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Montreal Canadiens forward Joshua Roy – (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Canadiens’ Top 10 Prospects From the 2024-25 Season

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By William Bourget | Last updated Apr 11, 2025 9:05 AM ET

As the 2024-25 regular season wraps up and the Montreal Canadiens gear up for a long-awaited playoff run, it’s a good time to shift focus, just for a moment, to the future. While the present is finally starting to deliver, the foundation of sustained success still lies in the pipeline. Montreal’s prospect pool has quietly developed into one of the most promising in the league, with several young players making big strides this year across junior, college, and pro levels. So, before the postseason drama kicks off, let’s take a look at the ten best Habs prospects from this season.

10. Sam Harris, Forward, University of Denver (NCAA)

The Canadiens’ fifth-round pick in 2023 has quietly put up a solid season with the University of Denver. In 42 games this season, Sam Harris has put up 23 goals and 35 points, good for fifth in scoring for the reigning national champions. Currently still alive, Harris and Denver will look to come out winners of the Frozen Four for the second straight year.

His 23 goals were good for seventh in the NCAA this season. He also led the nation in power play goals with 11. Finally, his seven game-winning goals were good for fourth. His numbers this season are a pretty solid reflection of how well he can put the puck in the net.

9. Adam Engstrom, Defenceman, Laval Rocket (AHL)

There is no denying the Laval Rocket have a pretty deep and young blue line. The Canadiens’ third-round pick in 2022 has been as solid as it gets in Laval. In the shadow of Logan Mailloux and David Reinbacher (even if he only played eight games), Adam Engstrom recorded 27 points in 62 games and is a solid plus-15. This last stat puts him first among Habs defencemen this season.

Engström’s got the full package. He’s got the size, he skates well, and he thinks the game at a high level. This season, he’s really put it all together, being a solid contributor for this Laval blue line and showing exactly why he’s a promising two-way defenceman in the system.

8. Owen Beck, Forward, Laval Rocket (AHL)

Canadiens fans are right to be high on Owen Beck. The 2022 second-round pick has been a solid contributor in his first professional season in Laval with 40 points in 59 games. Those numbers are good for fifth in Laval’s scoring and 11^th for rookie scoring in the American Hockey League. Beck also had the opportunity to get some experience in the big league. He played in 12 games, recording an assist along the way.

Beck’s strength as a solid two-way center makes him a reliable presence in all three zones, which is exactly what you want from a player projected to fill a middle-six role at the NHL level. He plays with structure, supports the play well, and rarely cheats defensively. Those are some top qualities that you like to see from a young player in his first pro season.

7. Joshua Roy, Forward, Laval Rocket (AHL)

Joshua Roy has been a solid contributor in Laval this season. In Montreal, it’s been tougher for him. With the big club, the Quebec native has only two goals in 12 games and has been a healthy scratch for a couple of games now. With the Rocket, he has been lighting up the scoreboard. He has 20 goals and 15 assists in 46 games. His 0.76 points per game are good for third, only behind Alex Barré-Boulet and Laurent Dauphin in Laval.

Roy’s offensive game is definitely there; he’s got great vision, soft hands, and can create chances both off the rush and in tight. But to really stick in Montreal, he’s going to have to clean up his defensive game. There are still moments where his play away from the puck or in his own zone isn’t as sharp as it needs to be. The offensive tools are legit, but if he wants a full-time role with the Habs, tightening up defensively is the next step.

6. Logan Mailloux, Defenceman, Laval Rocket (AHL)

There is no better offensive defenceman in Laval than Mailloux. The 6-foot-3, 212-pound prospect is the top-scoring defenceman with the Rocket. He scored 12 goals and tallied 21 assists this season. He also played in seven games for the Canadiens, recording a total of four points.

The issue with Mailloux was always to clean up his game defensively. While we still haven’t seen the end product with the 2021 first-round pick, there has been some improvement this season. His decision-making and positioning have been better. While all is not perfect yet, we have seen promising strides from the young player.

5. Oliver Kapanen, Forward, Timra IK (SHL)

Here is a huge revelation for Montreal this season. After a solid training camp, Oliver Kapanen started the year with the Canadiens before leaving on a loan in Sweden to play for Timra IK. In 36 games in the Swedish Hockey League, Kapanen recorded 15 goals and 35 points. He has since come back with the bleau-blanc-rouge. In 15 games with the Habs, he has yet to score his first goal, but has two assists.

The second-round pick in 2021 has shown some great promise this season. Kapanen is a smart, responsible two-way center who reads the game well and brings a steady presence down the middle. What stood out this season was the offensive jump. He is more confident with the puck, plays at a better pace, and shows a willingness to attack high-danger areas.

4- Jakub Dobes, Goaltender, Montreal Canadiens (NHL)

Look, I get that Jakub Dobes played half of the season in Montreal, but he technically started in Laval and is still a young prospect. The 23-year-old goaltender came to the Canadiens in relief of Cayden Primeau late in December and never looked back. In 15 games with the Habs, Dobes has a 7-4-2 record and posted a 2.87 goals-against average (GAA) and .904 save percentage (SV%).

Dobes showed real promise in his second pro season, giving the Canadiens another intriguing option in net for the future. He came to Montreal and was able to stabilize the backup role that was rocky at times with Primeau. His size, quickness, and mental toughness are what you look for in a potential NHL goalie.

3. Michael Hage, Forward, University of Michigan (NCAA)

The 21^st overall pick in last year’s draft has been absolutely solid for the University of Michigan in his freshman season. His 13 goals and 21 assists in 33 games were both good for second for Michigan this season. Only junior forward T.J. Hughes had better numbers than him last season for the Wolverines.

Hage really put his skillset on display this season and reminded everyone why he was such a highly touted prospect. His explosiveness jumps out immediately — he’s got that quick first step and top-end speed that lets him blow past defenders in transition. Combine that with slick hands and smooth, confident puckhandling, and you’ve got a player who can create offence out of nothing. He showed flashes of high-end creativity and finishing ability throughout the season, and with his tools, he should be primed to dominate next season at Michigan. With more consistency and physical maturity, he could quickly rise up the ranks as one of the most dynamic forwards in the Canadiens’ system.

2. Jacob Fowler, Goaltender, Boston College (NCAA)

Jacob Fowler just recently signed his entry-level contract with the Canadiens, and his impressive season has something to do with it. He ended the season with a 25-7-2 record, with a 1.63 GAA and a .940 SV%. He had the second-best GAA in the entire NCAA and the third-best save percentage. Impressive stuff considering he was only a sophomore in college.

Fowler delivered the kind of season that makes Habs fans dream about the future. Calm, confident, and technically sound, he looked like a veteran in the crease despite his age. Whether it was making timely saves, staying composed under pressure, or stealing games when needed, Fowler showed the poise and presence of a true number-one goaltender in the making. With this type of season, it is fair to say he makes a lot of Canadiens fans excited for the future.

1. Ivan Demidov, Forward, SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)

The new Canadiens forward has been simply phenomenal. With 49 points in 65 games, Ivan Demidov not only was the top point producer for SKA St. Petersburg this season, but he also broke the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) record for most points in a season by a player under age 20. The previous record was held by none other than Kirill Kaprizov.

The recently signed forward is about to make his debut in Montreal in the next couple of days and will help the team during a possible playoff run. Habs fans have been dreaming of a true offensive star, and Demidov checks all the boxes. His elite skill, creativity, and high-end offensive instincts have made him one of the most talked-about prospects in the world.

Ivan Demidov, SKA Saint Petersburg (Photo by Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

With the Canadiens finally turning a corner at the NHL level, the excitement around the team isn’t just about the present; it’s also about what’s coming next. There’s scoring, there’s structure, and most importantly, there’s real upside across every position. If development continues on the right track, this group won’t just support the Canadiens in the future, they’ll help drive the next era of success in Montreal.