It’s really not a secret at this point of the season: the Montreal Canadiens are a flawed team — especially on defence — in need of a serious injection of youthful talent all over the lineup. Montreal needs to rebuild or retool their roster, and that’s actually possible to do quickly if those in charge recognize the value of their assets.
When you factor in the high-end prospects available in the first round of the 2018 draft where Montreal will likely be selecting, you can begin a youth overhaul on the fly. The Habs have a lot of promising defensive depth currently playing in the WHL thanks to a good 2017 draft, as well as 2015 first-round selection Noah Juulsen impressing in the AHL, so within the next two years the team could feasibly resupply their NHL defence and be ready to contend once again for a playoff position.