The Montreal Canadiens are showing the hockey world that a rebuild doesn’t have to be a decade-long slog through the basement. After a surprising run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021, the Habs spent a few seasons on the outside looking in.
But last year, they broke back into the playoff picture with a young, energized core - and now, with 65 points through 53 games this season, they’re not just back. They’re building something real.
What’s made Montreal’s turnaround so impressive isn’t just the speed - it’s the strategy. While other franchises like the Ducks and Blackhawks have spent five-plus years at the bottom, slowly collecting prospects and hoping for the best, the Canadiens took a different route.
They didn’t tear it all down. Instead, they kept a few key veterans in the room, trusted their leadership, and built a strong culture around a rising generation of talent.
It’s a model that’s caught the attention of hockey insiders. On Thursday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton and host Tyler Yaremchuk broke down what’s made Montreal’s rebuild so effective - and why other teams should be taking notes.
Yaremchuk pointed to the Canadiens’ decision to keep players like Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson during the transition. “They didn’t totally rip this thing down to the studs,” he said.
“Carey Price stepped away, Shea Weber was hurt and had to retire, but they kept that group of guys who at the time were in their late twenties. They still had a good group of leadership.”
That leadership has been crucial in creating a stable environment for Montreal’s young stars to grow. Nick Suzuki, who now wears the ‘C’, has been a steady presence through the team’s transition and is a cornerstone of the culture the Canadiens have cultivated.
Contrast that with long rebuilds like the one in Edmonton, where Yaremchuk recalled how a full teardown left the Oilers without veteran guidance - and without accountability for their young players. “They were just kind of stuck in mud for all those seasons,” he said.
Hutton echoed that sentiment, pointing to the importance of surrounding young players with the right people. “Hockey is that one sport where they still prioritize the person over the player,” he said. “Having the right people around these young guys so they learn the culture, they learn how to grind... if you get pity parties when things don’t go your way, it can spiral fast.”
It’s a lesson that teams like Buffalo have had to learn the hard way. The Sabres, after years of bottoming out in hopes of landing top picks, are only now starting to climb out of their rebuild. Tanking might get you talent, but it doesn’t guarantee success - especially if the locker room isn’t built to support that talent once it arrives.
Montreal’s approach hasn’t just been about drafting well or making savvy trades - it’s been about building a foundation. They’ve blended youth with experience, skill with character, and in doing so, they’ve created a team that’s not only competitive now but set up for sustained success.
The Canadiens are proving that you don’t have to hit rock bottom to rise again. And for teams stuck in the cycle of teardown and rebuild, Montreal might just be the blueprint worth following.