Canadiens’ Noah Dobson will play Game 7 vs. Lightning

Dobson was a game-time decision for Game 7, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun. He took warmups and deemed that he was good to go. Dobson took Arber Xhekaj’s spot in the lineup.

Noah Dobson’s injury status for Canadiens in Game 7

The Canadiens getting Dobson back for Game 7 is a huge lift for a young team looking for a signature win. Juraj Slafkovsky and Lane Hutson have been great in this series, but Montreal added Dobson for games like this.

The Canadiens traded two first-round picks to the New York Islanders for Dobson during the 2025 NHL Draft. They promptly signed him to a long-term contract, which pays him $9 million per season for eight years.

In the first year of that deal, Dobson scored 12 goals and added 35 assists in 80 games. With Hutson manning the powerplay, most of Dobson’s damage was done at even strength. The Canadiens could use Dobson’s offensive production, as they were held scoreless in Game 6. The Lightning have an incredible amount of playoff experience, and they are using it to stifle Montreal’s offense as this series continues.

The winner of the Canadiens vs. Lightning Game 7 will face the Buffalo Sabres in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Buffalo sent the Boston Bruins packing with a Game 6 win on Friday night. Game 1 of the second round will be in Buffalo on Wednesday night.

Stick with ClutchPoints for the latest on the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Sunday’s Game 7.