The NHL will return to the Winter Olympics in 2026 and 2030. By the time their top prospects and young players have developed and are playing in the NHL, the Montreal Canadiens will be very well represented in 2030. However, 2026 will be a different story. The team might be under-represented in the short term, but there should be some Habs to watch at the Games.
Team Canada
There is a slight chance that three Canadiens will make Team Canada, but it’s more likely to be one or two, namely Nick Suzuki, Michael Matheson, and Sam Montembeault.
Latest News & Highlights
Nick Suzuki plays a ton and is relied on in Montreal, but he hasn’t had the right players around him to put him over the top yet. He is only 24 years old and will have two more years before he enters his prime. This could work in his favour to at least get an invite.
Suzuki is the Canadiens’ number one centre, but on other teams around the league, he would be a solid second-line centre. He isn’t a point-per-game player, but he is getting there. The team captain is the closest he’s been, with 13 goals and 42 points in 49 games this season, while logging over 21 minutes a night for a second straight season. I could see him as the fourth-line centre for Team Canad in two years.
Matheson is less likely to make Team Canada, given how strong the roster tends to be, but that doesn’t take anything away from how good he’s been since the start of last season. He is producing offensively and is very clearly the team’s number one defenceman right now, logging over 25 minutes a night. He isn’t a top-tier defenceman and will be 31 years old by the time the Olympics roll around, but he is on pace for 57 points and plays in all situations against the toughest matchups. There is a chance he gets a call, but not a great one.
Related: How the Canadiens Can Have a Successful Trade Deadline
I want Montembeault to have a similar chance as Suzuki of making Team Canada in 2026. While there will be lots of options to at forward, there will also be several goalies to choose from. Right now, it would be a tossup between over seven Canadian NHL goalies. It all depends on how each of them, including Montembeault, plays until then. The Canadiens’ starter does have solid numbers, considering the young and banged-up team he has played behind the past two seasons, but he needs to maintain this level of play and improve as he gets more acclimated to…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Hockey Writers…