Checking in on Montreal Canadiens New Additions

The Montreal Canadiens were one of the most active teams in the 2025 NHL offseason. They made several moves, including some notable additions. A month into the season, the Habs have been one of the league’s best teams thus far, and that’s in large part due to some of their new guys. Let’s check in on the latest Canadiens additions and see how they’re faring in their new home through the first fifteen games.

Montreal Canadiens New Additions

Noah Dobson

The Montreal Canadiens made the biggest splash of the offseason when they acquired defenceman Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. They traded Emil Heineman and two first-round picks in exchange for the elite right-handed blue-liner. For what it’s worth, Heineman has gotten off to a hot start in New York. However, the Canadiens will be pleased with the early returns on Dobson.

Over his first 15 games, he has registered eleven points, only one behind teammate Lane Hutson. Dobson has also been a stalwart defensively on the top pairing with Mike Matheson. His stable presence and quick transition game are some of the biggest reasons for Montreal’s early success. He has found himself on the top penalty kill unit as well as quarterbacking the second power play. Dobson signed a 9,5 million dollar a year extension with the Canadiens, which will keep him in Montreal for the next eight years. At just 25 years old, Dobson is poised to be a key player for the team moving forward.

Joe Veleno

A Quebec native, Veleno was brought to Montreal on July 1st after signing a one-year deal with the club. He is a former first-round pick who hasn’t found his way in the NHL after bouncing around between Detroit, Chicago, and Seattle. Veleno was originally supposed to fill a hole down the middle for the Canadiens. However, rookie Oliver Kapanen has taken over that role and found success early on alongside Ivan Demidov and Alex Newhook.

He started as the team’s extra forward for the first five games, but due to the injury to Patrik Laine, he was able to get into the lineup. Veleno has been playing on the team’s fourth line alongside Jake Evans and Josh Anderson, and also saw time with Zack Bolduc and Kirby Dach. However, he hasn’t found any success as he’s failed to register a point in ten contests. He competes hard and has some defensive ability, but untimely penalties and a lack of production will force him out of the lineup sooner rather than later. It’s unlikely that Veleno will be in Montreal long-term, as the youth in Laval and future trade acquisitions will make him expendable.

Zach Bolduc

While the Canadiens didn’t make any big signings on July 1st, they still made another huge splash. Montreal sent prospect defenceman Logan Mailloux to St. Louis in exchange for sophomore forward Zachary Bolduc. The Habs’ new acquisition got off to a blistering hot start to his campaign. He recorded goals in each of his first three contests. However, he has since struggled with just a single goal in his last 12.

Bolduc started on Montreal’s top power play and top-six, which came with lots of ice time and opportunity. However, due to injuries shaking up the lines and the emergence of Demidov, he found himself demoted. Canadiens fans shouldn’t worry, though, as Bolduc is only 21 years old and this is only his second NHL season. He will become an RFA at season’s end. The Montreal native will likely sign an extension to remain in Montreal long-term. He will be a core part of the team’s top nine for the foreseeable future.