The Montreal Canadiens could fill the net a lot...
In a very objective way, there are a few Montreal Canadiens players who could have a lot of success this year. If every player plays to their full potential, it could be devastating for the rest of the NHL rosters...
In Mike Hoffman, Brendan Gallagher, Paul Byron, Tyler Toffoli, Jonathan Drouin and Josh Anderson, the Canadiens have six former 20+ scorers. Could they repeat their feat if chemistry is established in the Montreal lineup? Without a doubt!
Also, in Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Joel Armia, Artturi Lehkonen and Jeff Petry, we could find some hidden cards.
We're just talking!
If Jesperi Kotkaniemi has a breakout season as a second center, he could inevitably score 20 goals.
Nick Suzuki is likely to score 20, barring some sort of bad luck or underperformance. However, that would be surprising. He's going to play the first center position this year. A breakout season is bound to be on his radar.
Joel Armia has proven in the past that he can fill the net with ice time on the power play and on the top-6. He's not likely to score 20 in 2021-2022 considering the Habs' depth on the wings, but in the event of an injury, he'll play a lot more, so anything is possible. He had scored 16 goals in 58 games in 2019-2020.
If Artturi Lehkonen could find some finishing in his game, he could be a good scorer. He'll probably play on the fourth line, but like Armia, if there are injuries, he could open up offensively. He has already scored 18 goals, that was during the 2016-2017 season.
Cole Caufield will start his first full NHL campaign this year. Is this a reason to consider a season of less than 20 goals? Not at all! He has proven at all lower levels that he is a prolific scorer. A 20+ goal season alongside Nick Suzuki is very realistic for him.
Jeff Petry will officially have the title of number one defenseman for the Montreal Canadiens due to Shea Weber's injuries that will keep him out of the game this season. He will drive the first wave of the power play with his incredible vision and accurate shooting. He has scored 12 or more goals in three of his last four seasons. If he finds consistency in his play during the 2021-2022 season, he could possibly score 15 to 20 goals.
Everything here is pure speculation. We're talking about potential 20-goal scorers here, not a guarantee. What is certain is that we are all looking forward to the CH training camp!
