Key Storylines to Watch at Canadiens Training Camp

The Montreal Canadiens kicked off their 2025 training camp on Wednesday, marking the start of a season expected to bring high stakes, added pressure, and crucial individual growth.

Clichés like “in the mix” won’t be the mantra this year, said executive vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton on Monday. Instead, the focus will be on tracking the progression of what remains the NHL’s youngest roster.

After exceeding expectations last season and adding key reinforcements, fan expectations have risen. Montreal is no longer content with lottery picks — the goal is the playoffs, and that push begins now.

With camp underway, here are three major storylines surrounding the Canadiens this September.

Can the Canadiens finally stay healthy?

While Montreal has its sights on the playoffs, Gorton and general manager Kent Hughes have repeatedly emphasized the team is still a work in progress.

It’s vital they get through camp with minimal injuries and enter their Oct. 8 opener in Toronto at full strength.

Last preseason, big-ticket addition Patrik Laine went down for months, and the year before, Kirby Dach suffered a season-ending injury in the opening games.

With lingering questions about the second line and penalty kill, the Canadiens can’t afford early injuries if they hope to contend in the Eastern Conference.

On Day 1 of scrimmages, they already got a scare: forward Oliver Kapanen left practice after a high stick to the eye. It’s not believed to be serious, but Montreal will be hoping this season doesn’t mirror their recent injury luck.

What will the defensive pairings look like?

When Montreal acquired star defenceman Noah Dobson in June, the question immediately became who head coach Martin St. Louis would play alongside him.

The Canadiens appear willing to play Lane Hutson on his off side alongside Kaiden Guhle on the top pair.

That pushes Dobson to the second pair with Mike Matheson, giving Montreal an elite puck-moving duo — though their defensive reliability may be scrutinized.

Matheson and Dobson played together for Team Canada at the World Championships this spring, which could help their chemistry.

Whether Dobson slots on the top pair or not, the Canadiens are spoiled for choice with their revamped blue line.

The next area of intrigue becomes who earns the final spot on the third pair to play with Alexandre Carrier — Jayden Struble or Arber Xhekaj?

The Canadiens have tended to lean more favorably in Struble’s direction given his outstanding play in the back half of last season, but Xhekaj’s physical presence cannot be taken lightly either.

We could very well see a rotation between the two, or perhaps even one of the two will play himself into a potential trade to upgrade the forward core.

Will the penalty kill stay effective?

Last season, Montreal’s penalty kill was a strength, finishing ninth in the league at 80.9%.

But this summer they lost three key penalty killers: Joel Armia, David Savard, and Christian Dvorak. Armia and Savard were regulars on the top unit with Jake Evans, often keeping Montreal in close games.

Montreal will certainly miss Savard’s shot-blocking ability on the PK, as he finished eighth in the league last season with 180.

Guhle will be asked to take on a bigger role, and Matheson also figures to be a central component of the PK this season with Dobson likely replacing him on the second unit of the power play.

How St. Louis reshapes the PK will be worth watching. Guhle, Evans, and Josh Anderson are likely to headline the first wave, but who fills out the rest remains unclear.

Joe Veleno or even Nick Suzuki could be options as the second PK centreman, though adding more minutes to Suzuki’s workload could be risky.

Kapanen or Owen Beck could be options as well if they end up securing roster spots, as both are defensively reliable players and the PK is the perfect opportunity to ease them into the lineup and earn them minutes.