Training camp is over, and now the Canadiens have to turn exhibition promise into a real opening-night roster.
Montreal finished the preseason at 4-1-0, a clean record that looks good on paper. But with the deadline to submit the opening-night roster coming fast, Martin St.
Louis and Kent Hughes still have some hard calls to make. The big question is no longer who flashed in camp.
It’s who stays, who goes, and how much patience the staff can afford when the games start counting on Sept. 29.
The most competitive battle all camp sat on the blue line, where David Reinbacher and Adam Engström both made a strong case for NHL jobs. Engström was especially busy in Saturday’s game against the Ottawa Senators, skating more than 23 minutes and showing calm puck management, clean exits, and composure when pressured. Reinbacher also handled a heavy workload, leaning on his gap control and physical edge.
In the end, Montreal chose to send Reinbacher to the AHL’s Laval Rocket, where he’ll get top-pairing minutes alongside goaltender Jacob Fowler. Engström stayed on the initial roster. Up front, Florian Xhekaj also forced his way into the picture, earning a fourth-line role with the kind of physical play that helped him beat out other depth options.
Health is already shaping the roster picture too. Kaiden Guhle has been placed on injured reserve, which opens up a significant hole in Montreal’s top four on defence. Without him, the Canadiens will need more from Mike Matheson and Jayden Struble.
There are other players working their way back as well. Prospect Bryce Pickford is still on the roster while recovering from shoulder surgery, and Lucas Condotta is dealing with a minor bump. Both are expected to head to Laval once they’re cleared.
The encouraging news for Montreal is that Kirby Dach made it through camp without any setbacks. After missing so much time last season, he looked smooth skating and strong on the puck down the middle throughout the exhibition slate.
At the top of the lineup, the Canadiens are leaning on a familiar trio to drive the offense. Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Chris Kreider looked like the club’s most reliable attacking line in camp, generating consistent high-danger looks and showing better chemistry in the offensive zone. Juraj Slafkovský, meanwhile, looks set to skate on a second line with Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov, and he appeared more comfortable pulling defenders wide to create space in the high slot.
That setup gets tested right away with a trip to Toronto to open the season. The Maple Leafs’ heavy forward group will be an immediate challenge for Montreal’s reshuffled defence, especially with Guhle out.
A two-game week gives St. Louis a little room to adjust between games, but the Canadiens will need their structure in order from the start.
Canadiens Upcoming Schedule
Tue, Sept 29 @ Toronto Maple Leafs Scotiabank Arena, Toronto 7:00 PM
Sat, Oct 3 @ Pittsburgh Penguins PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh 7:00 PM
In Other News...
Canadiens Sent David Reinbacher Down For A Bigger Reason
David Reinbachers latest assignment to Laval says more about the Canadiens roster picture than it does about his play. Montreals decision was not a reflection of how he performed, but a sign of how the club wants to manage a young defenseman who is still best served by getting major minutes rather than sitting in a limited role on the NHL bench.
The timing matters, too, because the Canadiens are getting healthier on the blue line. With Kaiden Guhle edging closer to a return, the immediate need for an extra defenseman has eased, leaving Montreal with a choice that favors development over depth. For now, Reinbacher stays where the games can give him more responsibility, even if the path back up becomes clearer again soon. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Make A Tough Early Call On David Reinbacher
The Canadiens final roster cuts brought a notable early-season decision on David Reinbacher, who will start the year with the Laval Rocket in the AHL. The former fifth-overall pick had a strong preseason, but Montreal is clearly taking the long view with a young defenseman whose development has already been shaped by injury history and a crowded battle for minutes on the blue line.
For now, Reinbacher should get the kind of heavy workload in Laval that can be harder to guarantee in Montreal, where the club had to balance roster spots, waiver concerns and its depth chart on defense. The door to the NHL is hardly closed, though, and if he keeps building through the season, the Canadiens are leaving themselves plenty of room to bring him back up when the timing makes sense. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Trade Interest Just Raised The Stakes For Kent Hughes
The Canadiens spent part of the summer exploring a bigger swing, with Frank Seravalli reporting that management had considered packaging Kirby Dach in a larger deal if it meant bringing immediate help back the other way. It was the kind of roster-thinking that makes sense for a team trying to accelerate its timeline, and it also showed how aggressively Kent Hughes has been willing to survey the market when there is a chance to reshape the lineup.
Montreal had Kirill Marchenko in mind as a possible target before he was moved to Toronto, which forced the Canadiens to keep searching for another path. The Edmonton Oilers also showed interest in Dach, but Hughes appears to be holding out for a more significant trade opening, leaving the next move tied to whether a better fit comes available. [Read more 🡒]