Is the Rebuild Finally Over for the Montreal Canadiens?

It is a big year for the Montreal Canadiens as they look to get back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The expectations are a little higher, and that means the Canadiens have become the hunted instead of the hunters. Most expected, given the trajectory of the team, this was the year for Montreal to make the playoffs. However, thanks to some help from teams underperforming, the Canadiens got back into the playoffs for the first time since 2021, and their run to the Stanley Cup Final.

After acquiring all these draft picks and developing these young players to build a nucleus for the future, many are wondering if the rebuild in Montreal is finally over. Jim Biringer joined TSN Radio in Montreal this past week and was asked this very question about the Montreal Canadiens, is it finally time to start asking the questions about competing for a Stanley Cup?

NHLRumors.com Transcriptions

Host: “What about what Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes are selling? Jim, you know, you look at the core, the Canadians have now built up over time with (Nick) Suzuki, (Cole) Caulfield, (Ivan) Demidov, (Juraj) Slafkovsky, (Lane) Hutson, who we were just talking about. A nice group of young players. Is the rebuild finally over, and can we start projecting the Canadiens as starting to compete for a Stanley Cup?”

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Jim Biringer: “I think the rebuild is over. They got to stick to what they’ve known. And I love what Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes have done for the Montreal Canadiens. I was a big Jeff Gorton guy when he was with the New York Rangers. Again, the expectations in New York, because of that bubble playoff, kind of skewed some things for the owner, a little bit of volatility there.

There’s a reason why the New York Islanders wanted to get Jeff Gorton away from the Montreal Canadiens. He’s got a track record of turning teams around, and you’re clearly seeing in Montreal hiring the right guys, he is the right man for the job. This was going to be a process. Everybody knew it, and the fans and ownership were patient with it.

You now have the Slafkovsky contract, the extension kicking in, the Kaiden Guhle contract kicking in. This team needs to get back to the playoffs this year. They’re going to be a playoff contender for a while now. This is how I see it and how I project them. This is the time for them. They have to take that next step. If they take a step back, it may not be a bad thing for them. However, this is the year everybody projected them to make the playoffs.

Last year, again, they were supposed to compete, play meaningful games. They are doing things the right way. Stick to the plan, and that’s what they’re going to do. And I love what Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes are doing in Montreal.”

We have all seen the job Executive Vice President Jeff Gorton and General Manager Kent Hughes have done assembling this team. It seems every offseason, the Montreal Canadiens make at least one or two impact moves to upgrade an area of need. This past offseason, before the draft, the Canadiens acquired Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. Gorton and Hughes know precisely what their team needs at the right time to bring them to the next level.

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The Montreal Canadiens can’t shy away from drafting and developing, but it will not be easy getting back to the playoffs this year. However, this team can do it with the players they have assembled. The rebuild is over in Montreal, and the excitement is growing as to what is to come for the Canadiens moving forward.

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