The Canadiens Meet the Maple Leafs, Expecting to Win

Not long ago, a Montreal Canadiens visit to Toronto was mostly about history, rivalry, and maybe a little nostalgia. This game tonight feels different. The Canadiens are coming off a trip to the Eastern Conference final, and the pressure in Montreal feels different. This isn't a rebuilding team hoping a few young players turn into something someday. The young players are already becoming something.

That makes Tuesday night's opener against the Maple Leafs a pretty interesting measuring stick.

Montreal Has Reached the Interesting Part of the Rebuild.

Martin St. Louis said the Canadiens are in a “good place” after going 4-1-0 in the preseason. That record doesn't mean much once the real games begin, but the larger point is worth noticing. Montreal has spent the past few years drafting, developing and waiting. Now it's facing harder decisions.

Nick Suzuki is coming off a 101-point season. Cole Caufield scored 51 goals. Lane Hutson put up 78 points from the blue line. Jakub Dobes emerged in goal and gave the Canadiens something they weren't necessarily expecting so quickly. Those aren't rebuilding-block numbers anymore. Those are expectation numbers.

And that's where a rebuild gets interesting. It's one thing to have young players. It's another thing to have young players who have already shown enough that people start asking what comes next.

The Canadiens Are Chasing Something Again.

The most revealing part of St. Louis' comments wasn't really the preseason record. It was his emphasis on the process. That's probably important because Montreal can't simply repeat last season. A trip to the Eastern Conference final changes the conversation. Opponents prepare differently. Expectations change. Players are no longer sneaking up on anybody.

That's especially interesting against Toronto. The Maple Leafs are trying to reinvent themselves after missing the playoffs. Montreal is trying to prove last season wasn't a one-off. Different problems. Different pressures. And maybe that's what makes this opener more than just another Original Six game.

Montreal Has Something Toronto Wants.

Toronto has added size, experience and a whole bunch of new pieces under John Chayka. Montreal has something Toronto would probably like: a young core that has already started to figure out how to win together. That doesn't mean the Canadiens are finished. Far from it.

But the interesting part of a rebuild isn't when everyone is still talking about potential. It's when potential starts turning into expectations. Montreal has reached that part. And now comes the harder job — showing that last spring was the beginning of something, not the end of it.