Montreal Canadiens: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Grant McCagg doesn’t like what he sees in Gleb Pugachyov

Obviously, we shouldn’t jump to any major conclusions after just a few preseason games. But so far, Gleb Pugachyov hasn't exactly been delivering the kind of performance Grant McCagg was expecting.

Features

The Morning Bark

The Quiz of the Day

Montreal Has a Decision to Make on Adam Engstrom—and It Isn’t Easy

So… are the Montreal Canadiens really shopping Adam Engstrom, or is this just the usual summer smoke? The latest rumour is that rival teams have checked in on Engstrom, and Montreal is apparently “open to” moving him.

Patrik Laine News / Dose.ca / August 19

Patrik Laine: The door seems to be closing on him with the Islanders

As of today, Patrik Laine is still without a contract. The Finnish player is looking for a team where he can try to revive his career. Will he manage to sign a contract before training camp begins?

Adam Engstrom News / Pro Hockey Rumors / August 19

Canadiens’ Adam Engstrom Has Drawn Trade Interest

Rival NHL teams have inquired about the possibility of trading for Montreal Canadiens defenseman Adam Engstrom over the course of the summer, writes Arpon Basu of The Athletic.

Macklin Celebrini News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The ''EA NHL,'' covers since 2000' quiz

How many of the players to grace the cover of each EA NHL video game going back to 'NHL 2000?"

The 'First-overall NHL Draft picks' quiz

The 'Conn Smythe Trophy winners' quiz

The 'Most NHL goals all-time' quiz

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / August 19

Nick Suzuki: Patrice Bergeron gives him a (big) dose of love

Nick Suzuki has, more than ever, firmly established himself as one of the best centers in the NHL. The Habs' captain just reached 100 points in a season in which he also won the Selke Trophy and helped his team reach the Eastern Conference Finals.

NHL News / Yardbarker

The best and worst NHL free agency deals since 2000

The NHL has had an interesting new millennium. It was a league sans a salary cap when the 2000s started… and then the owners locked the players out for an entire season.

Alexander Zharovsky News / Dose.ca / August 19

Alexander Zharovsky: Scouts across the league really like him

Alexander Zharovsky has been making quite a name for himself over the past 12 months. The young Russian, drafted by the Habs with the 34th overall pick in 2025, scored 16 goals and 42 points in 59 games during his first full season in the KHL.

Artturi Lehkonen News / The Hockey Writers / August 19

Revisiting the Canadiens’ Artturi Lehkonen Trade

The Montreal Canadiens approached the 2022 Trade Deadline as obvious sellers. After a surprising run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, the team fell flat the following season and was at the bottom of the NHL standings.

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / August 19

The Canadiens will have a new uniform in 2026-27

Canadians, in general, tend to be pretty conservative when it comes to uniforms. The team has found a formula that works and has stuck with it for decades.

Arber Xhekaj News / The Sick Podcast / August 19

Montreal Canadiens Role Profiles: Arber Xhekaj

As we get into the dog days of summer and until training camp, thesickpodcast.com will profile Montreal Canadiens players based on their expected role for the 2026-27 NHL season.

NHL News / The Hockey Writers / August 19

Canadiens Have Brendan Gallagher’s Successor in Zachary Bolduc

Replacing Brendan Gallagher was never going to be about replacing a stat line. It’s about replacing a pulse. For over a decade, Gallagher served as the steady heartbeat of the Montreal Canadiens.

Lane Hutson News / Dose.ca / August 19

NHL 27: EA Sports Shows Disrespect Toward Lane Hutson

There are only a few weeks left until the official release of NHL 27. And just like every year, EA Sports is taking advantage of the game's imminent release to reveal the ratings for the top players.

NHL News / Yardbarker

The defining figure for every NHL franchise

People will talk about the “Mount Rushmore” for a franchise, which is to say the four people, usually four players, that most define the franchise. Not always the four-best players, but the four that evoke the essence of the franchise.

NHL News / Daily Faceoff / August 19

Ranking the Eastern Conference's biggest winners this summer

Here, we turn our attention to the biggest winners across the league — starting with the East.

Why Maple Leafs fans should be excited about Gavin McKenna's first season

The five most improved NHL teams heading into 2026-27

The 'Last 100-point season by NHL team' quiz

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / August 19

A 'rat' will participate in the Canadiens’ rookie camp

Do you like nicknames? I'm asking because the Canadiens have invited “the Rat” to their rookie camp, which will take place in a few weeks. Who is it? We're talking about Mavrick Rousseau-Hamel, who has spent the last few years playing for the Quebec Remparts in the QMJHL.

Click here to get Yardbarker's Quiz of the Day emailed to you!

The 'NFL Playoffs rushing record' quiz

The 'NFL all-time receptions leaders' quiz

The 'Rookie passing leader by team' quiz

The '2008 Week 1 starting QBs' quiz

Montreal Canadiens News / The Sick Podcast / August 19

Montreal Canadiens Prospects: The Wait and See Approach

Over the years, a few readers have asked me why I don’t write more about Montreal Canadiens’ prospects. It’s a fair question. After all, if you write about the Canadiens, prospects are obviously part of the conversation, even more so during a rebuild.

NHL News / The Hockey Writers / August 19

Canadiens Have a Chance to Exploit the Ducks’ Salary Cap Crunch

The Montreal Canadiens have reached a point where having salary cap flexibility can become a weapon. Kent Hughes does not necessarily need to make another major addition before the start of the 2026-27 season, but if another team’s cap situation creates an opportunity, the Canadiens are in a position to take advantage.

Zachary Bolduc News / Dose.ca / August 19

Bolduc keeps playing the same old tune; it doesn’t mean anything anymore

Two Habs players are currently still without contracts: Zachary Bolduc and Arber Xhekaj. Both players are RFAs (restricted free agents) and are still eligible for a hostile offer.

Lane Hutson News / Dose.ca / August 19

Lane Hutson isn’t a star, according to Corey Pronman

This morning, we chatted about Corey Pronman's top 156 U23 players. We talked about the fact that Juraj Slafkovsky is ranked fourth on the list and that Ivan Demidov is the eighth-best player on Pronman's list.

Montreal Canadiens News / The Hockey Writers / August 19

What Canadiens Fans Can Look Forward to in 2026-27

It’s an exciting time to be a Montreal Canadiens fan. Fresh off an appearance in the Eastern Conference Final, it appears as though the Habs are entering their window to contend for the Stanley Cup.

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / August 19

Juraj Slafkovsky Ranked Ahead of Leo Carlsson in the NHL’s U23 Division

When has a ranking ever failed to get people talking? Yesterday, Corey Pronman ranked the 32 NHL teams based on the quality of their under-23 players. The Canadiens came in third on the expert's list.

Montreal Canadiens News / Pro Hockey Rumors / August 18

Canadiens Invite Alexei Vlasov To Rookie Camp

According to an announcement from the QMJHL’s Victoriaville Tigres, the Montreal Canadiens have invited forward Alexei Vlasov to their rookie camp in mid-September.

Zachary Bolduc News / NHL Trade Talk / August 18

Trouble in Contract Talks Between the Canadiens and Zachary Bolduc?

In a rare “hockey trade,” the Montreal Canadiens acquired Zachary Bolduc from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Logan Mailloux at the start of free agency last summer on July 1, 2025.

Montreal Canadiens News / The Hockey Writers / August 18

Canadiens Have Built a Modern Elite Defence Corps

When general manager (GM) Kent Hughes and president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton stepped up to the microphones to conduct their summer exit interviews, there was a distinct energy hanging in the air.

Montreal Canadiens News / NHL Trade Talk / August 18

Analyst Says He Thinks Canadiens 'About to Make a Move'

“Does Pierre McGuire know something we don’t about a move coming for the Montreal Canadiens?” That’s the question one social media account asked after watching an interview video where the long-time NHL analyst suggested the Canadiens were “about to make a move.” What move he didn’t say.

Montreal Canadiens News / The Hockey Writers / August 18

3 Under-the-Radar Montreal Canadiens Prospects

The Montreal Canadiens have built one of the deeper prospect pools in the NHL over the past few years. Names like Michael Hage, Alexander Zharovsky, Jacob Fowler and David Reinbacher naturally receive most of the attention.

Montreal Canadiens News / Pro Hockey Rumors / August 13

Canadiens weighing sign-and-trade options for Arber Xhekaj, Zachary Bolduc

“If I had my druthers, we did it yesterday.” That is what Kent Hughes, general manager of the Montreal Canadiens, said on July 1 after being unable to swing on a big move that he was looking for.

Projecting Josh Anderson extension with Montreal

The 'Last 70-assist season by NHL team' quiz