Montreal Canadiens: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

The Explanation for Kapanen; McKenna Defends Hiller and Fowler’s Workload

Oliver Kapanen will play his first game of the 2026-27 season tonight. The Finnish player, who was expected to be the club's second-line center heading into the season, has not yet been able to play.

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Will the Canadiens Turn Sam Montembeault Into a Trade Asset?

Sometimes, a team has to make a difficult decision before it becomes obvious. The Montreal Canadiens might be getting close to that point with goaltender Sam Montembeault.

Montreal Canadiens News / Pro Hockey Rumors / October 17

Canadiens Activate Oliver Kapanen, Place Florian Xhekaj On IR

The Canadiens have made a pair of roster moves in advance of their game tonight against Buffalo. The team announced that center Oliver Kapanen will make his season debut, meaning he has been activated off injured reserve. To make room for him on the roster, winger Florian Xhekaj has been placed on IR.

Oliver Kapanen News / Daily Faceoff / October 17

Canadiens’ Oliver Kapanen to make season debut against Sabres

The Montreal Canadiens will get a boost to their lineup. The team announced on social media that forward Oliver Kapanen and defenseman David Reinbacher will make their 2026-27 regular-season debuts Saturday night when they host the Buffalo Sabres at the Bell Centre.

Washington Capitals News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The 'Most goals in NHL history' quiz

How many of the 22 players in NHL history with at least 600 career goals can you name in five minutes?

The 'Conn Smythe Trophy winners' quiz

The '2026-27 NHL captains' quiz

The ''EA NHL,'' covers since 2000' quiz

Montreal Canadiens News / The Sick Podcast / October 17

Fowler To Start; Reinbacher and Kapanen Draw In For Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens goalie Jacob Fowler will start on Saturday night when the Canadiens host the Buffalo Sabres at the Bell Centre for the second time in five days.

NHL News / Yardbarker

The biggest draft bust for every NHL team

People love a good mid-round draft pick that pans out, and in the NHL you used to see those fairly often, but that’s obviously partially luck. If the Red Wings thought Nicklas Lidstrom was going to become a top-five defenseman in history, they wouldn’t have waited until the 53rd pick to take him.

Alexander Zharovsky News / Dose.ca / October 17

Alexander Zharovsky: A Big Game to End a (Major) Slump

Alexander Zharovsky isn't having a great season in Russia. The Canadiens' prospect, who showed a lot of promise in 2025–26 (even though he eventually hit a wall), has been slow to regain last year's form.

Cole Caufield News / Dose.ca / October 17

'Cole Caufield has been invisible since the start of the season'

The Montreal Canadiens are off to a rather disappointing start to the season with a 3-3-1 record, when, obviously, we expect more from this team than a .500 record.

Montreal Canadiens News / The Hockey Writers / October 17

Canadiens Can’t Blame Slow 2026-27 Start on Copious Injuries

When Montreal Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov is injured and the headlines are instead about him speeding, it kind of encapsulates the problem. And, clearly, with the team a mediocre 3-3-1 when many analysts had them safely in the playoffs and potentially contending for the Stanley Cup, things could be better.

Josh Anderson News / The Hockey Writers / October 17

Josh Anderson Is Proving Why the Canadiens Need to Extend Him

The Montreal Canadiens have plenty of exciting young players who are expected to play major roles in the team’s success over the coming years. However, while much of the attention has understandably been directed toward the younger core, veteran forward Josh Anderson is once again reminding everyone just how valuable he can be to this organization.

Luke Mittelstadt News / Dose.ca / October 17

AHL’s Top Scorer: Luke Mittelstadt Deserves a Chance in Montreal

The Laval Rocket is once again off to a very strong start to the season, as has been the case for several seasons now. Daniel Jacob's team currently has four wins in five games, which is an excellent record—the second-best in the entire American Hockey League.

NHL News / Yardbarker

The defining figure for every NHL franchise

People will talk about the “Mount Rushmore” for a franchise, which is to say the four people, usually four players, that most define the franchise. Not always the four-best players, but the four that evoke the essence of the franchise.

Owen Beck News / The Hockey Writers / October 17

Evaluating Owen Beck’s True Value to the Canadiens

Look closely at the construction of a modern Stanley Cup contender, and you’ll notice a distinct pattern. It isn’t just about the highlight-reel superstars who trigger light shows and sell out jersey racks.

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The 'Most WNBA double-doubles' quiz

The '2nd-most TD-passes by NFL team' quiz

The '35-TD, 10-INT NFL seasons' quiz

The '100-yard, 1-rushing TD games' quiz

Montreal Canadiens News / A Winning Habit / October 17

Canadiens face tough lineup decisions with Kapanen and Demidov nearing return

The Montreal Canadiens have not had their full forward group on the ice in a single game this season. Oliver Kapanen has yet to play after suffering an injury during the preseason, while Ivan Demidov played just two games before going down with a lower-body injury.

Mike Matheson News / Dose.ca / October 16

Mike Matheson’s case is encouraging

During last Saturday’s game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Detroit Red Wings, defenseman Mike Matheson was injured. He hasn't played since and was listed as day-to-day.

NHL News / Dose.ca / October 16

'I like Michael Hage, but Dylan Larkin is a safe bet.'

When will the Dylan Larkin saga finally end? Ever since the Red Wings visited the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on October 10, the rumors have picked up steam again, fueled by chants of “Larkin” from the crowd.

Josh Anderson News / Pro Hockey Rumors / October 16

Josh Anderson Wants To Extend With Canadiens

Veteran winger Josh Anderson hopes the 2026-27 season won’t be his last with the Montreal Canadiens. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Anderson wants to sign an extension with the Canadiens sooner rather than later.

NHL News / Field Level Media / October 16

Sabres seek to avenge Tuesday's loss to Canadiens in rematch

Long in need of consistent depth contributions offensively, the Montreal Canadiens are finally getting some returns thus far in the young season, courtesy of rugged veteran Josh Anderson.

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / October 16

Arber’s New Mission, Crosby’s Future, and a Slap in the Face for Puygachyov

Arber Xhekaj isn’t a perfect defender. He has his strengths… and he also has his weaknesses. But you know what? The Sheriff hasn't been playing bad hockey since the start of the season.

Montreal Canadiens News / The Sick Podcast / October 16

Juraj Slafkovsky Misses Practice; Florian Xhekaj Update

Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky missed practice on Friday and the team also gave an update on injured forward Florian Xhekaj who has not skated since October 8.

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / October 16

Patrice Bergeron is (once again) VERY full of praise for Nick Suzuki

When Patrice Bergeron talks about Nick Suzuki, he clearly doesn't have much negative to say about the Montreal Canadiens' captain. The former Boston Bruins player once again heaped praise on the Habs' No.

NHL News / Dose.ca / October 16

Fowler Ahead of Price: Renaud Lavoie Makes a Bold Statement

Marc-André “Mapper” Perreault now has his own daily show—Monday through Thursday—on 99.5 FM in Montreal and BLVD 102.1 in Quebec City. He's on the air from 6:00 p.m.

Florian Xhekaj News / Daily Faceoff / October 16

Canadiens’ Florian Xhekaj out two weeks with lower-body injury

Tough news for one of Montreal’s young depth pieces. On Friday, the Montreal Canadiens announced that forward Florian Xhekaj is going to be out for the next two weeks with a lower-body injury.

Jacob Fowler News / A Winning Habit / October 16

Jacob Fowler stellar underlying stats prove he deserves Canadiens starts

On Wednesday, the Montreal Canadiens played the second leg of a back-to-back, with goaltender Jakub Dobes returning to the crease after about a week off.

Montreal Canadiens News / NHL Trade Talk / October 15

Josh Anderson’s Future in Montreal Dependent on Big Trade

Montreal Canadiens forward Josh Anderson is off to a nice start this season, scoring his third and fourth goals against the Washington Capitals. In the final season of his contract, talk about what the Canadiens plan to do with his extension have started to surface.

Jakub Dobes News / Daily Faceoff / October 15

Jakub Dobes off to slow start for Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens had sky-high hopes for this season after making a run to the 2026 Eastern Conference Final, and the new year has proven to be a bit of a mixed bag to this point.