Sports Take

The Montreal Canadiens have been floating near the middle of the pack in the NHL for years now, always a constant disappointment for their fans who had hoped that Carey Price was going to bring them their 25th Stanley Cup championship. It hasn’t turned out that way however, as the last time they made it to the conference finals was the 2013-14 season, and the last time they made the Stanley Cup finals is when they last won in 1993. For a historic team the Canadiens haven’t been the team everyone expected when they drafted Carey Price, their defensive core hasn’t helped their all star tender, the forwards haven’t been producing as much as they would like. But with a budding young core of players like Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Nick Suzuki, Cale Fleury, and Max Domi, it would seem that hometown boy Alexis Lafreniere would fit in to the young talented group that could emerge from the Canadiens. His size and speed will add to a relatively small team, his ability to find the open ice and create plays for his teammates would allow players like Domi and Kotkaniemi to flourish. He also adds some much needed net front presence and when he builds up on his frame he’ll be difficult for opponents to move. He’s a perfect fit in to the Canadiens, and with a healthy, reinvigorated Carey Price the Canadiens could become a new dynasty with Lafreniere. Who knows though, the Canadiens might just be the dark horse of these 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.