Montreal Canadiens' Placement in New Fan Vote Suggests Big Things Coming

Last season was a huge step forward for the Montreal Canadiens, and although they came up short in their quest for a Stanley Cup, making it to the post-season is something that not many expected entering the 2024/25 season.

Now however, the expectations have shifted for this young core, and with the 2025 Calder Trophy winner and the potential front runner for 2026, this team is ready to take another huge leap forward.

In their latest piece, The Athletic took a look at the outlook at the confidence levels of fans and neutral's of all 32 NHL teams, and given the young core that they've built, it's no surprise that the Canadiens rank very highly among their fans.

Ranked in the categories of roster building, cap management, draft and developing, trading, free agency and vision, the Canadiens rank A- in everything but free agency among their fan base, showing just how optimistic the die-hard fans in Montreal are about this team.

With the likes of Ivan Demidov and Lane Hutson both arriving last season to join this young core, there's arguably no betters U23 core in the entire National Hockey League, and given how aggressive this team was in getting Noah Dobson, it's clear that they're pushing for a deep run in 2026.

Whether or not that happens, only time will tell, but for now fans are clearly happy with the way Kent Hughes and the front office have been operating, and if this team can't be seen as contenders throughout the year, it would be a major shock to these optimistic fans.