Kent Hughes has trimmed one more name from his contract to-do list.
With Maksymilian Szuber now under contract, the Canadiens general manager is down to three remaining files as the offseason work continues. Montreal announced Monday that the defenseman has signed a one-year, two-way deal, clearing up his restricted free-agent status and giving the club some added flexibility.
The two-way structure means Szuber can split time between the Canadiens and the Laval Rocket in the American Hockey League if he doesn’t stick in Montreal. It also keeps him in the organization as Hughes looks ahead to the 2026 offseason with one less situation to manage.
Szuber’s addition brings another layer of depth to Laval’s blue line, and it keeps the 2022 Arizona sixth-round pick moving forward in North America. He put together a strong AHL season with the Tucson Roadrunners, finishing with 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points in 65 games.
That signing leaves Hughes with three unresolved cases: Arber Xhekaj, Zachary Bolduc and Sasha Pastujov. Xhekaj is the biggest name of the group and has made it clear he wants to remain in Montreal, while his agent has described Hughes as a tough but respectful negotiator.
Bolduc is still waiting on his first major contract after a promising rookie season, and Jean-Sébastien Dea recently said that deal was close to being finalized. Pastujov, meanwhile, is drawing less attention but is still part of the same restricted free-agent picture.
For now, the Canadiens have one more contract settled - and three more still sitting on Hughes’ desk.
In Other News...
Canadiens Fans Are Revisiting A Draft Choice That Still Hurts
The 2013 NHL Draft remains one of those nights Canadiens fans still revisit when the conversation turns to what might have been. Montral went with Michael McCarron at No. 25, looking to add size and a heavier edge to the roster, and he did eventually get into the lineup at times. But much of his development came in the AHL, and his time with the organization ended when he was traded to the Nashville Predators.
Right after that pick, Anaheim took Shea Theodore at No. 26, and his career path has been the sort that keeps hindsight buzzing around Montral. Theodore grew into a regular NHL defenseman, won a Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights and even represented Canada at the Olympics, which only sharpens the contrast for Canadiens supporters still thinking about how different the blue line might have looked. It is the kind of draft slide that never fully goes away because the alternate timeline is easy to picture, even if it will never be answered. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Suzuki Keeps Raising The Canadiens Ceiling Again
Nick Suzukis rise has become one of the clearest reasons the Canadiens can talk about a higher ceiling with a straight face. After a career-best season that saw him finish with 101 points and capture the Frank J. Selke Trophy, the Montreal captain has moved beyond promising centerpiece and into the category of player who can tilt the direction of a franchise. The steady climb in his game has been the kind of progression teams spend years hoping to find, and it has given Montreal a true driver in the middle of its lineup.
What makes Suzukis outlook so intriguing now is that last season may not have been the peak, only the latest step. There is a growing sense around the Canadiens that he can challenge the 100-point mark again if the rest of the roster gives him enough support, and that possibility carries real weight as the team looks ahead. The shape of Montreals forward group and any changes around him will matter, but Suzuki has already shown he can keep raising the standard even as the expectations around him keep climbing. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Face A Quiet Roster Squeeze That Could Reshape Next Season
The Canadiens have spent much of the summer locking in pieces of their core, but the quieter challenge now is figuring out what the next version of the roster is supposed to look like. Eight players are set to hit free agency after the season, and while Montreal has some obvious names it would like to keep around, the picture is already getting complicated enough that the front office has to balance continuity, cost and timing all at once.
Oliver Kapanen, Alex Newhook and Jayden Struble look positioned to be part of the conversation going forward, but the list of possible departures is where the real pressure starts to build. Samuel Montembeault, Kirby Dach, Josh Anderson, Phillip Danault and Alexandre Carrier could all be moving into what amounts to a final year in Montreal, and with contract decisions and trade possibilities both hanging over the group, the Canadiens may end up reshaping more than just the bottom of the roster before next season arrives. [Read more 🡒]