Even if the Canadiens have reached the Stanley Cup Final, the road to the playoffs in 2022 will be extremely difficult. With the divisions back to normal, nothing can be taken for granted for Dominique Ducharme's team, which will have to battle with the Bruins, Maple Leafs, Panthers and the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning.
To this list, we must add the Ottawa Senators, who could surprise a lot this season. Last year, they had a great finish to the season with a 7-2-1 record in their last ten games. The team will have the same core of young players this season and they will have another year of maturity.
Obviously, this isn't the Tampa Bay Lightning's formidable lineup that has won the Stanley Cup the last two seasons, but it's a lineup that could very well contend for one of the last available spots to make the post-season.
One player to watch is second line center Shane Pinto, who had a strong start last year with seven points in 12 games. Otherwise, there are also Tkachuk, Norris, Batherson and Stützle, who could do more damage than last season with another year under their belt.
