Eyes On The Prize
Home ice of Carey Price
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Montreal Canadiens announce final cuts, reveal 23-man roster
The Montreal Canadiens made one wave of cuts on Saturday to send a number of AHL-contracted players to the Laval Rocket, but needed to make up two lineups for split-squad games that night versus the Ottawa Senators. With the pre-season complete and final rosters due by Monday at 5:00 PM EDT, the Habs have made their final decisions to get the roster down to 23. One decision was made for them with Kaiden Guhle injured and placed on IR. The team will also keep Bryce Pickford on the NHL rost...
Montreal Canadiens place nine players on waivers
With Monday’s deadline to reduce the NHL roster to 23 players looming, the Canadiens have placed nine players on waivers with the aim of assigning them to the Laval Rocket. The players are: Alex Belzile Brett Berard Kaapo Kähkönen Hunter McKown Sasha Pastujov Samuel Poulin Ethan Samson Maksymilian Szuber Reilly Walsh A notable omission from the list who requires waivers to go to the AHL is Lucas Condotta. It was announced that he is dealing with an injury and will miss about a month as he...
Bottom Six Minutes: Who makes the Habs roster?
Splitting their two split-squad games against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night, the Montreal Canadiens have reached the end of their preseason calendar. As a team that entered the preseason without many lineup spots up for grabs, it was never likely to be a franchise-altering exercise, but there were some question marks that may have been resolved through their five games. The first question is what they’re going to do with Kirby Dach, because it doesn’t look like there is a spot for...
Sunday Habs Headlines: Derek Lalonde’s work on defence
Montreal Canadiens news and notes The new defensive plan, led by associate coach Derek Lalonde, is already showing promise. [ Journal de Montreal ] It’s unfortunate for families that rising Canadiens ticket prices come down to supply and demand. [ Montreal Gazette ] The Edmonton Oilers haven’t taken their eye off Kirby Dach, hoping to bring him to Alberta at some point this season. [ Edmonton Journal ] Determined to land a roster spot, Florian Xhekaj continues to make his...
Canadiens vs. Senators Top Six Minutes: Habs outscore PK woes in Montreal, but not Ottawa
Bell Centre, Montreal: Canadiens vs. Senators Split squad with Ottawa, most of the big guns in MTL so once again, that is where my attention was. First period Ryan Suzuki gets to come out and take the opening face-off against his brother Nick Suzuki. We know which one of them is paying for thanksgiving dinner. Tyler Thorpe and Djibril Touré just played rock-em sock-em robots near centre ice. Very entertaining, and very not something you would want the NHL guys to be d...
Canadiens vs. Senators: Pre-season Games 4 & 5 thread, lines, and how to watch
Pre-season game 4: Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators Start time: 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT In the Canadiens region: RDS (French) In the Senators region: TSN5 (English) Streaming: RDS, TSN The Canadiens go into their final pre-season games with no Ivan Demidov, who has been absent from the last few practices after blocking a shot with his foot, and no Lane Hutson, who somehow agreed not to take to the ice when his teammates do tonight. Down two of their most skilled players, the ...
Saturday Habs Headlines: Phillip Danault confident ahead of new season
Montreal Canadiens news and notes Phillip Danault was unable to have an impact on the offensively challenged Los Angeles Kings last year, but his run to the Eastern Conference Final has restored his confidence. [ La Presse ] Chris Kreider already experienced the loud home crowd in the pre-season and can’t wait for the atmosphere of the home-opener. [ Journal de Montreal ] How will Owen Beck react if the final decision is for him to return to Laval? “It’s not anything that’s go...
Friday Habs Headlines: Kirby Dach knows who he is
Montreal Canadiens news and notes Finally healthy, Kirby Dach is in tough to win over the fans. [ Sportsnet | TSN | La Presse | RDS ] Arpon Basu thinks that David Reinbacher makes the Canadiens better. [ TSN 690 (Audio) ] Florian Xhekaj is cut from the same gritty cloth as power forward Josh Anderson. [ Montreal Gazette ] Mike Matheson is a poster boy for fitness — not pizza. [ Montreal Gazette ] Previewing the 2026-27 Canadiens and their playoff odds. [ The Athletic...
Thursday Habs Headlines: Roster battles heat up
Montreal Canadiens news and notes With many players making an impression, Canadiens management face some difficult decisions heading into next week’s season opener. [ Montreal Gazette ] Canadiens hopefuls can take a page from Jake Evans’s book and focus less on how they got here and more on proving they belong. [ Montreal Gazette ] David Reinbacher, Florian Xhekaj and Samuel Montembeault are all making their case for a roster spot. [ Sportsnet ] Martin St-Louis says...
Wednesday Habs Headlines: Florian Xhekaj has “a presence”
Montreal Canadiens news and notes The Habs face difficult roster decisions, beginning with Florian Xhekaj. [ Montreal Gazette | La Presse | Journal de Montreal ] Montreal’s late first-round pick at the 2026 NHL Draft says more about the present than the future. [ Montreal Canadiens ] Alex Newhook has a lot to celebrate as he begins his sixth full season playing in the NHL. [ CBC Nfld. & Labrador ] Samuel Montembeault hasn’t given up yet. [ Journal de Montreal ] Eric ...
Bottom Six Minutes: Position battle on the blue line
The Montreal Canadiens were dealt the dreaded injury blow before the preseason even began this year, with Kaiden Guhle set to miss up to five weeks due to an adductor issue. As disappointing as that was to hear, it created an interesting storyline for their camp, as the team would have to figure out who will step up and take some or all of the minutes that he’s usually entrusted with. Four players have been vying for those minutes; Arber Xhekaj, Adam Engstrom, Jayden Struble, and David Reinbac...
The Montreal Canadiens are doubling down on the plan
The NHL spent the summer of 2026 handing out money like Oprah was in charge of the salary cap. You get a crazy contract! You get a crazy contract! You get an even crazier contract! Leo Carlsson kicked it all off by signing an offer sheet at $18 million a season, then Macklin Celebrini bumped him at $18.8 million, then Cale Makar topped them both with a record $20.4 million and became the first $20-million man in league history. The highest-paid title changed hands so often you practically...
Tuesday Habs Headlines: Full Steam Ahead
Montreal Canadiens News and Notes Juraj Slafkovský’s usage, the penalty kill, goalies, and more Habs talk from camp. [ The Athletic ] David Reinbacher making the jump to the NHL would fill a hole. [ La Presse ] Kent Hughes and Martin St-Louis aren’t worried that their American stars will want to go home. [ Montreal Gazette ] The Canadiens have announced the launch of an educational platform meant for teachers throughout Quebec. [ Canadiens ] Around the League and E...
Canadiens vs. Senators Top Six Minutes: Cole Caufield keeps Habs perfect in pre-season
First period They didn’t have a strong game on Saturday, and now the duo of Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj allows an early goal in trois-Rivières. Struble’s pass didn’t hit it’s target, Xhekaj got caught on the wrong side of his man, and William Eklund tapped the puck in from the top of the crease. A pass to the point is picked off by the Senators, and Noah Dobson has to wrap up his man to prevent a breakaway. Ottawa gets a chance to go up two. Some solid penalty-killing keep...
Canadiens vs. Senators: Pre-season Game 3 thread, lines, and how to watch
Pre-season game 3: Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators Start time: 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT In Canada: Sportsnet One (English), TVA Sports (French) Streaming: Sportsnet Fresh off two split-squad wins over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, the Canadiens have made the trip to Trois-Rivières for the Hockeyville game. This match, and the final two of the pre-season that will also be played in split-squad fashion, will be versus the Ottawa Senators. With half as many players i...
Montreal Canadiens lineup vs. Senators: Lots of regulars in Trois-Rivières
The Montreal Canadiens are in Trois-Rivières for Kraft Hockeyville against the Ottawa Senators for a game on Monday night. There are a lot of regulars who have made the trip to play in the game including Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovský, Ivan Demidov, and Lane Hutson. A few of the combinations we have seen at camp will not be used in Monday’s game, as Martin St-Louis tries to see some other combinations. Of note, Chris Kreider and Alexandre Carrier are not on the tri...
Monday Habs Headlines: Chris Kreider’s adjustment phase
Montreal Canadiens news and notes Martin St-Louis says there will be an adjustment period as Chris Kreider gets used to his new team and linemates. [ La Presse ] Ivan Demidov was in line for a great season, but the chemistry he showed with Juraj Slafkovský could hint at even more. [ RDS | Sportsnet ] Phillip Danault explains the forwards are trying to be more active on the penalty kill, and the strategy was effective in Toronto. [ La Presse ] It’s one of the things the Ca...
Sunday Habs Headlines: It’s the little things
Montreal Canadiens news and notes The Canadiens are making small adjustments after last season’s deep playoff run, with a focus on spending less time defending in their own zone. [ TSN ] It’a a make-or-break season for Kirby Dach. [ Montreal Gazette ] Juraj Slafkovský and Ivan Demidov praise director of player development Adam Nicholas for his role in the Canadiens’ rebuild. [ Montreal Gazette ] The Canadiens’ deep talent pipeline could threaten the very culture that’s be...
Top Six Minutes: Caufield clutch in Montreal, Reinbacher shuts down Leafs in TO
Bell Centre, Montreal: Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs Pregame Going from an entire off-season to two games simultaneously seems like we’re going through our own intensive training camp to get into shape for the regular season. Martin St-Louis said this morning that both games will feature goaltenders splitting the games. He also made the groups with special teams in mind. The Montreal group has the team’s top power play players while the Toronto group has the team’s top penalty...
Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs: Pre-season Games 1 & 2 thread, lines, and how to watch
Pre-season game 1: Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Start time: 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT In Canada: Sportsnet One (English), In the Canadiens region: RDS (French) Streaming: RDS , Sportsnet The NHL is just about to start up for a new season, an earlier beginning for an updated schedule of 84 games. On the first night of a shortened pre-season, the Canadiens will split their training camp roster in half to play two games. The main stars will be staying in Montreal to t...
Saturday Habs Headlines: David Reinbacher out to prove he’s NHL-ready
Montreal Canadiens news and notes David Reinbacher says he’s ready to play in the NHL. Why does he feel that way? “You’ll see this weekend.” [ La Presse ] Florian Xhekaj knows he has to prove he’s better than one of the veteran players to earn a spot on opening night. [ Radio-Canada ] Fans aren’t the only ones wondering what Arber Xhekaj would look like as a forward. Florian thinks a line of him, Arber, and Josh Anderson would be “destructive” and “fun.” [ TVA Sports ] Ma...
Montreal Canadiens lines at practice: Opportunity knocks for Berard, F. Xhekaj
After Group A started things off on Thursday, Group B had some notable line combinations of their own, and it continued on Friday. It would be easy to assume that Kirby Dach, Phillip Danault, Alex Newhook, Alexandre Texier, Zachary Bolduc, Josh Anderson, and Jake Evans would be getting NHL reps, but what was maybe unexpected as that Brett Berard and Florian Xhekaj would get looks alongside with them. Berard and Xhekaj couldn’t be more opposites. Berard being 5’9″, while Xhekaj is 6’3...
Friday Habs Headlines: Training camp opens
Montreal Canadiens news and notes Why Day 1 isn’t too soon to read into the Canadiens’ forward line combinations. [ Sportsnet ] What The Athletic saw on Day 1. [ The Athletic ] With Chris Kreider in the mix, the Canadiens could ice two potent top lines. [ Montreal Gazette | RDS ] Follow Cole Caufield behind the scenes at the 2026-27 NHL Player Media Tour. [ Montreal Canadiens (Video) ] Caufield’s summer mission: ‘get bigger, faster, and stronger’. [ Montreal Gazette ...
Montreal Canadiens lines at practice: Kreider on the top line
The first skate to touch the ice at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard on Thursday morning was unsurprisingly Lane Hutson. Also unsurprisingly, Group A had what is expected to be the team’s top two lines along with Hutson. The Groups for the first day seem to give an indication of how the team will line up for pre-season games. On Saturday, two groups will play the Toronto Maple Leafs, one in Montreal and one in Toronto. Habs camp groups pic.twitter.com/QGeO7FqQqF — Eric Engel...
Thursday Habs Headlines: Next steps and higher expectations
Montreal Canadiens news and notes The Canadiens have taken it step by step through the rebuild, but now they face a giant leap to prove they’re ready to meet higher expectations. [ Sportsnet ] Canadiens fans aren’t the only ones excited for the new season. [ Montreal Gazette ] Kaiden Guhle is expected to miss the start of the season after undergoing minor surgery. [ EOTP ] Lane Hutson and Cole Caufield land in the top 25 of TSN’s annual list of the Top 50 players. [ TSN ]...
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