Habster:

TSN has finally given their take on the Montreal Canadiens and consider “this season may be Montreal’s best chance to make a run for a championship”.

There will be some big changes next year with eight players becoming UFAs after this season but with that being said, there’s no reason to believe the Habs won’t be another solid team that will be in contention for a cup run.

Here’s an excerpt from the TSN article

What to watch for: The Canadiens were among the league’s fastest and most skilled offensive teams last season and should only get better with the addition of Tanguay. The Quebec native, who struggled in a defensive role under Mike Keenan, has a better opportunity to showcase his playmaking skills alongside captain Saku Koivu. Last season, Alex Kovalev stood above everyone as Montreal’s most valuable player, leading the team in scoring and being an on-ice mentor for his teammates. However, the 35-year-old has been an enigma for most of his career, putting in great performances one year and following it up with lackluster efforts the next. So which Kovalev will we see this season? There are three factors that should offer a hint. The first is that it’s a contract year and another great campaign should bring in more than the $4.5 million he’s making this season. The second is the addition of Lang. The two veterans excelled on a line in Pittsburgh seven years ago and the magic could return if they play together again. Finally, the veteran winger has shown no signs of regressing at camp. He showed up 10 pounds lighter and spent much of the summer going over game tapes and on-ice adjustments. Either way, offence should not be a problem for a Canadiens squad that led the NHL in goals and had seven 50-plus point scorers last season. The team is blessed with a wealth of young forwards that include Christopher Higgins, Tomas Plekanec and The Flying Kostitsyns, who should all improve with more skating room thanks to Laraque, Steve Begin and Tom Kostopoulos.

A big part of Montreal’s attack last season was their No. 1 power play, and it could take a step back with Mark Streit gone to the New York Islanders. While Andrei Markov is a great puckhandler and a proven talent on the man advantage, the team will miss that much-needed shot from the point. Head coach Guy Carbonneau may turn to a forward like Kovalev or Sergei Kostitsyn to step in for that. The good news is that the power play may be the only concern stemming from Montreal’s strong blueline. Mike Komisarek was the NHL’s top shot-blocking defenceman last season and was second in the league in hits. Roman Hamrlik backed up his $5 million salary well as Montreal’s most reliable defensive blueliner, while former press box regular Josh Gorges made huge strides and is now penciled into the depth chart as a Top 4 defenceman. Rounding out the group is the small, but gritty Francis Bouillon and towering youngster Ryan O’Byrne.