Canadiens' Top 25 Since 2000: Ranking Standout Players (Positions 6-10)
In the fourth installment of our five-part feature series, we delve into five more players who have excelled with the Montreal Canadiens since the year 2000, with Brendan Gallagher leading the charge. This ranking is based on a comprehensive evaluation of personal statistics, awards, impact on the team and fans, and longevity with the franchise.
No. 6 — Brendan Gallagher
The Canadiens discovered a hidden gem when they selected Brendan Gallagher in the fifth round, 147th overall, of the 2010 NHL Draft. At the time, he was listed at 5-foot-9 and 169 pounds, but his performance spoke volumes. Gallagher had just completed a season with the WHL's Vancouver Giants, posting impressive totals of 41 goals and 40 assists for 81 points in 72 games, along with 111 penalty minutes.
From his first development camp, Gallagher made it clear he wouldn't let size define his game. "I score a lot of my goals around the net," he said. "I try to get to the net and, every once in a while, I kind of bug some players and they come after me. I'm not going to back down. I don't shy away from the rough stuff." He added, "I've heard the questions about my size my entire life, but I've always played the same way. I don't shy away from the bigger players and that's not going to change any time soon."
True to his word, Gallagher has maintained his tenacious style over 14 seasons with the Canadiens. In 891 career regular-season games, he has accumulated 245 goals and 238 assists for 483 points, along with 581 penalty minutes. Since the 2000-01 season, no player has scored more goals for the Canadiens, solidifying his role as the heart and soul of the team.
However, at 33 years old, age is beginning to catch up with Gallagher. He has one more season left on his contract with a US$6.5 million salary-cap hit. This season, he has only six goals, but showed signs of resurgence by scoring in each of the last two games before the Olympic break, playing on a line with fellow veterans Phillip Danault and Josh Anderson.
No. 7 — Max Pacioretty
Max Pacioretty was a consistent offensive force during his 10 seasons with the Canadiens, which began in 2008-09. He scored 30 or more goals five times, including a career-high 39 goals in the 2013-14 season. Over a four-year period from 2013-14 to 2016-17, Pacioretty netted 141 goals, averaging 35 per season. During that span, no other Canadiens player scored more than 80 goals.
Remarkably, Pacioretty achieved these numbers without the support of an elite center and as the primary offensive threat on the team. In 626 career regular-season games with the Canadiens, he recorded 226 goals and 222 assists for 448 points, with a plus-36 differential. His 448 points rank fourth among Canadiens players since 2000-01, behind Tomas Plekanec (606), Andrei Markov (572), and Brendan Gallagher (483).
In 38 playoff games, where opponents focused on shutting him down, Pacioretty managed 10 goals and 9 assists for 19 points. He served as captain for his final three seasons with the Canadiens before a feud with GM Marc Bergevin led to his trade to the Vegas Golden Knights on September 10, 2018. While not a natural-born leader, Pacioretty wore the captaincy with pride, embracing the responsibilities both on and off the ice.
No. 8 — Cole Caufield
Cole Caufield, selected 15th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft, faced similar size questions as Gallagher, listed at 5-foot-7 and 163 pounds. "Now I kind of just laugh it off," Caufield said after being drafted, following a season where he scored 72 goals in 64 games with the USA Hockey National Development Program's U-18 team. "Nobody's going to stop asking me about it. I'm just going to have to continue to prove people wrong. I've been dealing with it my whole life."
Caufield's talent was undeniable; he won the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in U.S. college hockey after scoring 30 goals in 31 games at the University of Wisconsin in 2020-21. However, he initially struggled in the NHL under head coach Dominique Ducharme, scoring only once in the first 30 games of the 2021-22 season. The turning point came when the Canadiens fired Ducharme and hired Martin St. Louis on February 9, 2022. Under St. Louis, Caufield's scoring prowess returned, and he hasn't looked back.
In 344 regular-season games with the Canadiens, Caufield has 150 goals, including a career-high 37 last season. This season, he has 32 goals in 57 games and is on pace for 46. The Canadiens haven't had a 40-goal scorer since Vincent Damphousse in 1993-94, nor a 50-goal scorer since Stéphane Richer in 1989-90. St. Louis praised Caufield's development, noting, "He's just a more complete player and he hasn't stopped scoring goals."
No. 9 — P.K. Subban
P.K. Subban's confidence was evident from the moment the Canadiens selected him in the second round, 43rd overall, of the 2007 NHL Draft. After being drafted, he approached the team's table and declared, "You guys made the right choice." This was a surprise, as NHL Central Scouting had ranked him No. 102 among North American skaters.
Subban made his NHL debut three years later and quickly became a star during the 2010 playoffs, posting 1 goal and 7 assists for 8 points in 14 games, averaging 20:44 of ice time as the Canadiens advanced to the Eastern Conference final. In 2013, he won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenceman after recording 11 goals and 27 assists for 38 points with a plus-12 differential in 42 games during the lockout-shortened season. He was the first Canadiens defenceman to win the award since Chris Chelios in 1989.
In 434 regular-season games with the Canadiens, Subban tallied 63 goals and 215 assists for 278 points, with a plus-35 differential. Only Andrei Markov has more points among Canadiens defencemen since 2000-01. Despite his popularity with fans, Subban's flamboyant personality clashed with GM Marc Bergevin and head coach Michel Therrien, leading to his trade to the Nashville Predators on June 29, 2016, in exchange for Shea Weber.
No. 10 — Lane Hutson
Lane Hutson breaks the mold of longevity in this ranking, but his exceptional talent earns him a spot in the top 10. The Canadiens took a chance on another small player, selecting Hutson in the second round, 62nd overall, of the 2022 NHL Draft, when he was listed at 5-foot-8 and 148 pounds.
Hutson quickly proved that size is no barrier, even for a defenceman. In his rookie season, he played all 82 games, posting 6 goals and 60 assists for 66 points, and won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie—the first Canadiens player to do so since goalie Ken Dryden in 1972. This season, he has been even more impressive, with 10 goals and 48 assists for 58 points in 57 games, along with a plus-22 rating after finishing minus-2 last season. He is on pace for 83 points, nearing Larry Robinson's franchise record of 85 points by a defenceman set in 1976-77.
Canadiens management has been astounded by Hutson's rapid rise. "I didn't know when we signed him out of college—I'd like to say I knew—but I didn't know he was going to be that good, that fast," said a team representative at a mid-season news conference.
This series continues tomorrow with the reveal of players ranked Nos. 1-5, capping off our comprehensive look at the top 25 Canadiens since the turn of the century.
