Montreal Canadiens: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Canadiens Weighing Risk and Reward on Free-Agent Winger

The Montreal Canadiens’ pursuit of a top-six scoring winger has sparked rumors about a particular UFA: Anthony Mantha. The 31-year-old, 6-foot-5 forward is coming off a career year, posting 33 goals and 64 points in 81 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins — numbers that have several teams interested in his services.

Features

The Morning Bark

The Quiz of the Day

Canadiens’ Best Contracts for 2026-27

While Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has been largely silent on the free-agent front this summer, forward Kirby Dach’s arbitration hearing is scheduled for July 30.

Anthony Mantha News / Dose.ca / July 14

Anthony Mantha in Montreal: 'I don’t really see how he fits in'

Anthony Mantha is still a free agent. Even though it's already mid-July, he's still on the list of free agents available on the market and waiting to sign a contract.

Montreal Canadiens News / The Hockey Writers / July 14

Canadiens Organization Chooses Continuity With Daniel Jacob Hire

The Laval Rocket had big shoes to fill after Pascal Vincent accepted an assistant coaching position with the Seattle Kraken. Vincent helped transform the Rocket into one of the American Hockey League’s best teams while continuing to establish Laval as one of the premier development organizations in hockey.

Gavin Mckenna News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The 'First-overall NHL Draft picks' quiz

In the history of the NHL Draft, 64 players have been selected No. 1 overall. How many of the can you name in eight minutes?

The 'Conn Smythe Trophy winners' quiz

The 'Single-playoff goal leaders' quiz

The 'NHL saves leaders since 1995-96' quiz

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / July 14

Gleb Pugachyov Falls Out of Scott Weeler’s Top 100 Draft-Eligible Prospects

In recent years, the Canadiens have often ranked highly in prospect lists. Why? Because the team was in the midst of a rebuild. But since the rebuild is going so well, the young players who were rising through the prospect rankings are now key players for the team.

NHL News / Yardbarker

The most underrated player for every NHL franchise

The best player in Washington Capitals history? Alex Ovechkin. The best Red Wing? Gordie Howe or Steve Yzerman…or maybe Nicklas Lidstrom. Some NHL franchises have a clear best player, while others have the proverbial Mount Rushmore of potential choices.

Lane Hutson News / Dose.ca / July 14

Lane Hutson cut his own hair to avoid paying Boston hairdressers

Inflation affects everyone: the poor and even the wealthiest. As a guest on the podcast Dans la chambre avec Alex Lanctot, Mathieu Caron, a former Boston University goaltender and teammate of Lane Hutson, had a funny story to share about the Canadiens defenseman.

Anthony Mantha News / The Sick Podcast / July 13

Would This UFA Forward Be A Good Fit For The Montreal Canadiens?

Could unrestricted free agent winger Anthony Mantha be a good fit in the top six forward group for the Montreal Canadiens? There has been recent speculation

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / July 13

Canadiens: Three forwards I want to see have a great season

The Canadiens had a great 2025–26 season because their top players performed at their best. Cole Caufield (51 goals), Nick Suzuki (101 points), Juraj Slafkovsky (73 points), and Lane Hutson (78 points) all had truly extraordinary seasons and helped the team win games.

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / July 13

Bogdan Konyushkov, Alexander Carrier’s next backup?

Bogdan Konyushkov has signed his entry-level contract with the Montreal Canadiens. Good news! We know the defenseman will be back in Russia next season on loan.

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / July 13

Trade: The CH could improve… but only in November

No, the Canadiens haven’t managed to improve since the start of the summer. We were expecting a major trade because Kent Hughes had mentioned that he wouldn't be afraid to overpay to add a talented player to his roster.

Montreal Canadiens News / NHL Trade Talk / July 13

Teams Are Calling the Canadiens About This Physical Defenseman

While the preference would be to get an extension signed, the Montreal Canadiens are reportedly fielding trade interest in restricted free agent defenseman Arber Xhekaj.

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / July 13

Here’s why Daniel Jacob is a logical choice for the Canadiens’ needs

It’s official: Daniel Jacob is the Rocket’s new head coach. I hope no one falls off their chair. Pascal Vincent's assistant since 2024 (and Joël Bouchard's for a decade) has been the favorite for quite some time.

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

The 'NBA blocks champions' quiz

The 'Women's Wimbledon champions' quiz

The 'Most three-pointers by NBA team' quiz

The '60-point NBA games' quiz

Kirby Dach News / The Hockey Writers / July 13

Projecting Kirby Dach’s next contract with the Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens and Kirby Dach are heading toward an interesting contract negotiation this summer. After extending him a qualifying offer worth $4 million for the 2026-27 season, the Canadiens retained control of the restricted free agent, but Dach elected not to sign the offer and instead filed for salary arbitration.

Arber Xhekaj News / Dose.ca / July 13

Arber Xhekaj: Several teams have contacted the Canadiens

The Canadiens have several defensemen under long-term contracts. Lane Hutson (2034), Noah Dobson (2033), Mike Matheson (2031), and Kaiden Guhle (2031) will be central to Martin St-Louis's game plan for many years to come.

Alexander Zharovsky News / Dose.ca / July 13

Alexander Zharovsky will be joined by the KHL’s all-time leading scorer

Alexander Zharovsky has one year remaining on his KHL contract. The young player, who will spend much of his summer in Montreal in 2026, is expected to make a permanent move to Quebec in 2027.

Montreal Canadiens News / Ball Exclusives / July 12

Why the Canadiens’ cap flexibility should be the envy of the NHL

After a global pandemic froze the NHL’s salary cap, general managers’ pockets are finally getting deeper — and it shows. Leo Carlsson recently signed a record-breaking five-year, $18 million extension with the Anaheim Ducks, courtesy of an offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers.

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / July 12

'Owen Beck is a better player in the NHL than in the AHL'

Although the Canadiens still need to sign Zachary Bolduc and Kirby Dach (as well as defenseman Arber Xhekaj), we have a good idea of which forwards are likely to be in the lineup to start the season.

Lane Hutson News / Professor Press Box / July 12

Is Lane Hutson Ready for a Canadiens Leadership Role?

Lane Hutson is one of those players who makes you wonder what happens next—not just on the ice, but in the locker room too. When the Montreal Canadiens moved on from Brendan Gallagher, they obviously needed to make changes to the roster.

Derek Lalonde News / The Hockey Writers / July 12

Derek Lalonde Is Exactly What the Montreal Canadiens Need

The Montreal Canadiens made an unexpected coaching change this week when Trevor Letowski, a fixture on Martin St. Louis’s staff for five seasons, stepped down as assistant coach to spend more time with his family.

Montreal Canadiens News / NHL Trade Talk / July 12

Canadiens Might Have Won the Offseason Before It Even Started

The Montreal Canadiens’ decision to lock up Ivan Demidov early is looking smarter by the day. Following Leo Carlsson‘s blockbuster offer sheet with Philadelphia (eventually matched by the Anaheim Ducks), Demidov’s eight-year, $9.15 million AAV extension already looks like a bargain by comparison.

Montreal Canadiens News / The Sick Podcast / July 12

Out of the Bleu, Blanc, Rouge: New Era in Canadiens Leadership

By JD Lagrange – Out of the Bleu, Blanc, Rouge: The week’s hot topics, served without sugar-coating or concern for bruised feelings. This week, we look at the potential candidates to become alternate-captains, and other hot topics around the Canadiens.

Montreal Canadiens News / The Hockey Writers / July 11

Canadiens’ Reinbacher Now Under the Gun with Konyushkov Signing

Maybe “now or never” is far too harsh an assessment of Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Reinbacher’s chances. However, following a litany of recent

Bogdan Konyushkov News / Pro Hockey Rumors / July 10

Canadiens Sign Bogdan Konyushkov To Entry-Level Contract

According to a team announcement, the Montreal Canadiens have signed defenseman Bogdan Konyushkov to his entry-level contract. Montreal drafted Konyushkov with the 110th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, and he’s been playing in the KHL ever since.

Derek Lalonde News / Daily Faceoff / July 8

Canadiens hire Derek Lalonde as assistant coach

The Montreal Canadiens will be making an adjustment to their coaching staff, as they’ve hired Derek Lalonde as an assistant coach. Lalonde will be replacing Trevor Letowski on the bench, although Letowski is not being fired in the move, as he is stepping away from the role to have more time with his family.

Montreal Canadiens News / Pro Hockey Rumors / July 8

Montreal Canadiens Sign Reilly Walsh

The Montreal Canadiens have poached a depth defenseman from the international free agent market. According to a team announcement, the Canadiens have signed defenseman Reilly Walsh to a one-year, two-way contract.