The Montreal Canadiens are rolling at 9-3-2 and have won five straight, but one old draft-day decision is back in the conversation.
According to David Calabretta, Montreal had a chance in 2023 to acquire Cutter Gauthier in a deal that would have sent the fifth overall pick to Anaheim. Kent Hughes chose to keep that selection and used it on David Reinbacher instead.
That choice looks a lot different now.
Gauthier turned in another strong night for the Anaheim Ducks, scoring three times in a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators. His third goal was the winner.
He’s up to seven goals in 13 games this season, and six of them have come on the power play. At 22, he’s already producing like a real NHL scoring threat.
Reinbacher, by contrast, is still trying to get his footing at the top level. He has played in just three NHL games and has one assist. This season, he has appeared once for Montreal.
That doesn’t mean the Canadiens should give up on him. Young defensemen usually take longer to develop, and that part of the process is nothing new. But when a team uses the fifth pick in the draft, the expectations are obvious.
There was also a reason for hesitation on Montreal’s side. Gauthier was drafted fifth overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2022, then refused to sign with them before eventually landing in Anaheim. Hughes may have worried about taking on the same risk: spending a premium pick on a player who might not want to be there.
It’s an understandable concern. Still, Gauthier’s production makes the missed chance harder to ignore, especially with Montreal still looking for help on the blue line.
Pierre McGuire has already floated Travis Sanheim as a possible fit for the Canadiens’ defensive needs.
For now, the Canadiens keep winning. But Calabretta’s report puts the Gauthier decision right back under the microscope.
In Other News...
Phillip Danault Is Making This Canadiens Decision Much Harder
Phillip Danault has opened the season in a way that has complicated what looked like a straightforward Canadiens decision. With a teammate out of the lineup, his role has grown, and the added responsibility has only underscored how useful he remains to Montreal at a time when many expected this to be his last year in town.
The bigger question now is whether the Canadiens can afford to treat him like a short-term piece when his play is making a longer look harder to ignore. There has been speculation the club could revisit its plans, even as his trade value would not bring much back, which leaves Montreal weighing present value against whatever comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Found October Hope In One Rising Star And A New Twist In Net
October gave the Canadiens a few reasons to feel better about where theyre headed, and the biggest ones came from the familiar core and a young defenseman who kept pushing the pace. Nick Suzuki was driving the offense before injury cut into his month, while Lane Hutson continued to look like a major part of Montreals future by leading the blue line in scoring. For a team that spent the month sorting through uneven stretches, those two provided a steady reminder that the foundation is still there.
The other encouraging development came in goal, where Jacob Fowler made a strong first impression after being recalled from Laval. His arrival added a fresh layer to Montreals October story, giving the Canadiens a new look in net at a time when they needed one. The larger question now is how much of that momentum can carry forward, especially with the club still trying to turn promising individual performances into something more consistent as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Keep Winning While Demidovs Absence Keeps Getting Murkier
Ivan Demidovs absence has become one of the quieter storylines around a Canadiens team that keeps finding ways to win without him. The young forward remains on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, and Montreal has not offered a recent update on where he stands, even as the calendar has moved past the original expected timeline for his return.
The uncertainty leaves the club in a familiar holding pattern: playing well, staying patient, and waiting for Demidov to work his way back into the picture. His earliest projected return is now set for Nov. 7, but for now the Canadiens are pressing on without one of their most closely watched players, and the lack of fresh information only adds to the intrigue around his recovery. [Read more 🡒]