The Canadiens have added a defense prospect who already comes with a clear reputation: Andrew MacNiel is the kind of player opponents hate seeing across from them.
That’s the read from Nicolas Cloutier of TVA Sports, who singled out the 2025 sixth-round pick for his defensive edge and physical presence. Cloutier’s view is blunt. MacNiel is tough to handle in direct matchups, and that’s the trait that jumps off the page first.
“Andrew MacNiel is very difficult to beat one-on-one.”
What makes him stand out right now is his ability to lock things down defensively. In Cloutier’s assessment, MacNiel’s best work comes when the game turns into a straight-up battle in his own end. He’s the type of defenseman who can make life miserable for opposing forwards.
At the same time, the path forward is obvious. His puck skills still need work if he’s going to reach the professional level, and that remains the biggest area he has to clean up.
“He will obviously need to improve his puck skills if he wants to reach the professional level, but he doesn't look like much fun to play against.”
That profile still has value in the modern game, especially for a player whose calling card is reliability and resistance. Cloutier described him as a solid defensive defenseman whose handling needs to come along, but whose style already fits a role teams can use.
MacNiel’s season also added another layer to the story. In 2025-26, he went through a tough stretch on the health front, dealing with a knee injury and a stay in the hospital. Even so, he came back strong and played a part in the Kitchener Rangers’ Memorial Cup run last spring.
For Montreal, the approach is clearly patient. MacNiel is being viewed as a long-term project, the kind of defender who needs time to sharpen the rough edges. But with his work ethic and his ability to shut people down, there’s a path where he could eventually help on a third pairing.
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Canadiens Face A Tough Call On Two Veteran Forwards
Phillip Danault and Josh Anderson are both heading into the final year of their contracts, which puts the Canadiens in a familiar spot: weighing present value against the long view. Danault has been one of Montreals most useful all-around forwards since arriving, carving out a role as a penalty-kill and faceoff presence, while Anderson has given the club speed, size and a steady dose of physical edge since coming over from Columbus.
The tricky part is timing. Montreals center depth is getting more attention, and any decision on Danault could hinge on whether younger options are close enough to push for bigger minutes. Andersons case is different, but no less complicated, since his role has been tied closely to the penalty kill and his offensive ceiling in Montreal has remained a moving target as the team keeps trying to balance veteran reliability with the next wave of talent. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Fans Are Starting To Wonder About Kent Hughes Again
With the offseason still unfolding, the Canadiens are again being viewed as a team that could wait out the market before making its next move. Jim Biringer, speaking on TSN Radio, said Montreal has shown patience in past summers and expects management to be calculated rather than aggressive for the sake of activity, with any deal tied to the needs of the roster and the conditions around it. He also pointed out that the broader NHL landscape can shape what becomes available, especially when other clubs are squeezed by the cap.
For Montreal, that means the next step may not come quickly, even if fans are already scanning for signs of action from Kent Hughes. Biringer suggested the Canadiens are likely to do something later in the offseason, but the timing could be the sort that catches people off guard. If the right player becomes available from a cap-strapped team, the fit could make sense, but for now the picture remains open and the waiting game continues. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Just Landed In A Scoring Debate Fans Know Well
The Canadiens keep showing up in the kind of trade chatter that usually follows a team with cap room and a growing need to turn promise into production. According to David Pagnotta, Anaheim is looking to move a veteran forward and is even willing to attach a second-round pick to the deal, which is the sort of extra incentive that can make a player with a pricey contract suddenly feel a lot more realistic for a club like Montreal.
For the Canadiens, the appeal is obvious enough. The player in question has a track record of putting the puck in the net, even if the recent numbers have been more modest than his peak years, and his deal runs only through next summer. Montreal has been mentioned as a possible fit because it can absorb money and because its recent progress makes this the kind of swing a front office at least has to consider, even if the final price tag is still the part everyone is waiting to see. [Read more 🡒]