The Canadiens are getting closer to the point where talent isn’t their problem anymore - space is.
By the time the 2026-27 season wraps up, Montreal could be staring at a roster squeeze that forces Kent Hughes into some real choices. The club already has six players headed for unrestricted free agency and another five on track for restricted free agency after the current season, and that doesn’t even account for prospects like Michael Hage, who could be knocking on the NHL door soon enough.
The organization has spent years building up its young core. Now it has to make sure there are enough openings for the next wave.
Some of the calls look simple enough. Others could turn into a balancing act between present value and future planning.
Josh Anderson and Alexandre Carrier stand out as the two pending UFAs the Canadiens should strongly consider keeping. Anderson’s name has been part of the conversation for what feels like forever, but his value isn’t just about scoring.
He gives Montreal size, speed, physicality and a style that few of its other forwards can match. The contract matters, of course.
The Canadiens don’t need to go big and long-term here. But if the price is reasonable, there’s a real case for bringing him back.
Carrier makes sense for a different reason. Montreal’s blue line already has plenty of young pieces, which is exactly why an experienced, steady defender still matters.
Not every defenseman has to be an offensive driver. Carrier can absorb difficult assignments and help keep the younger group from being thrown into the fire all at once.
The restricted free agents should be much less complicated. In most cases, Montreal is simply looking at players it already controls. Unless one of them completely slips out of the plan, there’s little reason to give up on young talent the team still owns.
The tougher questions start with players whose futures depend on how the next season plays out.
Phillip Danault is in that bucket, and so are Hage and Oliver Kapanen. If Hage is ready to become a full-time NHL player, Montreal will need a spot for him. And if the Canadiens believe Kapanen can grow into their long-term answer as a dependable two-way center, then giving Danault another chunk of term gets harder to justify.
That doesn’t mean Danault loses all value. His defensive work, experience and ability to handle tough minutes still matter.
But the Canadiens can’t think only about the next year. If Suzuki, Kapanen and Hage are all part of the future down the middle, the room starts disappearing fast.
Jake Evans is still in the mix, too.
Chris Kreider is in a similar hold-your-breath category. Montreal brought him in on a short-term deal, and the 2026-27 season will decide whether it’s worth extending the arrangement. If he stays productive, brings leadership and keeps giving the Canadiens another real scoring option, another short contract could make sense.
If the offense drops off or younger players prove they’re ready for bigger roles, Montreal can simply move on. That kind of flexibility was a big part of the appeal in the first place.
There are also a couple of names where departure would feel like the next step in the roster’s evolution.
Samuel Montembeault is the clearest example. Jacob Fowler continues to develop, and Jakub Dobes is already part of Montreal’s plans.
At some point, the Canadiens may need to open the door fully for Fowler. Montembeault has given the team useful stretches over the years, but he can’t block Fowler forever.
If Montreal decides Fowler is ready for full-time NHL duty in 2027-28, a Dobes-Fowler tandem becomes the obvious next move.
Kirby Dach is another player whose time in Montreal could be running short if the progress never catches up to the promise. He’s been handed plenty of chances, but injuries and uneven play have kept him from becoming the long-term answer the Canadiens hoped they were getting.
With Hage coming, Kapanen already in the picture and more young forwards pushing for opportunities, Montreal may eventually decide that a roster spot matters more than waiting on what Dach might become. Letting him go would also create room for another young player instead of continuing to reserve a place for potential that hasn’t turned into consistent results.
That’s the shift Montreal is facing now. Not long ago, the Canadiens needed prospects to force veterans out.
Now the pipeline is deep enough that the hard part is deciding who stays and who gets squeezed out. Hughes doesn’t have to keep everybody.
If Hage and the rest of the young group are ready, the Canadiens have to make sure there’s an actual place for them to play.
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Canadiens Showed Real Fight But One New Concern Could Linger
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The bigger concern may be on the blue line, where Alexandre Carrier exited early and never returned, leaving his status up in the air afterward. For a team that just showed it can claw its way back into a game, losing another defenseman would be a tough complication to absorb, especially with the Canadiens trying to build on a performance that offered plenty of encouragement even in defeat. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Fans Have Every Reason To Be Furious About That OT Loss
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In overtime, though, the conversation shifted to a disputed sequence that left the Canadiens and their fans seething. Ivan Demidov appeared to be impeded on the play leading into the Penguins winner, and Thomas Novaks goal counted anyway, turning a hard-fought game into a frustrating finish that is sure to linger for Montreal well beyond the final horn. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Deadline Pursuit Was Bigger Than Fans Realized
The Canadiens were closer to making a major move at the last trade deadline than many around the team realized. Jeff Gorton said Montreal was in serious discussions with two different teams, a sign that Kent Hughes and the front office were pushing hard to add in a market where the cost kept climbing and the competition for impact players stayed fierce. Footage from the period also showed Hughes putting a hefty package on the table, underscoring how aggressively the Canadiens were trying to explore their options.
Even without a deal getting across the line, the episode adds more context to how Montreal has been operating under Hughes and Gorton, especially with the organization still balancing present-day upgrades against the bigger-picture plan. The deadline chatter also sits alongside the broader swirl of rumors around Matthew Knies and the shifting landscape in Toronto, where management changes can alter the way trade talks unfold. For the Canadiens, the takeaway is clear: they were in the hunt, and the price tag was substantial. [Read more 🡒]