It certainly wasn’t expected coming into the year but the Habs have provided plenty of cause for optimism in the early weeks of the season.

There will be growing pains for the Habs in 2018-19 but there is cause for some optimism given some recent additions both on and off the ice.

While there have been a few bright spots, those are quickly overshadowed by a whole lot of negatives in what has been a dreadful season in Montreal.

Max Pacioretty has a lot in common with Penguins winger Phil Kessel between his play and how he has been criticized. Will he also be like Kessel and finding himself in a different uniform down the road?

Several teams have issued letters to their fans lately but although it would help towards smoothing things over, don’t expect the Habs to follow suit.

In a time where teams are moving towards skill and speed on the back end, the Habs have gone in the opposite direction and are paying the price.

With the Habs struggling and limited hope on the horizon, the road to redemption ultimately leads directly through Geoff Molson’s office. Has he seen enough to hand over the reins to a new GM?