Ice hockey, unsurprisingly, is Canada’s national sport. Sports are big business in Canada, most of all Ice Hockey, with a lot of people placing wagers on NHL games through LuckyKoala Sports Betting. The country has produced some of the best Hall of Fame NHL players in history and has numerous teams that are part of the prestigious NHL franchise. One of which is the Montreal Canadiens. They are also known as the ‘Habs’.
Based in Montreal, they are a professional NHL outfit that has been around for 115 years, having competed at the NHL level since 1917. This history makes them the oldest continuously operating team in the world and one of the few who actually played at a professional level prior to the founding of the NHL. And their home at the moment is the Bell Centre. Sports are big business in Canada, with a lot of people placing wagers on NHL games through LuckyKoala Sports Betting.
What does the future hold?
The focus today, however, is not on history but on looking to the future, namely towards the 2024/25 league season and looking at five key points that could go in their favour as they look to reach success again. As a team, they always set the bar high, and off the back of this season, it is understandable that they are going to set the bar even higher. And to aid with this ambition, they are going to look to bolster their squad with some new players. And they are also hoping that as time goes on, existing players will step up to the next level.
The crucial role of the defence
One of those under the spotlight who, thankfully, has just put his rookie season behind him is Jayden Struble. And hopefully the nerves of the first season have now worn off so that he can look to take his game to the next level and propel the Canadiens to success. He, along with other defensive players in the line-up, played a crucial role last season in providing much-needed support to the offence players. A lack of support has led to the need for new players to be brought in to aid in these areas so that the same isn’t required from the Canadiens defence this season.
Dach returns
Another X-factor for the team and good news for both the club and players is the return of Kirby Dach, who will help bolster players down the middle for the Canadiens. It’s important, however, not to expect him to settle back in straight away, as he will need time to be able to bond with his new teammates, but once this stage is passed and the chemistry between them has been built, it will be exciting to see the contribution that he makes to the team overall.
Despite the relative inexperience of the Canadiens defence, between the three of them, they have been robust apart from a few momentary lapses last season, but this is also an area that needs improvement. And so what are the chances of them achieving glory this year? Well, unfortunately, amongst a lot of the general public and fans of the NHL, they are not considered favourites or even threats. However, off the back of last season, I’m sure that a lot of fans would be happy if they saw an improvement in the team, and over the years, they can slowly start to improve each and every year.
In Summary
If you are a fan of the Montreal Canadiens, you have a lot to look forward to this season. However, it remains to be seen if any more transfer business is to be conducted before the start of the season. There are only a few months until the first game of the 2024–25 NHL season, which kicks off with a face-off between both the Buffalo Sabres and the New Jersey Devils. However, this is instead being hosted in Prague as part of the global series.