Last Word On Hockey‘s Puck Drop Previews are back for the 2026-27 season! As the regular season approaches, Last Word will preview each team’s current outlook and stories to watch for the upcoming year. We’ll also do our best to project how things will go for each team throughout the campaign. Today, we’re previewing the 2026-27 Montreal Canadiens.
The 2026-27 Montreal Canadiens
2025-26 Season
The 2025-26 version of the Montreal Canadiens exceeded expectations. In the previous season, they snuck into the Stanley Cup Playoffs to be dominated by the Washington Capitals and eliminated in five games, so they were entering the new season on a mission. The goal was to make the playoffs and win a round.
Rookie Standouts
Forward Ivan Demidov came to camp ready, having learned something from his previous brief experience in the NHL. The young Russian spent a good part of the season on a line with rookie centreman Oliver Kapanen. Demidov finished the season with 19 goals and 62 points, while Kapanen tallied 22 goals and 37 points, both making their case for the Calder Trophy.
The Habs are no strangers to goaltending controversies, and they played through one last season. Sam Montembeault had a very rough start having come to camp still recovering from a groin injury. A good part of the season was spent trying to get Monty back on his feet, until finally by the end of the season, Jakub Dobes had claimed the starter’s net and was backed up by youngster Jacob Fowler. Two rookies were on the game card for every single playoff game, and they represented well.
Filling Roster Holes
In the middle of November, Alex Newhook suffered a serious leg injury that would keep him out for months. With Newhook out, Montreal needed a left-shot centreman who could take a draw and kill penalties. On December 19th, general manager Ken Hughes reacquired Phillip Danault from the Los Angeles Kings. His addition resulted in an immediate improvement on face-offs, the penalty kill, and the overall defensive performance of the team.
The Habs were in good position at the NHL Trade Deadline and were technically buyers. The deadline came and went without a deal, but with hockey insiders reporting that Hughes was trying to swing a deal for several big names, none of which were ever confirmed by the Canadiens. Hughes did confirm they were working on a difference-making trade, but were not able to get it over the finish line by the deadline.
The Postseason
The Habs did go on to make the playoffs and shone. They eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres, both in seven games, before running out of steam. The Stanley Cup Champions, the Carolina Hurricanes, eliminated the Canadiens in five games in the Eastern Conference Final.
2026 Offseason
It was a relatively quiet offseason for the Montreal Canadiens. GM Kent Hughes was able to care for some important pieces, but you get the sense that the Habs would still like to make at least one big move before the season gets underway.
Contract Extensions
A major theme for the NHL this summer was the rising salary cap and the impact on contract extensions. Montreal seemed immune from this dynamic, if only temporarily. Ivan Demidov was extended on his first day of eligibility, signing an eight-year contract with a $9.15 million cap hit. A day later, Hughes extended goalie Jakub Dobes for three years. His new cap hit starting in 2027-28 will be $5,357,575. That’s a tidy bit of business.
Roster Openings
Hughes also freed up a roster spot and some cap space when he traded Brendan Gallagher to the Vancouver Canucks. Two other roster spots are expected to be filled with returning players, but they have yet to sign extensions.
Forward Zachary Bolduc and defenceman Arber Xhekaj are restricted free agents who are not yet under contract with just days remaining until camp opens. The Canadiens have just under $12 million left in cap space to deal with both contracts. There is some speculation among pundits that the delay may be related to Hughes’ desire to make a trade and not wanting to tie up more money while that’s still up in the air, but the more likely reality is that players and team are simply negotiating terms.
Lineup Projections
Forwards
| LW | C | RW |
| Cole Caufield | Nick Suzuki | Juraj Slafkovsky |
| Alex Newhook | Oliver Kapanen | Ivan Demidov |
| Zachary Bolduc | Jake Evans | Kirby Dach |
| Alex Texier | Phillip Danault | Josh Anderson |
Extras: Owen Beck, Florian Xhekaj
Top Six
The 2026-27 Montreal Canadiens are expected to reunite one of the most dominant top lines in the NHL last season with Suzuki between Caufield and Slafkovsky. The second line is more of a mystery. Hughes would have liked to improve the line by signing Michael Hage out of college and trading for a top six forward. Barring any moves before the season begins, a reasonable expectation is for Oliver Kapanen to get another chance as 2c, between Demidov and Newhook.
Bottom Six
The bottom six has the obvious returnees from last season, with only Gallagher having moved on. Evans and Danault are expected to claim the spots at centre, with Bolduc and Dach playing wing on the third line, and Texier and Anderson completing the group of 12. The challenge is that Montreal has two prospects in development who are believed to be NHL ready, and who could slide into that bottom six group. The question is whether one or both of Beck or Florian Xhekaj will force their way into the line-up.
Another option that has been gaining some traction amongst pundits is converting Arber Xhekaj to a forward position, which would shuffle the deck again.
Defence
| LD | RD |
| Lane Hutson | Noah Dobson |
| Michael Matheson | Alexander Carrier |
| Kaiden Guhle | David Reinbacher |
Extras: Arber Xhekaj, Jayden Struble
Top Four
By the end of the playoffs last year, head coach Martin St. Louis was more frequently playing his best two defenders together as a pair. Certainly, the Canadiens would love to be able to keep Hutson on his strong side, and play him with Dobson on a regular basis, but that would require a solution at right side D. It is expected that David Reinbacher will be given every opportunity to make the team out of camp, and that would free Hutson from right side duty.
Bottom Pair
If Reinbacher makes the team, he would logically start on the third pair with Kaiden Guhle. Ideally, he improves and outplays Carrier as the season progresses, and can take on top-four duty. Guhle and Carrier together are a strong third pair, but it’s debatable whether either should regularly play in the top four. Guhle also has something to prove with respect to his ability to stay in the line-up.
Goalies
| Starter | Backup | Waiting |
|---|---|---|
| Jakub Dobes | Sam Montembeault | Jacob Fowler |
The starting goaltender for the 2026-27 Montreal Canadiens will be Jakub Dobes. He had claimed the starter’s net by the end of the regular season last year, and sealed it with an outstanding playoff performance. This much is confirmed.
The backup role might need a little time to get sorted. Jacob Fowler was drafted to be Montreal’s starter for the future, and while some further AHL seasoning may be an acceptable temporary option, he’s believed to be ready to form a tandem with Dobes. The hiccup is that Montembeault is still under contract, and Hughes has not found an acceptable trade.
If a trade does not unfold before camp opens, Montembeault is expected to start the season in Montreal, with a view to attracting trade interest. The leash will be short, and it is expected that Fowler will be in the backup role before long. The storyline to watch is whether Fowler is demoted to Laval for playing time until a decision is made about Montembeault, or if they will carry three goalies.
Players to Watch
Oliver Kapanen: Much ink has been spilt about the Habs need for a second line centreman. You’d never know there was a rookie in the role last season who scored 22 goals. The scouting report on Kapanen is that he is ideally a third line centreman, and that last season he was a beneficiary of Demidov’s playmaking. Perhaps Kapanen can continue to grow his game and demonstrate he is able to drive play on his line, without over-reliance on his uber-skilled line-mate. He may not be the long-term solution at 2C, but he may be a good enough option there for the 2026-27 Montreal Canadiens.
David Reinbacher: His name has been a bit of a lightning rod in Montreal since the Habs called it as the fifth overall pick at the 2023 draft. To date, Reinbacher has not been able to prove he was worth their confidence, set back by multiple injuries since he was selected. The Canadiens have a hole at right side defence, one that Reinbacher had filled by now in their plans. Perhaps the rookie can have a strong camp, force his way into the opening night roster, and show he can still become the top-four defender the Habs imagined when they drafted him. Such a development would shift priorities for the 2026-27 Montreal Canadiens.
The Last Word and Prediction for the 2026-27 Montreal Canadiens
For the upcoming season, we can expect a young team that is maturing into its window of contention. It would be surprising if they did not make the playoffs, but another Eastern Conference Final will be a challenge coming out of a very tight Atlantic Division. The thing to watch for the 2026-27 Montreal Canadiens is the trade market, as their GM is determined to add the final pieces of their build. If the right deal presents, Hughes will pounce, and that could change everything for the Habs.
More Puck Drop Previews:
Puck Drop Preview: 2026-27 Carolina Hurricanes
Puck Drop Preview: 2026-27 Detroit Red Wings
Puck Drop Preview: 2026-27 Edmonton Oilers
Main Photo Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
