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The hope for many Canadiens fans going into this season was for another dismal finish and the prospect of a spot in the Jack Hughes draft sweepstakes next June.

There was little reason for optimism.

Carey Price was coming off the worst season of his career as he embarked on an eight-year contract with an annual cap hit of US$10.5 million.

Shea Weber, the team’s No. 2 defenceman, was out until December following surgery on his foot and his knee.

The Canadiens finished 29th in the NHL in scoring last season, but general manager Marc Bergevin gave away size and scoring when he traded 30-goal scorers Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk for Tomas Tatar and Max Domi, respectively.

The Canadiens had the third pick in the NHL Entry Draft, but what were they thinking when they passed on several can’t-miss prospects to select Jesperi Kotkaniemi, a rail-thin Finnish teen? Everyone agreed he would be a fine player some day, but he was expected to spend at least one more season developing in Finland.