We now enter the 28^th installment of my thots and we are thinking about the Montreal Canadiens. Vardy salvaged his future and has nothing to show for it.

Forwards:

• Key Players: Troy Terry, Alexander Nylander, Artturi Lehkonen, Conor Garland, Scott Laughton
• Depth Players: Morgan Geekie, Connor Brown, Parker Kelly, Kevin Rooney, Jake Evans
• Scratched Players: Curtis Lazar
• Notable Missing Players: Bo Horvat (Traded)

Grade: C-

Your forward group lacks high-end offensive firepower. Troy Terry is your best player—he’s a solid point producer but not an elite offensive force. Artturi Lehkonen and Conor Garland are useful secondary pieces but don’t provide top-line scoring. Scott Laughton and Alexander Nylander add depth, but Nylander remains inconsistent.

Your center depth is weak without Bo Horvat. Jake Evans and Kevin Rooney are serviceable bottom-six guys, but you lack a true No. 1 center to drive the offense.

Defense:

• Key Players: Damon Severson, Dante Fabbro
• Depth Players: Jordan Harris, Travis Hamonic, Zach Bogosian
• Scratched Players: None
• Notable Missing Players: Brayden McNabb (Traded)

Grade: C-

Your blue line is weak overall. Damon Severson is a capable two-way defenseman, and Dante Fabbro provides some mobility, but neither are true top-pairing defenders. There’s no elite puck-moving defenseman to control play, and your defensive depth is thin.

Hamonic, Bogosian, and Jordan Harris provide toughness but won't generate offense or drive possession. Losing McNabb hurts your defensive depth.

Goaltending:

• Goalies: Jonathan Quick, Laurent Brossoit
• Scratched Goalies: Alex Nedeljkovic
• Additional Goalies: Antti Raanta, Chris Driedger

Grade: C-

Jonathan Quick is far past his prime, and while he still has experience, he isn’t a reliable No. 1 goalie. Laurent Brossoit is a solid backup but not a true starter, while Alex Nedeljkovic and Chris Driedger have struggled to establish themselves.

Antti Raanta is the most capable goalie here, but he’s injury-prone and unreliable over a full season.

Prospects:

• Top and Only Prospect: Sam Colangelo
• Notable Omissions: No other top prospects listed.

Grade: F

Your prospect pool is almost nonexistent. Sam Colangelo is a decent prospect, but he’s not a blue-chip talent who can change your team’s future. Without high-end forward or defensive prospects, there is very little long-term upside.

Draft Capital & Future Outlook:

• Notable Draft Picks:
• 2025 1st Rounder (Montreal)
• Multiple mid-to-late round picks in 2025 and 2026.

Grade: C+

Having Montreal’s own first-round pick is crucial, but beyond that, your draft capital is mostly mid-to-late round selections, which aren’t enough to rebuild quickly.

Final Grade: D+

Your team is stuck in the middle—not good enough to contend but also not set up well for the future. You lack elite forwards, top-tier defensemen, and reliable goaltending. Your prospect pool is weak, and while you have some draft capital, it isn’t enough to rebuild quickly. You lack BRLH Bux. You lack everything. I would rank you on setting up and maintaining a cool stats sheet, but I unfortunately won’t. There is a new age beginning in the BRHL and if you don’t act quickly, you will be in the bottom half of the standings with Rodrigo Cordell for a long time.

Recommendations for Improvement:

1. Trade veteran players for high draft picks or young talent.
2. Target a true No. 1 center and a top-pairing defenseman.
3. Acquire more first-round picks to strengthen your prospect pipeline.
4. Prepare for a rebuild—this roster is not good enough to win now.