5 Bold Predictions for 2023

2022 was a good year for the Canadiens, all things considered. The rebuild was started and a clear plan was laid out. Good picks and prospects were acquired and the contracts signed all made sense for the team. 

With the Habs ending 2022 amidst their biggest losing skid of the season I figured I would try and make five predictions for the 2023 year. 

1. Joel Edmundson and Joel Armia will both be moved by the trade deadline in a package deal.

Joel Edmundson being traded is not a particularly bold take. It has been fairly well reported that multiple teams have expressed interest in the veteran blue-liner. Unfortunately, the season has not been easy for Joel; being plagued with injury and poor play. Lately, he has been a step behind the play and has looked lost in his own zone. With a cap hit of less than four million dollars, the Habs should have no trouble dealing him with little to no contract retained. A physical, accomplished, veteran blue-liner will aways hold value on deadline day.

Joel Armia is a slightly bolder prediction but I am confident that teams will see value in him and his contract. With a cap hit of 3.4 million dollars and only six points in 29 games, he will not necessarily be an easy sell. Luckily he has three goals in his last four games, and his play has looked much better as of late. His contract lasts until the 2025 season when he will be 32. Hopefully, with little salary retained Hughes will be able to package these two players for a quality return.

2. The Montreal Canadiens will NOT draft first overall.

This prediction may not be that bold statistically, but I believe many habs fans are already convinced that Bedard will wear la blue blanc et rouge. Personally, I do not believe that Bedard will be a Hab, I think the Habs will win the third overall pick and take Leo Carlsson.

Leo Carlsson may just be exactly what the Canadiens need, at 6 foot 3 and 194 lbs he has a bigger build than Bedard and his game is a little different. Carlsson loves operating in the slot without the puck, acting as a facilitator for the offense. While forechecking, he often switches the role he plays from center to winger. He gets deep and keeps his feet moving to cut off any outlet passes coming through the middle of the ice. 

Defensively he is sound, he is an aggressive and physical defender who heavily relies on his skating and positioning to dismantle the offense. 

Leo Carlssons' game excels where Caufields' and Suzukis' lack. His playstyle will complement the two of them fantastically. 

Leo Carlsson will be a serious impact player in the NHL, he has first-line all-star potential, and I believe the Canadiens will be able to select him third overall. 

3. Justin Barron will not make the 2023/24 opening night roster

Justin Barron is not having a bad season with Laval this year. I'm not sure if I would say he's having a great one either though... 

With 16 points in 25 games, he's currently on pace for a 50-point season and was recently selected to the AHL all-star team. 

Unfortunately, he has not shown the progression in other areas we would have liked to see. Barron will still often look panicked and lost in his own zone. When pressured during zone exits, he is liable to panic and blow the pass. He is also susceptible to pressure in the offensive blue line, oftentimes resulting in him resorting to getting the puck deep and the Rocket losing possession. 

Barron is currently up with the Canadiens because of injuries to Matheson and Guhle but in five games this year he has been invisible at best. 

Hopefully, this take is incorrect because Justin Barron is a fantastic talent, but you do have to wonder whether he will be able to cut it in the show. Even if I'm betting against him, I'm truly hoping he gets to play a full season with the big club.

4. Owen Beck will start the 2023 season with the Habs.

Owen Beck is having a fantastic season this year with the Steelheads. He was recently moved to the Peterborough Petes in hopes of winning a championship. 

Beck lead the OHL in faceoff percentage this year and was top ten in points before being moved to the Petes. 

Beck had a fantastic preseason with the Habs this summer, and if the team didn't have extras in the center position I'm sure Beck would have played time with the Habs this year. 

He looks poised to take the next step and start his NHL career. I see Owen Beck as one of the premier third-line centers in the NHL. 

5. Carey Price will formally announce his retirement.

This is probably the coldest take on this list, but after the ceremony honoring P.K. Subban you would think Price may have some incentive to finally hang them up. This combined with the news from Angela Price that the family is planning to move back to B.C. may mean that Price is finally ready to let go of this team and start living his post-hockey life. 

Price has been on long-term injury reserve since September eighth, and so far the news has been solely negative on his recovery. Price has made it clear that he still lives in daily pain and that his body is nowhere close to ready. 

I believe Price will announce his retirement by September 2023, if not even before the 2023 offseason. 

Carey Price is one of the most accomplished goalies to ever play in the national hockey league. He has played the most game in Canadiens history for a goaltender and holds the most wins in franchise history. Carey Price has an Olympic gold medal, a Jennings trophy, a Vezina award, a Ted Lindsay award, and most recently a Bill Masterton award. 

Merci Beaucoup Carey, the city of Montreal owes you a great deal. 

Thank you for leaving it all on the ice. 

Go Habs Go

The Beer League Benchwarmer

Will Shoukri

Why Josh Anderson needs to be Hughes' first priority

 Josh Anderson has been a part of trade rumors for multiple years; ever since the Canadiens made their run to the final, Anderson has been viewed as a valuable asset on a competitive team. 

For Canadiens fans though, the relationship has started to sour. Andersons' cap hit of five and a half million dollars is not a cheap price for a player who is seen as flashy at best. The former Blue Jacket was acquired in October of 2020 by former Canadiens gm Marc Bergevin and was signed to a seven-by-seven. 

Since signing with the Habs, Anderson has amassed 70 points in 160 games. He has scored 47 goals and is a -47. With a salary of seven million dollars, most fans would have expected much more. 

Standing at 6'3 226 pounds, Josh Anderson fits the model of power forward perfectly. He's an extremely strong skater whose speed is his greatest asset; he is not a finesse player. His hands are good but not great, and his defensive play is not as good as you would want it to be. 

The problem lies in the results of the eye test. Some nights Josh Anderson will be the most noticeable player on the ice, creating chances and chaos for his team. On other nights he will be worse than invisible; his highlight reel will consist of lost puck battles and missed defensive assignments.

At 28, Josh Anderson appears to be past his prime. He is performing even worse than last year. Last season he averaged .46 points per game, and this season, that number has sunk to .36. He is currently on pace for 29 points this year, which would be his lowest full-season total since his rookie year.

The Habs cannot let Anderson finish this career-low year in Montreal. Teams will still see value in Anderson even with this sample size of poor and unproductive play. If Anderson finishes this season with 82 games played and less than 30 points, he will no longer have any trade value. 

Andersons' contract lasts until he is 33 years of age. For a power forward, the mid-thirties are the beginning of the end, if not simply the end. Look at Wayne Simmonds if you have any doubts. In four years, the Habs will not be able to afford to pay five and a half million dollars to a fourth liner. Andersons' contract has the potential to be a team crippler. 

A fire sale is the most logical course of action. If the Canadiens can package a duo or trio of players for a single first-round pick, it would be a massive win for the organization. 

The Canadiens have assets to spare in forward and on defense. Players like Joel Armia and Mike Hoffman still have value as role players on competitive teams, and the Habs have cap space to retain salary. 

Currently, the Habs have a large number of veterans on expiring contracts. Multiple teams have expressed interest in Joel Edmundson, and names like Hoffman and Monahan still hold weight. Ideally, Monahan will be able to stay with the team but looking toward the future needs to be the main focus. 

A team like the Edmonton Oilers should be Hughes' first choice. A package of Edmundson and Anderson with salary retained should be something Ken Holland wants to see come deadline day. A gritty, physical forward and a good defensive defenseman are what the Oilers need to take the next step (I'm not sure whether Anderson and Edmundson are the best options but they are the ones relevant to the Habs). 

Unfortunately, the Oilers have less than a million dollars in cap space, and their books are a complete mess, filled with buyouts and incoming extensions. 

The only sure things are that Josh Anderson needs to be moved ASAP and that Hughes' has his work cut out for him if he is going to succeed. 

Go Habs Go

The Beer League Benchwarmer

Will Shoukri