Training camp usually exists to sort out the fringe cases, but the Montreal Canadiens are already looking a lot more defined than that. The biggest questions now are less about whether they have enough NHL players and more about which ones will have to sit out when opening night arrives.
There are still a few moving parts, especially on defence, but the roster picture is starting to come into focus. Based on the combinations Montreal has used and the way the team is built, one plausible opening-night setup for the 2026-27 season would have Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Chris Kreider on the top line, with Juraj Slafkovsky, Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov behind them.
That top unit changes the look of the forward group right away. Kreider brings another proven scoring threat, plus size and a real net-front element next to Suzuki and Caufield. It also gives Montreal a way to distribute its younger offensive talent more evenly instead of stacking it all in one place.
The second line would be young, but intriguing: Slafkovsky with Kapanen and Demidov. Those three already spent a couple of games together last season, and it worked out pretty well for Montreal. It is the kind of combination that gives the Canadiens some upside without forcing them to overload any one line.
Then comes a third line that looks built to do a little of everything. Alex Newhook and Zachary Bolduc flanking Jake Evans would give Montreal speed, matchup value and enough offence to keep opponents honest. It is the kind of group that can handle tougher minutes without feeling like a purely defensive unit.
And the fourth line? It barely qualifies as one.
Josh Anderson, Phillip Danault and Kirby Dach gives Martin St. Louis a group with real flexibility, since all three can slide higher in the lineup if needed.
That kind of depth is a luxury, not a label.
The flip side is that someone good is going to get squeezed out, and Alexandre Texier may be the odd forward out. That would say more about Montreal’s crowded depth chart than about Texier himself. There just may not be enough room for everybody once the games count.
On defence, the most interesting call involves David Reinbacher. Kaiden Guhle’s injury has opened a door, and Reinbacher appears to be pushing hard to walk through it. He has had a strong camp, and at some point Montreal needs to see exactly what it has in the former fifth-overall pick.
A third pair with Alexandre Carrier would make a lot of sense as a way to ease Reinbacher into NHL duty. Carrier can provide the steadiness, which means Reinbacher would not be forced to shoulder everything immediately. That would leave Mike Matheson and Noah Dobson together, with Jayden Struble alongside Lane Hutson.
If that is how it plays out, Arber Xhekaj would begin the year as the seventh defenceman. He still offers a dimension few others on the blue line can match, but the competition on Montreal’s defence has become fierce. Reinbacher making a real push only makes the decisions harder, and once Guhle is healthy again, the picture gets even tighter.
In goal, the Canadiens have another situation worth watching, but there is no need to rush Jacob Fowler. Jakub Dobes should get the first crack at a significant workload after what he showed last season, with Samuel Montembeault serving as the experienced backup option. That would send Fowler to the Laval Rocket to start the year.
Some fans will want Fowler in Montreal right away, but regular playing time in Laval is the better path for his development than sitting on the bench with the big club. If he keeps progressing, his turn will come.
For a team that spent years trying to patch obvious holes, this is a different kind of camp. Players like Texier and Xhekaj could be pushed out, Reinbacher is making a case to stay, and Fowler can develop without being forced into action too soon.
Nothing is locked in yet, and injuries or late moves could still change the picture. But if the Canadiens open with something close to these combinations, St.
Louis will have real options. For Montreal, that is a very good problem to have.
In Other News...
Kirby Dach Is Giving Canadiens Fans A Reason To Worry
Kirby Dach arrived at Canadiens training camp with plenty still hanging in the balance, and so far the early returns have done little to settle anyone's nerves. The forward has looked short on energy, and that has only sharpened the questions around where he fits in Montreal right now, especially as the club tries to sort out its lineup and determine which players are ready to embrace their roles.
Martin St-Louis, as usual, has chosen restraint over public pressure, sticking to a player-first approach instead of airing concerns in front of the cameras. Still, the situation around Dach is a reminder that talent alone does not guarantee traction, and Montreal has seen enough once-promising players drift into frustration to know how quickly these storylines can turn. For Dach, the next stretch is about proving the effort matches the opportunity. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Face A Kirill Marchenko Decision They Can't Let Drag Out
Kirill Marchenkos name is already moving through the rumor mill, and that alone makes him worth watching for a Canadiens team that is always keeping tabs on young scoring talent. Sportsnet insider Nick Kypreos has linked Montreal, along with Toronto and Edmonton, to the Columbus winger, who is reportedly interested in leaving the Blue Jackets even though no official trade request has been confirmed.
The timing matters because Marchenko is heading into the final year of his deal with Columbus, which only sharpens the pressure on the Blue Jackets to sort out their plan sooner rather than later. For Montreal, it adds another potential target to a market where proven offense is rarely easy to find, and the longer this situation hangs there, the more it feels like a decision other teams will be waiting to pounce on. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Trade Pursuit Could Reshape Their Center Plan Fast
Montreals search for help down the middle may be getting more aggressive than a typical summer check-in. A report from Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet says the Canadiens have interest in Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele as they look to strengthen their center depth, a pursuit that speaks to how seriously the front office is evaluating the position ahead of next season.
Scheifele would not be a short-term patch, either, with a deal that runs through 2030-31 and a recent season that reminded everyone why he remains such an attractive target. Any conversation of this sort naturally turns to what Montreal would have to move the other way, and the names floating around underline the kind of price the Canadiens may need to consider if they want to change their center picture quickly. [Read more 🡒]