The Canadiens have a potential PTO target sitting in the free-agent pool, and it’s a winger who could fit a clear need.
Michael Bunting stands out as a player Montreal should at least consider bringing to training camp on a professional tryout agreement. With the Canadiens looking at ways to deepen their wing group, Bunting offers something that can be hard to find this late in the process: a track record of secondary offense and a style that brings some edge.
That combination is what makes him interesting for Montreal. He’s shown throughout his career that he can chip in offensively without needing to be a top-line driver, and he also plays with the kind of pesky attitude that can make a lineup a little harder to play against. For a team that could use more depth on the wing, that’s a useful profile.
If Bunting were to land a PTO with the Canadiens and turn that into a contract, he could become another option in the bottom six. That would give Montreal a little more scoring depth, which is never a bad thing for the club.
His recent production supports the case. Bunting played 74 games in the 2025-26 season and finished with 14 goals and 33 points.
The year before, he put up 19 goals and 38 points in 79 games during the 2024-25 campaign. Those numbers suggest he could give Montreal’s bottom six a modest lift if the fit works and the short-term gamble pays off.
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For Hach, the move is more than just another stop in pro hockey. A lifelong Canadiens fan, he now gets his first chance to work inside the organization he followed from afar, a fitting next step for a player whose hockey background runs deep. His father, Conrad Hach, spent seven seasons as an NHL linesman, so the family has already had a long connection to the league, even if this opportunity is the one that puts Braden directly in Montreals orbit. [Read more 🡒]
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Former Canadiens goaltender Zachary Fucale has added to the buzz by pointing to Zharovskys talent and work ethic, while also suggesting that time spent in Montreal can only help when the next stage arrives. The bigger picture for the Canadiens is obvious: if Zharovsky keeps trending this way, he could become another important piece in a young core that already has plenty of promise, which is exactly why his progress is getting such close attention. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Hage Delays Canadiens Timeline In A Way Fans Will Feel
Michael Hages path to Montreal is staying on the college track a little longer, and the timing matters for Canadiens fans keeping one eye on the future. Brandon Naurato, who coaches Hage at Michigan, said in a recent interview that the forward is set to return for his junior year instead of joining the Canadiens this season, with the emphasis squarely on Hage making the move only when he feels fully ready for the NHL.
Naurato also made it clear this was Hages call, not a decision driven by money or outside pressure. For Montreal, it means the wait continues on one of its more closely watched prospects, and the timeline for seeing him in a Canadiens sweater gets pushed back even as the organization still has a young player focused on taking the next step the right way. [Read more 🡒]