Analysis of the 2025-26 Montreal Canadiens Opening Night Lineup

The Montreal Canadiens roster for the start of the 2025-26 has now been finalized. The team made its final roster cuts following their exhibition loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. Judging from the lines we saw in the final preseason games and from line rushes in practice, the team’s opening night formation has become clear. Let’s take a look at the projected opening night lineup for the Montreal Canadiens.

Kapanen and Veleno Make the Team, Surprising Roster Cuts

Montreal made its final roster cuts on Sunday afternoon. Forwards, Florian Xhekaj, Owen Beck, and defenceman Adam Engstrom were all returned to Laval. The trio all had strong camps and will be favourites to win roster spots for next year. They should also be amongst the first call-ups throughout the season if injuries were to occur. Many were surprised to see Xhekaj cut after his impressive training camp. However, he is still a very young and raw player, and the Canadiens don’t have room for him on the NHL roster. He will benefit from a larger role in Laval this season.

Montreal Canadiens Lineup for Opening Night

The two forwards who earned jobs are Oliver Kapanen and Joe Veleno. Veleno was signed in the offseason, while Kapanen played 18 games and three playoff contests for Montreal during the 2024-25 season. Kapanen was one of the most impressive players throughout camp, and projects to play a middle-six centre role. Veleno, on the other hand, will likely begin the year as the team’s 13th forward. He had a strong showing at camp as well. However, we could see him in the lineup soon if Kapanen struggles out of the gate.

Montreal also cut two veterans from camp. Forward Sammy Blais and goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen were placed on waivers. Kahkonen cleared and will be assigned to Laval, while Toronto claimed Blais. Blais was signed in the offseason to replace Michael Pezzetta, who ironically also went to Toronto, as the team’s thirteenth forward. Blais had a disappointing camp, and the Canadiens didn’t view him as part of their immediate plans this year. His waiver claim isn’t a huge loss for Montreal, as he would have taken minutes in Laval from a younger player.

Unexpected Montreal Canadiens Lineup Combinations

Line Combos

Juraj Slafkovsky-Nick Suzuki-Cole Caufield

Zack Bolduc-Kirby Dach-Brendan Gallagher

Alex Newhook-Oliver Kapanen-Ivan Demidov

Josh Anderson-Jake Evans-Patrik Laine

Joe Veleno

Defencemen

Mike Matheson–Noah Dobson

Lane Hutson–Kaiden Guhle

Arber Xhekaj–Alexandre Carrier

Jayden Struble

Goaltenders

Sam Montembeault

Jakub Dobes

Analysis

Montreal’s forward lines are unexpected, to say the least. Having Patrik Laine on the fourth line sticks out like a sore thumb. We may see him with Bolduc and Dach. However, down the stretch, he’s played primarily with Evans and Anderson. He has struggled at five-on-five, and playing him alongside two responsible, fast-paced players may alleviate some of his defensive and pace issues. The other surprise is seeing Ivan Demidov on the third line. The rookie appeared to be locked for a top-six role, especially after a stellar camp. However, he found chemistry with Kapanen and Newhook. Despite the surprising line combos, these trios give the Canadiens four solid forward lines.

On defence, the pairings are less of a shock. The Canadiens opted not to pair newly acquired Noah Dobson with Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson. Instead, they have provided each with a stable partner in Mike Matheson and Kaiden Guhle. Despite being in the press box a lot last season, Arber Xhekaj finds himself in the lineup over Jayden Struble. Both players had solid camps, but Xhekaj stepped up his game from last year and brings an extra element of physicality to the team.

In goal, Sam Montembeault had the starting role on lock after a strong 2024-25 campaign. The real battle was between sophomore Jakub Dobes and new addition Kaapo Kahkonen. Dobes secured his role as the team’s backup after a solid preseason showing. On the other hand, Kahkonen largely struggles and will find himself in Laval after clearing waivers.

Future Lineup Outlook

While we know what the Montreal Canadiens lineup will look like on opening night, it’s unlikely these combos will stick. The team’s top line will likely remain together for most of the year. Outside of that, we will see a lot of line juggling throughout the course of the season. Brendan Gallagher will likely see time on the fourth line with Evans and Anderson at some point. It would also be interesting to see Demidov with some of the Canadiens’ top secondary scorers, such as Bolduc, Dach, and especially Patrik Laine. It’s unlikely that we see much change in the defensive group or goaltending tandem, however. The Canadiens open up their season on October 7th in Toronto against the Maple Leafs. Montreal’s lineup is exciting to say the least, and it’ll be interesting to see how the new-look Canadiens fare on opening night.