The Montreal Canadiens’ offseason had been moving at a crawl, but that changed fast over the weekend. What looked like a quiet stretch suddenly turned into a rush of business, with five new deals for players and coaches landing just before training camp.
The biggest splash came with Chris Kreider. After being waived by the Anaheim Ducks, he wound up in Montreal on a one-year deal, and it was easily the most eye-catching move of the bunch.
Kreider and the Canadiens have had a messy history going back more than a decade, when he slid into Carey Price, but that old flashpoint appears to be in the rearview mirror now. Kreider is still a useful top-six forward, and getting him for an AAV of $2.15 million gives Montreal real value without forcing a trade or squeezing out future flexibility.
That’s a clear win.
Grade: A+
Montreal also moved quickly to lock up Zachary Bolduc, the first of its two unsigned restricted free agents. The Canadiens traded for him from the St.
Louis Blues a year ago, and now he’s on a four-year deal worth $4.2 million per season. There’s some risk baked in here because Bolduc’s regular season was underwhelming, even if his playoff run was solid.
Montreal is betting on the higher end of what he can become, not just what he’s shown so far. That makes this one more of a calculated swing than a sure thing.
Grade: B
Then came Martin St. Louis.
On Monday, before the Canadiens’ annual golf tournament ahead of training camp, the team announced a new four-year contract for its head coach. It’s really a three-year extension, since he already had one year left on his previous deal, but the message is the same: Montreal is all in on the direction he’s steering.
St. Louis has helped guide the Canadiens out of the division basement and into the playoffs, while also playing a major role in the development of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky, Ivan Demidov, and Lane Hutson.
That’s a big reason the organization’s outlook has changed so dramatically. But the new deal also raises the stakes.
Montreal isn’t talking rebuild anymore. Now the expectation is to act like a real Stanley Cup contender.
Grade: A+
Arber Xhekaj was next, and the Canadiens got him under contract less than 24 hours before training camp opened. The agreement is for one year and $1.5 million, which keeps the door open for Xhekaj to remain a restricted free agent next summer. For Montreal, it’s a clean, low-risk move that adds a player who brings a level of physicality nobody else on the roster really matches.
Grade: A
Finally, the Canadiens announced a four-year extension for Alex Newhook at an AAV of $5.5 million. The logic here looks a lot like the Bolduc deal: Montreal is paying for what Newhook showed in the playoffs, not just what his regular season numbers say.
And those regular season numbers have dipped in each of his three seasons with the team since the trade from the Colorado Avalanche. He had 34 points in 55 games in 2023-24, then 26 in 82 games in 2024-25, and 25 in 42 regular-season games this past season.
If Newhook stays healthy and carries his playoff form into the regular season, this can work out for both sides, especially with the salary cap expected to keep climbing. If he doesn’t, the contract could look rough later on.
In Other News...
Canadiens Should Be Watching Kirill Marchenko Very Closely
Kirill Marchenko is suddenly a name worth monitoring around the league, and for the Canadiens it is the kind of situation that can shift quickly if Columbus decides to take calls. Marchenko was productive last season with 67 points and carries a $3.85 million cap hit, making him the sort of forward who would draw attention from teams looking for help without having to tear up the rest of the roster.
The uncertainty comes from the Blue Jackets own internal picture, which has been a little hazy of late. Marchenko missed a recent team golf event, though he has since arrived in Columbus, and Rick Bowness has not exactly painted a detailed picture of where things stand. Don Waddell has also left the door open to movement by saying he is willing to listen on players, so this is one of those situations Montreal will want to keep an eye on rather than wait to hear about after the fact. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Just Put Arber Xhekaj At Center Of A Big Camp Battle
The Canadiens have settled one piece of their blue-line picture by bringing back Arber Xhekaj on a one-year, $1.5 million contract after his restricted free agency lingered through most of the summer. The short-term deal gives both sides some flexibility, and it also keeps the 24-year-old in the middle of the conversation as Montreal sorts out its defense depth heading into camp.
Xhekaj has already built a resume of 230 games over four seasons with the Canadiens, and his physical style has made him a recognizable part of the mix when Montreal wants more edge on the back end. Now the real issue is how he fits into the opening-night picture, with a regular role still to be earned and the camp competition expected to be wide open. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Players Make One Thing Clear About Martin St. Louis
The Canadiens decision to extend Martin St. Louis through the 2029-30 season only formalized what has been building for a while in Montreal. Under his leadership, the club has steadily climbed, turning incremental progress into playoff appearances and better point totals, and the players around him have been quick to note how much his coaching has mattered.
Nick Suzuki and Chris Kreider have both been among the strongest voices backing St. Louis, pointing to his teaching ability and obvious passion for the game. Kreiders respect for him goes back even before St. Louis arrived in Montreal, while Suzuki has made it clear the coach has earned a level of trust in the room that is hard to miss, which makes the long-term commitment feel as much like a reflection of the players as the front office. [Read more 🡒]