Montreal Canadiens: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

A Look at the Canadiens’ 2025 Free Agent Class

With the 2024-25 season now officially behind them, the Montreal Canadiens can now shift their attention to what comes next. While the season ended with a first-round exit, there were plenty of positive takeaways, from the emergence of young stars like Lane Hutson to a solid second half that saw the team fight their way into playoff contention.

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The Morning Bark

The Quiz of the Day

Jacob Fowler: lucky he signed on to play in Laval

Good thing Jacob Fowler signed to play in Laval. Mind you, I’m not necessarily saying that for the club (although Pascal Vincent must be happy to have him) since Cayden Primeau is capable of playing well in the AHL, but for him.

Kent Hughes News / Full Press Hockey / May 7

Montreal Canadiens Sticking to the Plan Under Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes

The Montreal Canadiens took the next step in their rebuilding plan by playing meaningful games at the end of the season in March and April. As documented by Full Press Hockey, the Canadiens made it their goal to be in that position and potentially make the playoffs.

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / May 6

Crosby: It’s going to take Slafkovsky, Mailloux and at least one first-round pick, according to Antoine Roussel

At this stage of the rebuild, I never thought we’d be talking about buying and not selling. But with the Habs having such a great season, we’re now talking about who Kent Hughes is going to get, not who Hughes is going to trade… And Sidney Crosby, no less, is a name still linked to the Habs.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The '60-goal NHL seasons' quiz

How many NHL players who have scored 60 goals in a season can you name in five minutes?

NHL News / Dose.ca / May 6

Mike Matheson: the Habs pull out all the stops to win over Sidney Crosby

The Senior World Championship gets underway in a few days’ time in Sweden and Denmark. Canada will be looking to continue its international success, having won gold at the Four Nations Confrontation.

NHL News / Yardbarker

What cities should get NHL expansion teams?

It seems the NHL is in a good place. Ratings are up, talent levels are high, and the league added two teams to get up to 32 in the not-too-distant past.

Forgotten NHL players from the 1980s

20 NHL players from the 1990s you probably forgot about

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / May 6

Renaud Lavoie: Luke Tuch, the two Xhekaj brothers and Mailloux should not be traded

The Canadiens took a beating in the playoffs against the Capitals. We saw Tom Wilson and Alex Ovechkin having fun on the ice with their big shoulder shots, and in the process, we saw that the Canadiens didn’t have what it took to compete physically with the Caps.

Mike Matheson News / Daily Faceoff / May 6

Canadiens’ Mike Matheson joins Canada for 2025 World Championship

Hockey Canada has announced that Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson has joined the team ahead of the 2025 IIHF World Hockey Championship in Sweden and Denmark.

NHL News / Breakaway on SI / May 6

Canadiens Say VP Not Going Anywhere

The New York Islanders are leaving no stone unturned as they look for a new general manager following the end of Lou Lamoriello’s tenure. According to the Athletic’s Arthur Staple, the Islanders have labeled a favorite candidate in Ken Holland, but are keeping their options open.

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / May 6

The Islanders asked the Canadiens for permission to speak to Jeff Gorton

With the dismissal of Lou Lamoriello, the Islanders have a number of vacancies within the organization. They need to find a new GM and a new president of hockey operations.

Jacob Fowler News / Dose.ca / May 6

Rocket: Jacob Fowler in the starter’s routine at practice

This morning, on Twitter, colleague Maxime Truman said he was “pretty convinced” that Jacob Fowler would get the start of tonight’s game at Place Bell in Laval.

Montreal Canadiens News / The Hockey Writers / May 6

Montreal Canadiens’ 2024-25 Player Grades: Goaltenders

The 2024–25 season began with Samuel Montembeault and Cayden Primeau sharing duties in goal, but inconsistency and shaky performances left the Canadiens searching for stability early on.

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / May 6

Justin Carbonneau: the Canadiens are (very) well placed to draft him

Ahh, drafting local… Ask Trevor Timmins if he enjoyed being forced to draft Louis Leblanc in 2009 instead of Chris Kreider. I’m sure he still has nightmares about it.

Lane Hutson News / The Hockey Writers / May 6

Canadiens’ Hutson Poised to End Habs’ Calder Curse

There’s only one way Montreal Canadiens Lane Hutson fails to win the Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL’s top rookie: a hypothetical widespread conspiracy that goes all the way to the top, with the sole purpose of denying the first-year defenseman his rightful rookie-of-the-year title.

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / May 6

Second draft lottery: Utah finished two points behind the Canadiens in the standings

And that’s it: the NHL lottery is behind us. This year, let’s just say it was less expected in Montreal, since the Habs couldn’t draft higher than 16th with the Flames’ pick.

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Marco Rossi News / Dose.ca / May 6

No, Marco Rossi doesn’t have to be the Canadiens’ second center

The Canadiens need a second center. It needs to improve its overall attack, you might say, since a guy like Ivan Demidov can’t do everything on his own on his line.

Montreal Canadiens News / The Hockey Writers / May 6

Canadiens Should Use Offer Sheets to Address Needs

While the Montreal Canadiens roster is in transition over this offseason with some veterans departing, it is a good time for general manager (GM) Kent

Lane Hutson News / Athlon Sports / May 6

Canadiens React to NHL's Major Lane Hutson Announcement

The Montreal Canadiens took to social media on Monday to highlight a milestone rarely seen in franchise history. “Lane Hutson has been named a finalist for the Calder Trophy!” the club posted on X, celebrating the 21-year-old defenseman’s nomination for the NHL’s rookie of the year award.

Lane Hutson News / The Hockey Writers / May 5

Canadiens’ Hutson Named Calder Memorial Trophy Finalist

First-year Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson got named a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL’s top rookie, on Monday.

Montreal Canadiens News / The Hockey Writers / May 5

Montreal Canadiens Need Veteran Leadership for the Next Step

The Montreal Canadiens’ 2024-25 season has come to an end, and surprisingly, it came in the playoffs. While last summer, everyone expected the franchise to take a step forward, few people outside of the Canadiens’ dressing room expected a playoff appearance.

Montreal Canadiens News / Pro Hockey Rumors / May 5

Canadiens Notes: Hutson, Laine, Free Agents, Dach

Lane Hutson put up historic numbers in his rookie season, and the Canadiens will look to capitalize on that by discussing a long-term extension as he enters the final season of his entry-level contract, general manager Kent Hughes said today (writes Marco D’Amico of RG).

Martin St. Louis News / Athlon Sports / May 3

Canadiens React to NHL's Announcement on Coach Martin St. Louis

This season, the Montreal Canadiens surprised the league by earning a playoff berth for the first time since 2021, finishing with a 40-31-11 record and 91 points.

Juraj Slafkovsky News / House of Hockey / May 2

Canadiens Star Juraj Slafkovsky Calls Out Journalist in Post-Season Press Conference

Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky fired a shot at media members during his interview on locker room clean out day at Bell Centre following their postseason loss to the Capitals.

Josh Anderson News / Daily Faceoff / May 2

Canadiens’ Josh Anderson on team’s future: ‘We’re ready to win’

One of the leaders in the Montreal Canadiens dressing room recognizes the team is heading in the right direction. During the team’s locker-clean-out day on Friday, Canadiens forward Josh Anderson stated the team is ready to start competing with the NHL’s top teams.

Montreal Canadiens News / NHL Trade Talk / May 2

Canadiens News & Rumors: St. Louis, Suzuki, Montembeault, Laine

It’s been a whirlwind week for the Montreal Canadiens, with major updates on the awards front, injury news, and the team’s growing optimism following a return to playoff action.

Montreal Canadiens News / Daily Faceoff / May 2

Canadiens’ Sam Montembeault tore groin, Patrik Laine broke finger during playoffs

A number of players were going through some significant injuries during the Metropolitan Division Semifinals. During the team’s locker-clean-out day on Friday, it was revealed that Montreal Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault suffered a torn groin during Game 3 of the team’s first-round series against the Washington Capitals.

NHL News / Yardbarker / May 1

Alex Ovechkin lifts Capitals into second round of playoffs

Alex Ovechkin lifts Capitals into second round of Stanley Cup playoffs

Entering Game 5 against Montreal on Wednesday, the Capitals hadn't made it out of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs since the 2017-18 season. They needed Ovechkin to excel in the series against the Canadiens to end the drought.

Panthers still dominate Battle of Florida

Eetu Luostarinen's historic night leads Panthers to series win over Lightning

After 2 lopsided losses, Jets strike back and take Game 5 vs. Blues

Hockey Canada names coaching staff for 2025 IIHF World Championship

Has a retool become more effective than a rebuild for NHL teams?

Ted Lindsay Award finalists revealed