2026-27 Montreal Canadiens discussion thread

[GHT120]

4 hours ago, BCHabnut said:

Of course i'd love to see hutson on the left side

Agreed ... if HuGo don't see Reinbacher as NHL ready I always come back to what would it take to get Schneider from the Rangers ... would Bolduc+ work?  

[BCHabnut]

3 hours ago, GHT120 said:

Agreed ... if HuGo don't see Reinbacher as NHL ready I always come back to what would it take to get Schneider from the Rangers ... would Bolduc+ work?  

Bolduc and Texier almost seem like carbon copies of one another. Could definitely part with one or even both of them.

[dlbalr]

6 hours ago, GHT120 said:

Agreed ... if HuGo don't see Reinbacher as NHL ready I always come back to what would it take to get Schneider from the Rangers ... would Bolduc+ work?  

 

I don't think I'd want to give up Bolduc for a one-year rental.  Schneider's already at $5.5M and was seeking over $7M on a long-term deal for the Rangers.  That's too much for my liking for someone who was a #4 for the first time last year out of necessity after being more of a #5 guy before then. 

[DON]

Slaf not get 30?

 

Fantasy Focus: Juraj Slafkovsky – HabsWorld.net

GP: 80
Goals: 28
Assists: 42
Points: 70
+/-: +8
PIMS: 50
PPG: 9
GWG: 4
Shots: 178

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

On 8/4/2026 at 11:41 AM, BCHabnut said:

Bolduc and Texier almost seem like carbon copies of one another. Could definitely part with one or even both of them.

 

I tend to think of Bolduc as having a lot more physical upside - more of a power game - than Texier. If I had to choose one or the other, I'd keep Bolduc, although Texier is probably the more consistent player at this point in their respective careers.

[dlbalr]

1 hour ago, DON said:

Slaf not get 30?

 

Fantasy Focus: Juraj Slafkovsky – HabsWorld.net

GP: 80
Goals: 28
Assists: 42
Points: 70
+/-: +8
PIMS: 50
PPG: 9
GWG: 4
Shots: 178

 

I don't think he's getting 15 power play goals again.  Even with an uptick in even-strength goals which I'm projecting, the overall total dips slightly.

[DON]

I hope he gets 40 and has a huge year, but just wishful thinking.

[GHT120]

From NHL.com, Price, Canadiens' all-time winningest goalie, excited for team's future:
 

“I’m excited for those guys, seeing them experience success early,” the winningest goalie in Canadiens history said in conversation from his home in Kelowna, British Columbia. “It’s an exciting time in their careers.

 

“They’re both young players,” Price said of Dobes, 25, and Fowler, 21. “I remember what it was like to be that age and find success. That’s a confidence-builder, not just for the goalies but for the team. They both seem to be confident in their abilities and that’s a good thing."

 

“They’re a little bit different,” he said, comparing Dobes and Fowler. “I really love Dobes’ compete level, he’s got that ‘grrr’ in his game, he’s got that swagger. I really enjoy watching that. Fowler kind of reminds me more of myself, a little more reserved. He plays a very quiet game like I did. It’s their mentality that has them where they’re at.”

 

And of course, ClickBait30 makes it into a Montembeault slam: Entrevue-sans-pitie-samuel-montembeault-ecarte-par-carey-price/

[Prime Minister Koivu]

Not giving up hope of a big trade before season start but my confidence has waned 

[GHT120]

 

To steal from Lotto 6/49 ... JUST IMAGINE

[GHT120]

It is the doggiest days of summer
 

 

[DON]

Mr Anderson, what do you and Hughes have in mind for 2027-28 and beyond?

He seems valuable in playoffs and would be hard to replace. But what does his agent think he deserves in an extension and how much will other GMs value his services, either in-season or next summer?

 

Projecting Montreal Canadiens' Josh Anderson Extension - The Hockey Writers - Montreal Canadiens - NHL News, Analysis & More

 

An extension for Anderson right now would have to be a four-year contract with a cap hit of $4 million. He has proven to be a more valuable player than McCarron and would need a higher salary to offset less term on the contract.

Players like Anderson do not grow on trees, especially since he has started frequently playing shorthanded minutes over the past two seasons. The Canadiens can run the risk of letting him go to free agency and hope that a young player like Florian Xhekaj can turn into the next Anderson and take his place on the roster.

[Prime Minister Koivu]

3 year deal for Anderson would be ideal but if he wants an 8 year deal then I’m nervous. 
 

I definitely want him back but his contract could be a real barrier

[hab29RETIRED]

1 hour ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

3 year deal for Anderson would be ideal but if he wants an 8 year deal then I’m nervous. 
 

I definitely want him back but his contract could be a real barrier

I don’t think I’d want him for more than 3 years. No way I’d sign him past 36.

[GHT120]

An Anderson extension would likely depend on how much he likes being in Montreal and on this team ... someone (John Chayka?) next summer will overpay because "they need him for the playoffs".

[GHT120]

RDS (via Google Translate) ... Phil Danault setting himself up for a future in the Habs organization off the ice?

The Canadiens "aren't afraid to start the season even if they're missing a piece or two"

• “I’ve wanted to do a playoff run like this again for a long time, it’s always special. No matter how many runs you do in your life, it’s always unique and obviously in Montreal, it’s even more special.”
• "In my opinion, it’s not that easy to make trades like that. Teams know we have good young players and they try to take advantage of that. It’s tough to make trades in the NHL. Kent and Gorts don’t feel the pressure to make the trade now, in my opinion. If the opportunity arises, I have no doubt they’ll try to improve the team; they’ve done that for the last five years. They’re doing it well, one step at a time.”
• "I get the feeling that Kent (Hughes) and (Jeff) Gorton aren't afraid to start the season like this; we made it to the conference finals. This was the youngest team we've ever had, and the experience we've gained is incredible. We're not afraid to start the season even if we're missing a piece or two."

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

5 hours ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

3 year deal for Anderson would be ideal but if he wants an 8 year deal then I’m nervous. 
 

I definitely want him back but his contract could be a real barrier

 

I love Anderson and agree that he has a unique value on this team. However, an 8-year deal would be insane. 

 

Could be a tough one, all right. There will always be idiot GMs willing to heavily over-invest in a guy like that. I think we will end up re-signing him to higher term/price than anyone on this board would like, but it won't be 8 years. 

[Prime Minister Koivu]

I read the brief article but didn’t watch the video. 
 

One interesting point was Newhook’s injury history, which I hadn’t considered. Not nearly as bad as Dach’s but perhaps closer to Guhle. 
 

The question is interesting - What to expect from Newhook this season?

 

He was having a great year then got a serious injury. He came back and it took a while to get his game back but he looked good to great in the playoffs. 
 

Is Newhook going to have a big year? A driving force on the second line?

 

A step forward in his game and production would be amazing

[GHT120]

3 hours ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

Is Newhook going to have a big year? A driving force on the second line?

 

If he plays Top 6 quality offensive hockey I might play 13-14-15 and let Slaf drive the second line as he seemed to for a stretch last season ... I also love the idea of the "13-14-15" line

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

I like Newhook at lot and see him as a very useful #6-7 FW. The kind of guy who lurks in the reeds of your roster and really hurts teams who are busy worrying about bigger names (Demidov, Caufield, etc.). A Newhook firing on all cylinders helps to give us the kind of 'offence in waves' that we will probably need in order to become heavy-duty contenders.

 

That's the optimistic story.

 

The other side of it is, he's going into his 6th season as a full-time NHLer and has never topped 34 points. Injuries aren't his fault. But it's just...I've seen quite of few of these types of player over the years, guys with impressive skills but where there's 'always something' preventing them from realizing their full potential.

 

Last year was important in that, when he was on the ice, he overcame the harrowing mediocrity he'd slipped into the year before. He played well with consistency over those 40 games and playoffs. That's why I'm optimistic that, even if he can't stay healthy, he can at least be the guy he needs to be when he'd dressed.

 

Still, it's up to him to prove that this wasn't a mirage. I sure hope he does. 

 

 

[Prime Minister Koivu]

28 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

I like Newhook at lot and see him as a very useful #6-7 FW. The kind of guy who lurks in the reeds of your roster and really hurts teams who are busy worrying about bigger names (Demidov, Caufield, etc.). A Newhook firing on all cylinders helps to give us the kind of 'offence in waves' that we will probably need in order to become heavy-duty contenders.

 

That's the optimistic story.

 

The other side of it is, he's going into his 6th season as a full-time NHLer and has never topped 34 points. Injuries aren't his fault. But it's just...I've seen quite of few of these types of player over the years, guys with impressive skills but where there's 'always something' preventing them from realizing their full potential.

 

Last year was important in that, when he was on the ice, he overcame the harrowing mediocrity he'd slipped into the year before. He played well with consistency over those 40 games and playoffs. That's why I'm optimistic that, even if he can't stay healthy, he can at least be the guy he needs to be when he'd dressed.

 

Still, it's up to him to prove that this wasn't a mirage. I sure hope he does. 

 

 

I remember there was much debate last season on this forum if Newhook was even a second liner. 
 

I think he showed that he is but as you rated him as a 6-7 I think that’s accurate 

 

Hopefully he can cement himself as a pure top 6 this season 

[GHT120]

BREAKING NEWS from ClickBait30  😉

 

For several weeks, one question kept coming up: why delay his arrival in the NHL when he already seems to have the level to play there?

The answer now comes directly from his coach, Brandon Naurato, who was a guest on Marc-Antoine Godin and Arpon Basu's podcast.

The Wolverines coach explained that Hage's decision had nothing to do with a lack of confidence or a fear of the next step.

On the contrary… his message is quite clear. Hage wants to arrive in Montreal ready to make a difference.

...

“Michael is not going back to school because he doesn’t want to go to the NHL. He’s going back because he wants to be the best player he can be when he gets there. He wants to help Montreal win a Stanley Cup,” Naurato explained.

 

 

So exactly what was said two months ago

 

[DON]

Hab Stuff.

 

Habs Headlines: Kent Hughes’s worst trades

 

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

4 hours ago, DON said:

Hab Stuff.

 

Habs Headlines: Kent Hughes’s worst trades

 

 

Interesting overview of HuGo ‘errors.’ I sort of forgot about Justin Barron. He doesn’t seem to have amounted to much more than a bottom-pairing guy on a bad team (Preds). 

 

The badness of the Dach trade will ultimately depend on how Nazar pans out, since Nazar was the ‘opportunity cost’ of that deal. I always remind folks, though, that if Nazar was our #2C we would constantly be hearing about how were ’too small down the middle’ to truly contend. So that slot would still be a problem, just in a different way. Nevertheless, would you rather have Nazar than Dach? 100% 

 

Really such a shame about Dach. If he had fulfilled his potential, we’d arguably be top-tier contenders heading into this season, instead of struggling to patch together a viable second line.

 

[DON]

I guess i still like the moves to try and turn Romanov & pick into a big centre, sort of like using the two 1st picks for Dobson.

Kids taken with those picks;

Nazar 41pts 66gms playing centre with Hawks last year.

Eklund 24pts 43gms SHL, RW, 10pts 9 AHL games.

Aitcheson 70pts 56 OHL games, physical LH-d, 27pts 19playoff games