade for Montreal. Especially for them, because Logan Mailloux, that was dealing from a position of extreme strength, especially since you have Noah Dobson now. You bring in someone who is immediately going to make an impact. Bolduc was on my All-Rookie ballot, and I think he was No. 5 on my Calder Trophy ballot. His goal total was in the high teens, but he was also really good defensively, so that’s a player who is really good for your middle six. </p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="180"></div>



<p>What an offseason for Kent Hughes, an absolute virtuoso offseason. </p>



<p>You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…</p>


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Montreal Canadiens right wing Ivan Demidov (93) and left wing Juraj Slafkovsky (20) wait for a face-off beside each other during the third period in game four of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre.