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3 Canadiens’ Prospects Facing Make-or-Break Seasons

Florian Xhekaj, Montreal Canadiens (Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images)

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3 Canadiens’ Prospects Facing Make-or-Break Seasons

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Ken MacMillan | Last updated Sep 1, 2026 10:35 AM ET

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The Montreal Canadiens emerged from their rebuild with an appearance in the Eastern Conference Final last season. They also boast one of the deepest prospect pools in the sport, in what amounts to an enviable pairing of having their cake and eating it too.

With a deep prospect pool, and a new title as a Stanley Cup contender, there will undoubtedly be some turnover in their system this season. Some prospects will be traded for immediate help, while others will graduate to the National Hockey League (NHL).

A handful of other prospects will play themselves out of the system. That is, they will underperform and not be offered another contract, or flipped to another team in a change-of-scenery type trade. We saw these deals this offseason with Joshua Roy and Sean Farrell departing. Both were once thought to be future Canadiens, but having not shown progression in 2025-26, they were traded for Maksymilian Szuber and Sasha Pastujov, who are other middling prospects that hope to have better luck with a new organization.

Which current prospects are running out of time to convince the Canadiens to hang on to them? Here are three players in the Canadiens pipeline who are going to need a strong season, or it could be their last with the Habs.

Andrew MacNiel

Andrew MacNiel was selected in the sixth round of the 2025 NHL Draft by the Canadiens. He was a bit of a surprising pick at that time as he had played just 33 games in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), scoring no goals and adding three assists. Obviously not known for his offense, the right-shot defenseman plays a steady defensive role and plays the game with a lot of physicality.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 170 pounds, he has some filling out to do, but projects as a stay-at-home defender in the future. He played last season on a deep Kitchener Rangers team and helped them win a league championship as well as the Memorial Cup. He had just seven points in 48 regular season games and added two points in ten playoff contests while suiting up in a depth role.

MacNiel has a chance to play much higher on the Rangers depth chart this season and really show what he can handle. He will never be an offensive producer, but a big, steady right-shot defender who takes care of business in his own zone is difficult to find. If MacNiel proves to be a legitimate top-pairing shutdown defender for the Rangers this season, the Canadiens will be intrigued to keep him around. An entry-level contract would give him time to slowly develop at the pro level. However, if he struggles in a bigger role this season, the Habs can relinquish his rights next June.

Florian Xhekaj

Florian Xhekaj was another interesting choice at the time of his draft. He was eligible to be selected in the 2022 NHL Draft but was passed over. He then went out and scored 13 goals and 25 points in 68 OHL games and was taken in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Draft. Those are hardly the numbers of a future sniper at the NHL level, but the Canadiens were looking at the total package of size, compete and all-around play.

Xhekaj then shot up the team’s top prospect lists as he scored 34 goals and 65 points in his final OHL season as well as 24 goals in his first American Hockey League (AHL) season with the Laval Rocket. This past season, his second pro campaign, saw him score 17 goals and 29 points in 64 games with the Rocket. That’s a small step back offensively, but he did earn his first NHL call, and suited up for five games with the Canadiens.

He appears on the cusp of forcing his way into full-time NHL duty. However, that is where we thought Roy was last season. Stagnating at the AHL level is rarely a sign of a lengthy NHL career. While Xhekaj and Roy are much different players, a step forward is required from the 22-year-old forward or he just might get passed by the next wave of prospects in the near future. Xhekaj will also require waivers for the first time in the fall of 2027, so the upcoming season is the last he can be sent to the Rocket without waivers. He needs to snag an NHL spot before then or risk being placed on waivers, which the Canadiens would be reluctant to do.

Owen Beck

Years ago, it felt like Owen Beck would have a role on the Canadiens by now. He was drafted in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft and followed that up with two excellent OHL seasons. The 2024-25 season saw him turn pro and he displayed a strong two-way game with the Rocket in the AHL. His hockey sense and defensive game always stood out, but he was able to put up 15 goals and 44 points in 64 games as well. He appeared ready to take on a more permanent NHL role.

Then last season, he dropped to 13 goals and 33 points in 58 AHL games. He has now played a total of 28 games with the Canadiens, but has just one goal and one assist. There is still time for him to find a role on the Canadiens, but it is starting to look like that will be further down the lineup than once hoped. Like Xhekaj, the upcoming season is the last one in which Beck does not require waivers to be sent down. So, the Canadiens will need to give them a roster spot or risk losing them for nothing at the beginning of the 2027-28 season.

If Beck has another season similar to his past two, the Canadiens may choose to flip him for another prospect when he becomes a restricted free agent at season’s end. The Canadiens have 12 returning forwards for the upcoming season, meaning Beck really has to force his way into the lineup. If he can, he still has time to solidify himself as a bottom-six center for the foreseeable future. But if the 22 year old can’t get into the lineup this season, he may never be a full-time Canadiens forward.

All three of these players are facing a pivotal season in their development. MacNiel needs to prove to the Canadiens he is worthy of an entry-level contract. Xhekaj and Beck need to force their way onto the roster and prove they are capable of taking over for Phillip Danault and Josh Anderson, who are veterans on expiring contracts. With the Canadiens entering their contending phase, patience for these young players will be thin.

Not only do Xhekaj and Beck need to prove they can play in the NHL, they need to contribute on a team hoping to be one of the best in the league. If the Canadiens don’t see them as part of their future by the end of this season, they could very well move on like they did with Farrell and Roy.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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