The Canadiens have stayed quiet on the market, but there’s still one easy way to add a little bite to training camp: a professional tryout.
Montreal has a 13th-forward spot open, and that alone gives Kent Hughes a lane to bring in a veteran without tying the team to a contract. It would add depth, but more importantly, it would push the younger players and force the competition level up a notch.
Three names fit that kind of move.
Vladimir Tarasenko is the headliner. The 34-year-old winger put up 23 goals in 75 games last season, yet he still doesn’t have a contract. He’s also a two-time Stanley Cup champion, which makes him the most proven option on the board.
Another possibility is David Perron. The Quebec native is 38 now, but he’s still got plenty to offer after more than 1,200 games in the league. He was training in Montreal this summer, which only adds to the fit.
Then there’s Pavol Regenda, a lower-risk choice who could still make camp interesting. The 6-foot-3 Slovak played with Juraj Slafkovsky at the Olympics and scored nine goals in 24 games for the San Jose Sharks last season.
A PTO costs nothing, and that’s the appeal. It can deepen the roster, sharpen the battles in camp, and give the Canadiens a chance to squeeze a little more out of their younger group.
There’s no sign Montreal is headed that way. But if Hughes wants to raise the temperature at 2026 training camp, the door is open.
In Other News...
Canadiens Still Have One Roster Question Around Xhekaj And Bolduc
Geoff Molson sounded upbeat in a recent interview about where the Canadiens stand after last season, saying he was satisfied with the teams performance and encouraged by the way the roster is developing. He also made clear that Arber Xhekaj and Zach Bolduc remain important pieces in the organizations plans, a notable point with training camp approaching and Montreal still sorting through the edges of its depth chart.
The bigger question is how both players fit once the dust settles. Xhekajs usage has not fully settled into a defined role, and Bolduc remains unsigned after finishing the playoffs on the fourth line, leaving Montreal with one of those familiar late-summer roster puzzles that can shape how a team starts the year. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Roster Puzzle Puts Some Young Pieces In Play
The Canadiens search for help on the right side of their defense has turned into a roster puzzle with real long-term stakes. With future salary-cap room to work with, the front office can afford to think beyond a quick fix, and that has kept attention on a possible move for Zach Whitecloud as Montreal looks to balance its blue line while also adding more size and physicality up front.
What makes the conversation more interesting is the kind of young talent that could be pulled into the discussion if the Canadiens decide to press ahead. Montreal has prospects it would prefer not to move lightly, but it also has to weigh the value of future flexibility against the appeal of helping the current roster now. For the moment, it is still speculation and planning more than action, but the kind of move the Canadiens are considering could reshape more than one part of the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens May Go Only As Far As Ivan Demidov Takes Them
Montreal did not make many sweeping changes this offseason, choosing instead to tinker around the edges while letting the roster largely carry over. The most notable departures were Brendan Gallagher and Joe Veleno, and the additions were mostly depth pieces aimed at the AHL side, which leaves the Canadiens leaning on internal growth more than outside fixes.
Ivan Demidov is at the center of that bet after a rookie season that put him firmly on the leagues radar and left him second in Calder Trophy voting. He showed plenty of upside, but he also cooled late, and Montreals outlook now hinges on whether he can turn that promise into steadier second-year production. For a team that did not do much to change its ceiling, his next step may end up setting the tone. [Read more 🡒]