written by: Jonah sacks (@Silkypucktalk)

February 5, 2026

The time has officially come: we’ve hit the Winter Olympic break. For some, that means vacation. For Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovský, Alexandre Texier, and Oliver Kapanen, it means a trip to Milan and even more hard work ahead.

We can complain all day about Lane Hutson and Cole Caufield being left off Team USA, or Noah Dobson missing out for Canada. But there’s another way to look at it. Those snubs also give some of Montreal’s best players a well-earned rest before the playoff push. At this point, with the level of skill they’ve shown all season, there’s every reason to believe they’ll pick up right where they left off once play resumes.

The season has flown by, and that feeling couldn’t be more different from what we experienced between 2022 and 2024, when bad performances piled up night after night. What the Canadiens have right now is special—and it shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Just look at the numbers

Lane Hutson currently sits third among all NHL defencemen in points, one point ahead of Cale Makar. That’s no joke. Noah Dobson ranks second in the league in blocked shots and is already just one point shy of matching his total from last season with the Islanders. Ivan Demidov leads all rookies in points. Kapanen is tied for first among rookies in goals. Jakub Dobeš has the most wins of any rookie goaltender. Cole Caufield is tied for third in the NHL in goals, trailing only Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid. Suzuki sits 11th in assists and 12th in points across the entire league.

Ready for another one?

Noah Dobson and Lane Hutson both have 10 goals this season. That marks the first time the Canadiens have had two defencemen reach double-digit goals since 2019–20, when Shea Weber scored 15 and Jeff Petry potted 11. And there are still 25 games left on the schedule.

Things are undeniably trending in the right direction for Montreal. A playoff spot feels all but inevitable as the Habs are currently second in the Atlantic division, good for sixth in the league. After Sam Montembeault’s stellar performance against the Jets and with Dobeš continuing to look sharp as of late even goaltending is looking promising. With Patrik Laine and Alex Newhook set to return soon, the lineup is going to look even more dangerous down the stretch.

For now, though, it’s time to take a breath. Sit back, enjoy some Olympic hockey, and hope that the Canadiens’ captain, Nick Suzuki, helps bring home gold for Canada.