The Canadiens have added an interesting name to their defensive pipeline, and the fit is easy to see.
Montreal signed Konyushkov, a defenseman whose game has drawn a comparison to Alexandre Carrier. Nicolas Cloutier noted on X that the two players share very similar styles, and the comparison starts with the basics: Konyushkov skates well and brings some offense, but he is also dependable in his own end without being boxed into a purely defensive role.
That balance is part of what makes him worth watching. In his most recent KHL season, Konyushkov put up 38 points in 67 games, production that points to a real chance he can help offensively at the NHL level.
For now, though, he is staying in the KHL. Konyushkov will go back on a one-year loan and then come over to North America once that season ends.
That timeline brings Carrier into the conversation. The 29-year-old logged 22 points in 73 games last season and finished at plus-2. At 5-foot-11 and 174 pounds, he is slightly smaller than Konyushkov, who is listed at 6-foot-0 and 171 pounds.
Carrier is not a star, and he does not pretend to be one. He has carved out a steady, trustworthy role on Montreal’s blue line, and that is the standard Konyushkov will have to chase if he wants to make the same kind of impact.
The challenge will be proving he can handle faster, more physical NHL competition. If he does, the Canadiens may have found a player who can eventually step into Carrier’s spot. And as the saying goes around the league, things can change fast.
In Other News...
Another Atlantic Move Just Turned Up The Heat On Kent Hughes
Another Atlantic Division domino has fallen, and it matters in Montreal because every comparable contract helps shape the market Kent Hughes is navigating. Peyton Krebs and the Sabres have settled on a long-term extension, taking one more name out of the summer arbitration picture and giving Buffalo another piece of offseason certainty as it continues reshaping its roster.
For the Canadiens, the timing is hard to ignore with Kirby Dach still set for a July 30 arbitration hearing. Krebs recent production gives the deal some context, but the bigger takeaway for Hughes is how quickly neighboring teams are locking in their young forwards, which only sharpens the pressure on Montreal as its own negotiation clock keeps ticking. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Just Entered One Of Summers Biggest Money Stories
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For Montreal, the real significance is less about the headline value than the security it creates around a player the organization clearly wants to anchor its future. The deal does not begin until 2027-28, which means the Canadiens can plan well ahead while the rest of the league keeps sorting through a still-active market that includes several unsigned names, from Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko to Jason Robertson, Adam Fantilli and Connor Bedard. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Face A Tense Kirby Dach Decision This Summer
Kirby Dachs summer has taken a familiar turn for a young player still trying to establish his place in Montreal. He is the only Canadiens player to elect for arbitration, and his hearing is set for July 30, giving the club and the forward a narrow window to settle on a new deal before a third party steps in and decides the price.
For the Canadiens, the situation is about more than just one contract number. Dach filed after receiving a qualifying offer from Montreal, and the final figure could shape both his role on the roster and the teams flexibility if general manager Kent Hughes decides to explore trade options later on. For now, the clock is ticking, and Montreal still has time to work out an agreement before the hearing becomes unavoidable. [Read more 🡒]