No, I’m Not Avoiding This — The Montreal Canadiens Should Be Very Concerned Right Now

The Montreal Canadiens couldn’t have asked for a worse week. After being blown out 6–1 by the Los Angeles Kings, the Habs followed it up by getting routed 7–0 by the Dallas Stars. Both games being on home ice and both were a complete dismantling that exposed every current flaw in their game.

Despite starting the season strong, the Canadiens are now trending in the wrong direction, and these back-to-back lopsided losses have forced a hard look at where things stand.

But there is one silver lining: this is exactly why a hot start matters. Because Montreal banked so many early points, they haven’t lost catastrophic ground. Even with these ugly performances, they’re still tied for the top spot in the division and in an Atlantic Division where every team looks inconsistent or mediocre, that matters.

Florida should improve once healthy. Toronto remains impossible to read. Boston is playing well but far from guaranteed. Detroit and Buffalo have not earned my trust. And Ottawa—once Brady Tkachuk returns—may be the team most likely to jump Montreal. But for now, the division remains wide open.

If there’s one area causing genuine concern, it’s in net.

Samuel Montembeault, who was legitimately underrated and impressive last season, has cratered. In 9 starts this season, he has a record of 4-4-1 but has a GAA of 3.61 and an eye-dropping save percentage of .857. His struggles have been severe, consistent, and impossible to ignore.

Jakub Dobeš started the season brilliantly, but after head coach Martin St. Louis pushed hard to rebuild Montembeault’s confidence, Dobeš' rhythm and confidence seem to have slipped as well.

This may have been an unintentional miscalculation by St. Louis as in trying to fix one goalie, he may have broken both.

At this point, the Canadiens have to simplify things and just ride the hot hand. Whoever wins stays in. If they lose, rotate. Anything else is overthinking the situation.

Beyond the goaltending, the defense hasn’t been good enough—particularly the players who must be difference-makers.

Lane Hutson needs to be better. Noah Dobson needs to be better.

These two were invested in heavily and expected to elevate the defense corps. The rest of the blue line isn’t built to carry the load—these two are.

Until they settle in and stabilize their play, Montreal’s defensive issues will continue.

Up front, the Canadiens have mixed results.

Nick Suzuki is still producing, but he doesn’t look like himself. There’s likely an injury he’s managing through. He isn’t as dynamic or dangerous as usual. With his Ironman streak still active, Montreal may hesitate to rest him, but a week or two off might actually help both him and the team long-term.

Cole Caufield, on the other hand, is doing exactly what he needs to do—being one of the top goal scorers in the NHL. Juraj Slafkovský may not have gaudy stats, but his overall play continues to trend upward.

Still, the offense dries up quickly after the top line and Ivan Demidov.

And the injury to Alex Newhook only worsens things. Newhook has been excellent, and his injury looked bad enough that a long-term absence—possibly season-ending—is very much on the table. Losing him is a major blow.

This now puts pressure on players like Oliver Kapanen, Josh Anderson, Jake Evans and Kirby Dach.

The coaching staff isn’t immune to criticism either.

Marty St. Louis has been an excellent developmental coach, and he deserves credit for elevating so many young players. But I always questioned whether he would be the right person to lead Montreal once expectations changed.

That time may be arriving.

If the Habs had fired him a month ago, it would have been absurd. But if you had said at this time last year that St. Louis would no longer be this team's coach, it wouldn’t have been shocking.

Right now, nobody is calling for his job—but he needs to be better, and the room needs to settle. The decisions with the goaltenders, the team’s recent play, and the lack of structure all fall partly on him.

If Newhook is out long-term, GM Kent Hughes may have no choice but to make a move. The expectation is the playoffs. The team is too far along in its rebuild to accept regression.

Names that could make sense:

• Nazem Kadri

• Ryan O’Reilly

• Brayden Schenn

• Jordan Kyrou

Whether it’s a smaller spark or a major statement move, something may be needed to stabilize the roster and maintain momentum in a suddenly vulnerable season.

Montreal has work to do. The hot start bought them time, but the underlying concerns—goaltending instability, underperforming defense, lack of scoring depth, and potential coaching questions—are real.

The playoff expectation hasn’t changed.The roster needs help.And if Alex Newhook is out for a long stretch, a trade becomes not just possible, but likely.

The season isn’t collapsing—but the warning signs are flashing.