| The Montreal Canadiens are surprising everyone, including head coach Martin St. Louis, as they battle for recognition in the season’s early stages. After six games, they hold a 2-3-1 record—not great, but not bad. Led by a young, hungry group of players still learning to gel as a team, the Canadiens are off to a competitive start. Their offense, driven by this emerging core, is beginning to show promise. Who are the Canadiens scoring leaders so far this season? Over these six games, some expected performances and surprising developments are worth highlighting as the team fights for consistency and success. |
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#1: Cole Caufield
Cole Caufield has been Montreal’s standout player (and perhaps the most popular among fans). The young forward leads the team with six goals and one assist for seven points. Caufield is showing his elite goal-scoring touch, converting almost a third of (30%) his 20 shots on goal. It’s an impressive shooting percentage. Two of Caufield’s goals have come on the power play, and he’s already scored two game-winners. His talent for finding the back of the net keeps the Canadiens in games. He plays almost 19 minutes (18:40) each game. His early-season success is a promising sign, especially his hot shooting accuracy. |
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#2: Juraj Slafkovsky
A pleasant surprise so far has been Juraj Slafkovsky. He’s now the team’s second-leading scorer with six points (1 goal, five assists). The 2022 first-overall pick is beginning to emerge as a playmaker. Already, he’s registered five helpers, including two for the power play. His 18:14 average time on ice (TOI) echoes his growing confidence and decision-making on the ice. Although his shooting percentage is less than half of Caufield’s (he’s putting up a success rate of 14.3%), his all-around contributions have been an early surprise. Although expectations of Slafkovsky were high, his ability to set up plays has been a pleasant surprise for Canadiens fans. |
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#3: Nick Suzuki
Nick Suzuki is the team’s captain. While he hasn’t scored, he’s registered five assists. He’s also averaging 20:12 TOI and has won 54.1% of his faceoffs. Suzuki is nothing if he isn’t reliable. Surprisingly, Suzuki has yet to score a goal. While it’s unusual for a player of his ability, his playmaking ability makes him an asset. Given his five assists in six games, he’s been helping teammates. Suzuki is strong on the puck and tough to beat in one-on-one battles, although he’s smaller. Once he scores his first goal, expect them to come in bunches. Until then, he keeps plugging along, happy enough to set up his teammates. |
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#4: Lane Hutson
Rookie defenseman Lane Hutson has been another pleasant surprise. He’s put up four assists in his first six NHL games while playing heavy minutes (23:08 TOI). In one game, he played 30 minutes of the 60 minutes. His offensive skills from the blue line shine as he quarterbacks the Canadiens’ power play. He’s registered two assists with the man advantage. Although he’s still finding his defensive game (with a -1 rating and six penalty minutes), he’s composed and confident. He’s going to be a keeper and perhaps one of the NHL’s top defensemen sooner rather than later. His unique ability to generate offense from the back end makes him a standout young player. |
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#5 Kaiden Guhle and Mike Matheson (Tied)
One of the biggest surprises is that three of the team’s top six scorers are blue-liners. In addition to Hutson, Kaiden Guhle and Mike Matheson have also contributed four points each. Guhle has scored a goal to add to his three assists. Matheson has yet to score but has added four assists. He’s also averaging over 23 minutes per game. Both young defensemen are essential to the Canadiens’ defense. They are also pushing the team’s pace offensively. They can jump into the rush and contribute on both ends of the ice, which has been critical in Montreal’s early games. |
