Montreal Canadiens: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Juraj Slafkovsky back on the first line | Kirby Dach on the fourth line

There will be some changes to the Canadiens’ offense for tonight’s game. What's going on? Basically, Juraj Slafkovsky will return to the first line alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.

Features

The Morning Bark

The Quiz of the Day

The Canadiens are giving up way too many goals from the slot

The Canadiens have allowed 14 goals (in three games) since the start of the season. We can all agree that… that's too many. In the long run, this approach won't work.

Jacob Fowler News / Dose.ca / October 8

The time Jacob Fowler was hit by a car in Belleville

I wouldn’t like that—getting hit by a car while I’m just a pedestrian. Makes sense, right? Except that things like that do happen once in a while. Just ask Emil Heineman… who experienced something like that while playing for the Canadiens, when he was hit by a car in Salt Lake City.

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / October 8

The CH’s team play is too focused on having fun, says José Théodore

The Canadiens are a fun team to watch. The young players are good, and the team is entertaining because there's talent on the roster… But in José Théodore's view, the Habs' team play may be too focused on having fun.

Washington Capitals News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The 'Most goals in NHL history' quiz

How many of the 22 players in NHL history with at least 600 career goals can you name in five minutes?

The 'Conn Smythe Trophy winners' quiz

The '2026-27 NHL captains' quiz

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

Nick Suzuki News / A Winning Habit / October 8

Nick Suzuki will look to be Montreal's X-Factor in bounce back spot vs Nashville

After dropping back-to-back games, the Montreal Canadiens will try to get back in the win column on Thursday when they host the Nashville Predators, a Western Conference club that barely missed the playoffs last season and has produced mixed results through the early going.

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.

Juraj Slafkovsky News / NHL Trade Talk / October 8

Canadiens’ Juraj Slafkovsky Is the Player Nobody Wants to Defend

When Sidney Crosby was asked who the Canadiens’ biggest weapon is, he had plenty of names to pick from. Suzuki. Caufield. Hutson. Demidov. He went with Juraj Slafkovsky, and the more you think about it, the less surprising it is.

Owen Beck News / Professor Press Box / October 8

Owen Beck: The Strange Space Between Ready and Needed

Owen Beck is getting pretty good at waiting. The Montreal Canadiens sent him back to the Laval Rocket again this season after Beck made it to the final day of training camp.

Montreal Canadiens News / The Hockey Writers / October 8

Fixing the Canadiens’ Hidden Structural Flaws Threatening Season

The Montreal Canadiens have a second-period problem. Coming off a magical run to the Eastern Conference Final last spring, expectations are high for the 2026-27 NHL season.

Montreal Canadiens News / Inside The Rink / October 8

Sam Montembeault Injured; Jacob Fowler Recalled to Start Tonight

The Montreal Canadiens are going to face the Nashville Predators tonight. During practice yesterday Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault suffered a lower-body injury.

Cole Caufield News / Dose.ca / October 8

Cole Caufield confirms it: one day, he’ll be asking for a lot more money

There's a great article on The Athletic (via reporter Mark Lazerus) this morning. What's it about? It's related to the fact that salaries have risen in the NHL and that young players are making significantly more money than players who've been established in the league for years.

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / October 8

Medical Updates on Samuel Montembeault and Oliver Kapanen

Currently, the Canadiens have four regulars on the injured list. Ivan Demidov, as you know, didn't play in yesterday's game, and the Habs have announced he'll be out for two to four weeks.

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.

Montreal Canadiens News / The Sick Podcast / October 8

Jacob Fowler To Start vs. Predators; Adam Engstrom In For Jayden Struble

Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St Louis confirmed that rookie goalie Jacob Fowler will make his 2026-27 regular season debut and start against the Nashville Predators on Thursday night at the Bell Centre.

Montreal Canadiens News / Viral Sports News / October 8

Montreal Canadiens Moving Toward Trading First-Round Bust

Montreal has moved Kirby Dach onto its second line, and at least one longtime voice in the league thinks the Canadiens may be doing more than covering an injury.

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

The 'NFL most receiving-1st downs' quiz

The 'Last 2-rushing-TD duos by team' quiz

The 'Most TD's through four games' quiz

The 'NFL RB TD-catch leaders' quiz

Adam Engstrom News / Dose.ca / October 8

Adam Engstrom will play his first game of the season tonight

This morning’s practice was optional, but it gave us some answers. On offense, we didn't need any answers. Everyone would have been surprised to learn that Oliver Kapanen was actually an option for tonight's game.

Jacob Fowler News / Dose.ca / October 8

Jacob Fowler is going to play tonight

This morning, the Canadiens held an optional practice. Rumor has it that Gavin McKenna asked not to attend, even though it wasn't his team's practice. But that obviously needs to be verified… Who was there?

Lane Hutson News / Dose.ca / October 8

Lane Hutson plays too much (and that’s a problem)

On a team, some players play a more influential role than others. Coaches often say that every player is important, but what they don't say is that some are more important than others.

Kent Hughes News / Dose.ca / October 8

Hot Topic: Kent Hughes Weighs In on His Defense

Right now, the talk in Montreal is all about the team's defense. Everyone knows the Canadiens are never out of it and have the offensive firepower to come back in games.

Lane Hutson News / A Winning Habit / October 8

Lane Hutson's heavy workload exposes Canadiens' defensive depth concerns

At his current pace, Lane Hutson will set a new career-high in minutes per game, which might not be good. In the Montreal Canadiens season opener, Hutson played about his average, with just over 24 minutes.

Luke Mittelstadt News / Dose.ca / October 7

Luke Mittelstadt is knocking harder and harder on the NHL’s door

The CH's start to the season hasn't lived up to the team's talent. Yet, not even two weeks ago, people were talking about an excellent training camp, during which several players made a very good impression.

Montreal Canadiens News / NHL Trade Talk / October 7

Canadiens Recall Jacob Fowler Thanks to Unexpected Montembeault Injury

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault was injured Wednesday at practice. The severity of the injury is unknown, but the organization has announced it has recalled Jacob Fowler from the Laval Rocket.

Jacob Fowler News / Pro Hockey Rumors / October 7

Montreal Canadiens Recall Jacob Fowler

The Montreal Canadiens announced they have recalled goaltender Jacob Fowler from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket. Fowler’s recall is, at first glance, a response to the apparent injury suffered by goaltender Samuel Montembeault at Montreal’s practice earlier today.

NHL News / Field Level Media / October 7

Canadiens hope line changes will provide benefits against Predators

The Montreal Canadiens shuffled their lines ahead of their last game, a decision necessitated by Ivan Demidov's lower-body injury that will sideline last season's Calder Trophy runner-up for as many as four weeks.

Samuel Montembeault News / Daily Faceoff / October 7

Canadiens’ Samuel Montembeault leaves practice with leg injury

A concerning sight for the Montreal Canadiens, which could lead to a change in personnel between the pipes. During the team’s practice on Wednesday, goaltender Samuel Montembeault appeared to have hurt his right leg while participating in a drill.

Montreal Canadiens News / The Hockey Writers / October 7

Canadiens Need to Fix Their Early Defensive Problems

The Montreal Canadiens entered the 2026-27 season with high expectations after another step forward last year. Through three games, however, one problem has quickly emerged: keeping the puck out of their own net.

Patrik Laine News / NHL Trade Talk / October 6

Patrik Laine Remains Unsigned, But 2 Teams Thinking About Rolling the Dice

Patrik Laine remains a free agent, and the market for the 28-year-old winger has been surprisingly quiet. That said, there’s some chatter that at least two teams have kicked the tires on the sniper and are talking internally about whether he’s the right kind of risk to take this season.

Montreal Canadiens News / Daily Faceoff / October 6