The Habs wrapped up their 2021-22 season last month with a couple of victories following a tough losing streak. Despite their overall struggles, there were some solid individual performances that helped them earn enough votes to be in the three stars.
1st Star: Christian Dvorak – Dvorak’s first season as a Hab was a tough one for sure. He struggled to stay healthy and struggled for long stretches when he was healthy. But in April, he was a bit more consistent in terms of his defensive play while he chipped in with a few extra points as he started to settle in on the second line. Is that enough to safely lock him in as the second centre next season? Certainly not but there’s no doubt he helped his value both inside and outside of the organization with his good finish.
Stats: 14 GP, 2 goals, 11 assists, 13 points, -3 rating, 0 PIMS, 20 shots, 58.3% faceoffs
2nd Star: Cole Caufield – The first half of his official rookie season was one to forget but Caufield was much more productive under Martin St. Louis and he certainly ended his year on a high note with a hat trick in his final game. The next step will be putting this type of play in over a full campaign but both Caufield and the Canadiens have to be quite encouraged with how his season ended. Expectations are certainly going to be higher in 2022-23.
Stats: 14 GP, 9 goals, 1 assist, 10 points, -6 rating, 2 PIMS, 46 shots
3rd Star: Jeff Petry – Another player who had a year to forget, Petry was much better over the final few weeks of the season, even during the lengthy losing streak. With the team playing down the stretch with nothing to play for, it gave Petry a chance to rediscover his confidence with minimal pressure and it came together when he returned to the lineup. Montreal is much better when he’s at his best although, at this point, the question will be whether or not he has improved his value around the league enough to get a trade done.
Stats: 11 GP, 2 goals, 9 assists, 11 points, -1 rating, 6 PIMS, 32 shots
Honourable Mention: Nick Suzuki – St. Louis didn’t ease up on Suzuki down the stretch despite this being his first full 82-game season and the youngster rose up to the challenge and didn’t show any fatigue. His production was steady – points in 10 of 14 games which were enough to help him max out on his performance bonuses which will now be deducted off next year’s salary cap. Steady is a good way to describe his season as a whole, really. There weren’t many significant peaks and valleys which is quite good for a youngster in a key role.
Stats: 14 GP, 3 goals, 8 assists, 11 points, -6 rating, 6 PIMS, 24 shots, 53.9% faceoffs