There is much uncertainty surrounding the Montreal Canadiens attack for the coming NHL season. Brendan Gallagher has struggled with injuries for the last couple of seasons and will not be relied on as a regular starter this time around.
Brendan Gallagher has played 675 games with the Canadiens. Good for 27th all-time for skaters on the team.
— Andrew Zadarnowski (@AZadarski) July 18, 2023
Last season he passed Bobby Rousseau, Craig Rivet, Dickie Moore, Aurèle Joliat, Shayne Corson, & Elmer Lach in that category. This season it will be Jacques Lapperière. pic.twitter.com/DoSvrBCOSo
The Habs struggled offensively in 2022/23
The Canadiens scored 232 goals in the 2022/23 season, with their attack certainly going through a difficult period compared to some of the greats that played in frontlines of the past.
Their offensive struggles are likely to continue into the new season, as they do not have the calibre of assets to trade for top-quality forwards.
The Habs are offered as a huge outsider at +6000 at Bet365 to win the Eastern Conference, as they simply do not have the offensive firepower of the past to compete with the leading teams.
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The Canadiens have made many trades since the season culminated, but it is unlikely they will address all of their issues and be serious challengers for several years now. But who are the Canadiens’ greatest forwards of the past, those that contributed to the Habs’ record tally of Stanley Cup victories?
Maurice Richard
Maurice Richard is not just one of the Canadiens’ greatest ever, but one of the greatest ever forwards to grace the sport of ice hockey. Richard played on the right wing for the Habs between 1942 and 1960.
Richard was the first-ever player in the NHL to score 50 goals in a season, and he scored a huge 544 goals in his career overall. He won the Hart Trophy for the NHL’s most valuable player in the 1946/47 season.
The deadly offensive player helped the Habs to win eight Stanley Cups, half of which he captained the team to victory in.
In the eyes of many Richard is the Canadiens greatest ever player, not just their most spectacular forward of all time. An award was named after the Habs legend known as the “Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy” seen at NHL. This is awarded to the leading goalscorer each season, to honour Richard’s record goalscoring throughout his career.
Jean Beliveau
Jean Beliveau was a central forward player for the Habs, he played alongside Richard in the greatest-ever Canadiens team that won five straight Stanley Cups between 1956 and 1960 seen at HHOF.
Beliveau was both a prolific scorer as well as an impressive playmaker and he maintained a strong understanding with fellow frontman Richard. Beliveau bettered Richard’s Stanley Cup tally however, he won 10 titles with the Canadiens, five of which came when he captained the team.
Besides being one of the greatest offensive players in the Habs’ history, he is also seen as the greatest-ever captain of the team by many.
Regardless of which way you rank the pair, both were absolutely vital in the peak stage of the team’s history. They are certainly the top two forwards to ever wear the Canadiens jersey, and some would even argue the greatest players of any position to line out for the team.