To simply say CF Montreal made a few roster changes in the last few months would be a massive understatement. Last season, Montreal finished with 20 total wins, only behind LAFC's 21. They opened the season with three consecutive losses, and closed it with four consecutive victories. Their 20-9-5 record, with 65 points, was enough to finish second place in the Eastern Conference by quite a margin, and just two points back from Philadelphia Union. Romell Quioto notched 15 goals, while Djordje Mihailovic and Kei Kamara added nine a piece. In the playoffs, they started out hot with a 2-0 first round win against Orlando City, but New York City FC ended up being too much to handle in the Conference Semi-Finals. For a team with title aspirations, it was a disappointing exit.
Montreal's off-season has been interesting, to say the least. They sold rising youngster Ismael Kone to Watford, sent right back Alistair Johnston to Celtic, and Djordje Mihailovic to AZ Alkmaar. These three losses are massive, and Montreal have not exactly been busy replacing them. In addition to all of these moves, they also traded Joaquin Torres to the Philadelphia Union in an intra-league trade. The only somewhat attacking move Montreal has made so far was the acquisition of Greek midfielder Ilias Iliadis from Panathinaikos. Otherwise, their moves have been made across the back-line, adding center back George Campbell from Atlanta United and fullback Aaron Herrera from Real Salt Lake. Despite some turmoil with the club since last season, veteran striker Kei Kamara has returned to the team, for now. Victor Wanyama will also be returning despite his previous claims that he wanted to go elsewhere. The defensive trio will likely consist of Kamal Miller, Rudy Camacho, and Joel Waterman, with George Campbell getting some looks as well.
Montreal still has a serviceable roster, but their attack seems to lack dynamicity at this time. Up and coming young players will have their shot to break into the team as a regular starter, including Matko Miljevic, Sunusi Ibrahim, and Mathieu Choiniere. It's tough to predict exactly how this team will look in 2023, but barring any big splashes it's fair to say that they may not be primed to hit the same level they did last season.
Projected XI:
GK: Pantemis
DEF: Lappalainen, Miller, Camacho, Waterman, Herrera
MID: Piette, Wanyama, Choiniere, Miljevic
FWD: Quioto
Off-Season Grade: D+
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