Eyes On The Prize
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2026 Montreal Canadiens Top 25 Under 25: #7 Alexander Zharovsky
Introduction Every so often a prospect comes along whose stock climbs so fast you half-expect the scouts who passed on him to start updating their résumés. Alexander Zharovsky is that guy. When the Montreal Canadiens traded up in the second round of the 2025 NHL Draft, sending picks 41 and 49 to the Carolina Hurricanes to grab pick 34, the move raised a few eyebrows. Trading up to take a Russian winger with a KHL contract through 2027 and a frame you could describe as “still under co...
Thursday Habs Headlines: Growing expectations for the rebuild
Montreal Canadiens news and notes How patient are Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes willing to remain with fan expectations continuing to rise around the rebuild? [ Montreal Gazette ] The solution to the Canadiens’ second-line centre dilemma could already be on the current roster. [ The Sick Podcast ] Former NHLer Steve Dubinsky says Hughes’s and Martin St-Louis’s complementary skills have the team poised for an extended run of success. [ Montreal Gazette ] Around the league ...
2026 Montreal Canadiens Top 25 Under 25: #8 David Reinbacher
Introduction David Reinbacher finally got the season he had been waiting for, even if it did take a few detours to get there. The Montreal Canadiens’ fifth-overall pick from the 2023 NHL Draft spent the 2025-26 season with the Laval Rocket, playing 57 games and recording five goals and 19 assists. He also finished with a plus-18 rating and 56 penalty minutes, numbers that give us a decent snapshot of a defenceman becoming more comfortable in his own end, increasingly willing to engag...
Wednesday Habs Headlines: Proving people wrong
Montreal Canadiens news and notes Going all-in on Cole Caufield has paid off in spades for the Canadiens. [ Montreal Gazette ] Revisiting the Nick Suzuki trade. [ The Hockey Writers ] A look inside the first two episodes of Season 3 of the Crave docuseries “The Rebuild”. [ Montreal Canadiens ] This will be a critical year for several members of the roster. [ RDS ] Jean-Philippe Pleau sees Martin St-Louis’s “aggressive patience” as a rich source of food for thought th...
2026 Montreal Canadiens Top 25 Under 25: #9 Zachary Bolduc
Introduction When Kent Hughes correctly identified his contingent of offensive defencemen as a position of significant organizational strength, he started working some trades to improve his roster up front. Enter Zachary Bolduc, acquired in a one-for-one deal with the St. Louis Blues for Logan Mailloux one year ago. Since then, Bolduc has held a top-10 spot on our annual list. Claiming victory on a trade less than one year after it gets completed is a dangerous prospect, but the retu...
Tuesday Habs Headlines: Where We Stand
Montreal Canadiens News and Notes With Cale Makar becoming the highest paid NHLer, the Habs’ contracts are looking even better than ever. [ Montreal Gazette | TSN ] While the Habs haven’t made improvements to their roster since the end of the season, it really might be for the best. [ La Presse ] Where things stand with Zachary Bolduc, Arber Xhekaj, and Mike Matheson, and others. [ Sportsnet | La Presse ] Xhekaj doesn’t have a contract yet, but he’s not sitting on the sid...
2026 Montreal Canadiens Top 25 Under 25: #10 Oliver Kapanen
Introduction After a very successful season with Timrå in the SHL, it wasn’t clear where Oliver Kapanen would line up, and with whom, on Montreal’s opening night of the 2025-26 season. Some on this site proposed that it would be with Ivan Demidov as Kapanen could defer to the dynamic Russian in the offensive zone and go straight for the net. In the end that was what happened, and Kapanen stayed on the second line for the majority of the year. At the end of the season, Kapanen was thi...
Monday Habs Headlines: The largest contracts in NHL history
Montreal Canadiens news and notes Looking at the biggest contracts in NHL history by salary-cap percentage. [ RG.org ] Patrik Laine could be limited to a professional tryout for the new season. [ IS.fi ] Around the league and elsewhere Wyatt Johnston kicks off NHL Network’s list of the top 50 players. [ NHL.com ] How will the Vegas Golden Knights respond to their third coach in a matter of months? [ NHL.com ] Las Vegas’s top prospects. [ NHL.com ] Jalen...
A new approach to analyzing the Montreal Canadiens’ penalty kill
Following the departure of key defensive players David Savard, Joel Armia, and Christian Dvorak during the 2025 off-season, the Montreal Canadiens looked to be trying to implement a new penalty-killing system last year. Results, diplomatically speaking, were mixed (with Eyes On The Prize ’s own Matt Drake being very outspoken about this subject on the Bottom Six Minutes podcast during the season). In order to take the next steps, to get home ice advantage in a tougher Atlantic Division and a b...
Sunday Habs Headlines: The goalie market gets rekindled
Montreal Canadiens news and notes Stu Cowan believes the goalie news in Winnipeg and Edmonton will kickstart the trade market, which could resolve the Samuel Montembeault situation. [ Montreal Gazette ] Arpon Basu wonders how Martin St-Louis and Derek Lalonde will approach the new season months after making it to the conference finals. [ The Athletic ] Around the league and elsewhere Daniel Brière says his offer sheet to Leo Carlsson didn’t reset the market, it was ju...
Saturday Habs Headlines: Kent Hughes’s work stands out amidst NHL mega deals
Montreal Canadiens news and notes Cale Makar’s new record contract shines a brighter light on the work Kent Hughes has done locking down his core. [ Journal de Montreal ] Around the league and elsewhere Makar’s eight-year contract extension carries an average annual value of $20.4 million. [ NHL.com ] Quinn Hughes, Zach Werenski, and Matthew Schafer now see what a top defenceman’s value is. [ NHL.com ] Comparing Makar’s contract to those of other star defencemen ...
2026 Montreal Canadiens Top 25 Under 25: #11 Gleb Pugachyov
Introduction The expectation was that there would be no new first-rounder in the Top 25 Under 25 after the Montreal Canadiens went to the Eastern Conference Final in the spring. We’d seen Kent Hughes deal two picks from the opening round the previous year to acquire Noah Dobson, and there were various rumours and reports of the general manager trying to land a top-six forward leading up to the draft, and even into the trade deadline. In the end, Montreal did trade the 28th-overall pi...
Friday Habs Headlines: The captain in the spotlight
Montreal Canadiens news and notes Nick Suzuki isn’t worried about his contract, the lack of off-season transactions, or the surge in NHL salaries. [ CTV | CITY | La Presse | RDS | Radio-Canada ] His PEI roots run deep for Canadiens defenceman Noah Dobson. [ Montreal Gazette ] The top Canadiens priorities heading into 2026-27. [ The Hockey Writers ] Ivan Demidov is poised to break out this season. [ The Hockey Writers ] The Habs feature prominently in a redraft of the...
2026 Montreal Canadiens Top 25 Under 25: #12 Adam Engström
Introduction Adam Engström has reached the point in his development where he seems to have learned everything he can from the levels below the NHL, steadily increasing his stock year after year. Four years after the Montreal Canadiens selected him 92nd overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, he has played professional hockey in Sweden, completed two full AHL seasons, and made his NHL debut. His development has continued moving in the right direction. After recording five goals and 27 points i...
Thursday Habs Headlines: Cole Caufield in a scoring class of his own
Montreal Canadiens news and notes No NHL player has scored more often than Cole Caufield over the past two seasons. [ Journal de Montreal ] Prospect Cooper Cleaves has the right-handed shot, good feet and puck-moving ability to make you sit up and take notice. [ Montreal Gazette ] The Canadiens are playing by the same salary-cap rules as everyone else, but those rules don’t necessarily create a level playing field. [ The Sick Podcast ] The success of the Canadiens these p...
2026 Montreal Canadiens Top 25 Under 25: #13 Bryce Pickford
Introduction Bryce Pickford had one of the most remarkable seasons any Montreal Canadiens prospect has produced in recent memory. The 20-year-old right-shot defenceman scored 45 goals and 83 points in just 55 games for the Medicine Hat Tigers in 2025-26. He was the only defenceman among the CHL’s top 10 goal-scorers and tied for second among all WHL players in goals despite playing significantly fewer games than the league leader. After his season, the awards followed. Pickford was n...
Wednesday Habs Headlines: Something to prove
Montreal Canadiens news and notes Five players who are looking to seize the spotlight at training camp. [ Journal de Montreal ] Alex Newhook wants to build on his playoff successes. [ RDS ] Brendan Gallagher is now a father of two — the reason why he stayed in Montreal even after being traded to the Vancouver Canucks. [ Montreal Gazette ] Previewing the 2026-27 Canadiens blue line. [ The Hockey Writers ] The competition for that sixth spot is getting more and more in...
2026 Montreal Canadiens Top 25 Under 25: #14 Florian Xhekaj
Introduction We’re entering the part of this exercise where the players are expected to become NHLers. Some guys do it through pure talent or high skill levels. Others like Florian Xhekaj do it by being the meanest piece of work on the ice every night, while adding in an unexpected offensive flair in their role. Xhekaj experienced an incredible rise last year after he tallied 24 goals in his rookie campaign with the Laval Rocket. This year saw him pot 17 goals, with 12 assists, all w...
Tuesday Habs Headlines: Examining the group of death that is the Atlantic Division
Montreal Canadiens news and notes The strengths of each of the Canadiens’ rivals in the “group of death” Atlantic Division. [ Journal de Montreal ] NHL Network’s ranking of Nick Suzuki as the ninth-best centre is lower than some expected. [ Montreal Gazette ] Looking at the Canadiens’ timeline for returning to action. [ Journal de Montreal ] Around the league and elsewhere Joe Sakic is confident that Cale Makar will ink a deal with the Colorado Avalanche bef...
2026 Montreal Canadiens Top 25 Under 25: #15 Owen Beck
Introduction Owen Beck is not a new prospect, and some would even say he is a known commodity at this point. He was viewed as a promising young centre with a great chance of playing in the NHL when he was drafted in 2022. Now four years later, we have additional information from multiple seasons in the AHL and 27 games in the NHL over the past two years to confirm that initial projection. He was able to score his first goal with the Canadiens last year — after having a couple of bids deni...
Monday Habs Headlines: Nick Suzuki rises in centre rankings
Montreal Canadiens news and notes Nick Suzuki ranks ninth on NHL Network’s top centremen list after being 10th a year ago. [ NHL.com ] Re-evaluating the Josh Anderson trade. [ The Hockey Writers ] Around the league and elsewhere What impact will the San Jose Sharks’ big additions on the blue line have this season? [ NHL.com ] San Jose’s three 2026 first-rounders lead its prospect pool. [ NHL.com ] Anze Kopitar is still spending life in ice rinks as he suppor...
Sunday Habs Headlines: Checking in on Yvon Lambert
Photo: Inauguration du monument érigé en l’honneur du grand Jean Béliveau by Ville de Victoriaville | Flickr | CC BY-ND 2.0 Montreal Canadiens news and notes Dave Stubbs chats with Yvon Lambert, who has been a popular patient at Lakeshore General Hospital as he recovers from fractures sustained in a fall. [ NHL.com ] Revisiting the trade of draft picks Montreal made to select Michael Hage. [ The Hockey Writers ] Around the league and elsewhere Bill Daly says an a...
Saturday Habs Headlines: Hayden Paupanekis ready for the challenge of the NCAA
Montreal Canadiens news and notes Hayden Paupanekis is looking forward to the challenge of facing older, more experienced players in the NCAA. [ Montreal Gazette ] The Canadiens and San Jose Sharks are projected to be the top Stanley Cup contenders five years from now. [ The Athletic ] Projecting a lineup with the Laval Rocket’s overhauled roster. [ Journal de Montreal ] The PWHL’s championship trophy, the Walter Cup, has gone missing on its journey to Alberta for Montrea...
2026 Montreal Canadiens Top 25 Under 25: #16 L.J. Mooney
Introduction When the Montreal Canadiens selected L.J. Mooney in the fourth round of the 2025 NHL Draft, the immediate reaction was predictable. He was too small. He’s not strong enough. He’s Cole Caufield-lite, without the pedigree. The Habs don’t need more smallish forwards. He quieted a lot of that criticism with his first season in the NCAA, putting up 30 points in 34 games as a freshman. Elite Prospects At 5’8″, Mooney falls well outside the physical profile NHL orga...
Friday Habs Headlines: Opening the window
Montreal Canadiens news and notes Craig Button says that the Habs’ window is open for the next six years. [ Montreal Gazette ] Montreal’s young guns are prioritizing their quest for the Cup over a pursuit of riches, says Stu Cowan. [ Montreal Gazette ] The 2023 Draft Class, three years on. [ The Hockey Writers ] Three players who could interest the Canadiens on a PTO. [ Journal de Montreal ] Yvon Lambert is recovering from surgery to treat a fractured hip and femur a...
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