NHL Network analyst sees the Canadiens in the playoffs this season

Crédit: Alex Ovechkin and Nick Suzuki shake hands after Game 5 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Canadiens qualified for the playoffs on the back foot last season. A return to the playoffs is possible, but nothing is guaranteed. The good news for Montreal is that Kent Hughes went out and got reinforcements during the off-season with the arrival of Noah Dobson and Zachary Bolduc. It seems that this is enough to convince many people that Montreal can return to the playoffs, including NHL Network analyst Stu Grimson. The former NHL player gave his thoughts on the subject on Thursday night on NHL Tonight.Grimson definitely sees the Maple Leafs, Panthers, Lightning and Senators as the top four teams in the Atlantic Division, but believes that if one of these teams has a bad season, Montreal could take advantage of it to take its place. Of these four teams, Grimson identified the Senators as the one that could take a step back this year. The former NHL strongman also believes that a full season from Patrik Laine could greatly help the Canadiens. Again, that would be extremely surprising. Even if he stays away from serious injuries, Laine has been absent on numerous occasions due to “flu-like symptoms”. Grimson has made some good points, but his latest may not be the best. In his opinion, the center line of Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook is a solid one to help the Canadiens.Oops… not sure about that one.Kirby Dach can still surprise, but with his great injury history and roller-coaster performances, he may not be the man for the job at center of the second line. Alex Newhook at center of the third line isn’t a bad idea, though. He’s a good player at times and could improve over the course of the season. Montreal will definitely still be “in the mix” this season, but thanks to last season’s performances, we now know that the playoffs are attainable. [spacer title=’Overtime’] – Kings contract extension.

– It’s the end for Diallo in Toronto.

– Interesting.