The forward lineup we envisioned a week ago for the Montreal Canadiens is significantly weaker now that sniper Patrik Laine has been acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets.
While there was certainly some potential there, all that has to be said is that it was essentially the same lineup the team used in 2023–2024—just without the dynamic forward Sean Monahan. Young players’ individual development can help the team as a whole and, as a result, propel them up the standings. However, relying only on the development of individual players rarely produces the expected results, as all NHL teams aim to improve their record based on the performance of their younger players.
Adding a player who can score, on the other hand, could eventually lead to an uptick in points, which is exactly what the Canadiens are hoping they have done by acquiring Laine. Before we discuss how his presence impacts the lineup, we should mention it will take Laine a little time to get up to speed. Adopting a patient approach as he removes the rust is in order, especially since the team is unlikely to qualify for the playoffs next season, with or without Laine in the mix.
New Montreal Canadiens Projected Lines
I wouldn’t be surprised if head coach Martin St-Louis eventually runs a top line that does not feature Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky, but for the time being, we can safely assume he has pencilled them-in as his top trio.
Caufield scores his 28th of the season. Good work by Slafkovsky on the one-timer, but look at how Suzuki created time and space for his linemates.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/4UXyz9xIf0
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) April 17, 2024
But the second line could be a great landing spot for the former 40-goal scorer, and not only because it would give him the proper ice time necessary to rekindle his scoring touch. One of the most important ingredients to putting a sniper in a situation that’s conducive to scoring is having a centre that excels in transition. In other words, Kirby Dach projects as the perfect line mate for Laine. His excellent play in the neutral zone would allow Laine to focus on exploiting the time and space created by the 23-year-old, and hopefully recreate the impressive underlying numbers produced by most wingers who ended up on Dach’s wing.
As for the final winger in the mix, I would once again turn to Joshua Roy. He’s a hard worker, he has a nose for the net, and his possession numbers were fantastic during his 23-game audition in the NHL last season. Dach would serve as the line’s shoe horn, allowing them to gain access to the offensive zone with regularity, Roy would be the Swiss Army knife, providing reliable play while taking advantage of scoring opportunities, and Laine would be the designed trigger man, though his presence would also give Roy a little more ice to work with, as teams are likely to focus on shutting down Laine’s shooting lanes.
The third line is a toss up. When we originally discussed the Canadiens’ lines, we shifted Alex Newhook to the wing to make up for the lack of options in the top six. Now that Laine is in Montreal, I’d look into returning Newhook to his natural position. While it’s certainly true he struggled at centre to start the season, playing with Josh Anderson is a difficult proposition, especially if you’re expected to be a somewhat consistent source of secondary scoring, which explains why they only managed to control 44 percent of the expected goals during their shifts together. On that note, we saw Newhook play between Brendan Gallagher and Joel Armia to close out the season, and the results were fairly encouraging. Gallagher’s return as a player who can drive the play helped, as did Armia’s improved scoring pace, but there was clearly instant chemistry at play, as evidenced by the fact that they controlled 53 percent of the expected goals, in addition to more than 63 percent of the actual goals.
Joel Armia with some great hand-eye coordination to open the scoring for the #GoHabsGo. His 15th of the year, assists to Newhook and Gallagher. pic.twitter.com/r48YOx5VBY
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) April 4, 2024
The fourth line is fairly straightforward, though I will acquiesce to the fans who suggested Michael Pezzetta is a better option on the wing than Alex Barre-Boulet. I disagree, and not because I feel Pezzetta is overrated. He’s one of the hardest working players in the league, and he produces a fairly reasonable amount of offence considering his sporadic usage. It’s difficult to score while playing on the fourth line, and even more so when you have to skip random games throughout the season to make way for others. But Barre-Boulet is also known for his work ethic, and those who think he’s purely an AHL point producer will be surprised by how many turnovers he can create due to his penchant for never giving less than 100 percent every night.
The biggest change for the final trio is the options on the other side of the wing. If Christian Dvorak is relegated to the fourth line, he could take face offs on his strong side while Jake Evans takes care of the rest of the puck drops. In this scenario, Josh Anderson would start the season as a healthy scratch, a harsh, yet justifiable decision that may not line up with how St-Louis and Co. see their lineup.
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineups With And Without Laine
Adding Laine to the lineup changes things significantly, at least on paper. The Habs go from a team that has one legitimate line, to a team that could potentially have up to three lines that have the ability to provide a respectable level of play on a nightly basis. This would make life on the first line a lot easier, as teams would have to modify their defensive game plans. That being said, there’s a risk running three new lines will also delay team-wide improvements, as many of the forwards will have to rebuild their chemistry alongside certain linemates.
Before we conclude this piece, I would like to invite every member of the community to post their own projected lineups with Laine in the mix by writing a reply in the comments below the article.
Things can (and will) change, but I would also like to point out the projected top six has an average age of just 23 years old, making 26-year-old Laine the elder statesman. Most Montreal Canadiens fans are well aware success is not just around the corner, but it’s very difficult to remain negative about the future of the club, especially when we consider Ivan Demidov, one of the best prospects in hockey, is yet to join the team.
