Training camp is right around the corner for the Montreal Canadiens, and the team is still staring at a few big unresolved issues.
Rookies are set to report soon, veterans will follow about a week later, and the first preseason game arrives on September 19th. Even with that narrow runway left before things get rolling, Montreal still has questions that reach across the roster, the coaching staff, and the lineup.
The biggest one may be the future of Martin St. Louis.
He is entering the final year of his contract after taking over from Dominque Ducharme during the 2021-22 season, then being named the permanent head coach and signing a five-year deal. At the time, Montreal was taking a real gamble on a coach with no NHL bench experience.
Now, after helping guide the Canadiens through a rebuild and overseeing steady improvement, he looks like the right choice. The feeling here is that this is a deal that probably should have been handled earlier in the summer, but it still needs to get done before the season starts.
If it doesn’t, fans will inevitably start wondering whether this could be his last year behind the bench.
There are also contract questions hanging over two restricted free agents from last season: Zachary Bolduc and Arber Xhekaj. The two situations do not look the same.
Bolduc appears to be the more likely signing, and the reporting around him has been encouraging. According to Eric Engel with Sportsnet, he does not know exactly when a deal will happen, but he would be surprised if it was not done before training camp.
Xhekaj’s situation feels more complicated. He wants to stay with the Canadiens, but the issue is opportunity.
Montreal does not really have a clear spot for him to get consistent ice time, and for much of last season he was the seventh defenseman. With the six players ahead of him all back for the 2026-27 season, it is hard to see where he fits unless the Canadiens make another move.
Right now, it looks like Montreal is going to trade a defenseman at some point in the next few weeks, though it is not clear who that might be.
Then there is the second-line center job, which somehow remains unsettled. That’s a little surprising after it stood out so clearly in the playoffs and seemed like the kind of issue the Canadiens had to solve over the offseason. General manager Kent Hughes still has not found an answer, and that leaves training camp with a real competition at the position.
Montreal may not have ideal options, but there are several players who should get a shot. Oliver Kapanen is in the mix after spending most of the regular season there, even if he was a healthy scratch for much of the playoffs. Alex Newhook, Jake Evans, and prospects like Owen Beck are also part of the picture.
For the Canadiens, these are not small decisions. They touch the coaching staff, the defense corps, and a key lineup spot down the middle. And with camp about to begin, the clock is already ticking.
In Other News...
Patrik Laines Next Deal May Be Getting Easier To Predict
A familiar September market may be starting to take shape for Patrik Laine. After a limited run with Montreal last season, the former Canadiens forward is still looking for his next NHL opportunity, and the type of short-term, prove-it arrangement that recent veterans have taken around the league could offer a template for how teams view him right now.
Eeli Tolvanens new one-year arrangement with the Rangers is the kind of contract that can reset expectations for players in Laines lane, even if the situations are not identical. Laine has 537 NHL games and 422 points on his rsum, but after barely seeing the ice for Montreal last year, the question hanging over him now is whether another club will bet on that track record in a similar low-risk way. [Read more 🡒]
Martin St-Louis Has Canadiens Fans Watching For The Next Update
Martin St-Louis drew attention this week by showing up around Canadiens practice, a sight that naturally had fans and observers reading into it. His extended stay in Montreal lines up with a busy stretch of team business, and with the coach entering the final year of his current deal, every appearance tends to carry a little extra weight.
The Canadiens are expected to hold media availability soon, and St-Louis is slated to take part, which should at least provide some clarity on why he is in town and what comes next. Until then, the timing is enough to keep the conversation going, especially for a fan base that knows how quickly routine team business can turn into a bigger storyline. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Are About To Learn What Zach Bolduc Really Brings
Zach Bolduc is still waiting on his next contract as Canadiens training camp approaches, but the expectation around the organization is that the situation will be settled soon enough for him to report to Brossard without any real drama. Montreal brought him in for his offensive upside, and the early read is that the team wants to see more of it this season, with Bolduc in line for a bigger look in the top six.
For a player still trying to define his ceiling, the opportunity matters as much as the talent. If Bolduc gets the minutes and the role Montreal appears ready to offer, this could be the season he puts up a career-best point total and starts looking like more than just a promising addition. The Canadiens did not acquire him to be a depth piece, and camp should offer the first real glimpse of how much of that upside he can turn into production. [Read more 🡒]