Montreal Canadiens: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Florian Xhekaj at Laval: Just what he needs

Florian Xhekaj showed us some great things at the most recent practice camp. Earlier today, the Montreal Canadiens waived Samuel Blais and Kaapo Kahkonen, while sending Florian Xhekaj, Owen Beck and Adam Engstrom to Laval.

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Montreal Canadiens Make Final Cuts

On Sunday afternoon, the Montreal Canadiens announced their final cuts amd finalized opening night roster before Monday’s 5:00 pm ET deadline. The Habs announced that Florian Xhekaj, Owen Beck and Adam Engstrom have been assigned to the Laval Rocket.

Oliver Kapanen News / The Sick Podcast / October 5

Cloutier Compares Kapanen to this 2-Time Stanley Cup Champion

During last Thursday’s episode of the Sick Podcast, Nicolas Cloutier mentioned to Tony Marinaro that he sees Oliver Kapanen becoming a very similar player to Eetu Luostarinen of the Florida Panthers.

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / October 5

Beck, Engström and F. Xhekaj in Laval | Blais and Kahkonen in waivers

That’s it. We know the Canadiens’ decisions for the end of training camp: Owen Beck, Florian Xhekaj and Adam Engström are off to Laval. This isn’t very surprising, even if they had good camps and left a good calling card in Montreal.

Anze Kopitar News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The 'NHL 1,200-points Club' quiz

In NHL history, 52 players have reached the 1,200-point plateau over the course of their careers. How many of the 52 can you name in six minutes?

The 'First-overall NHL Draft picks' quiz

The 'NHL all-time goals leaders' quiz

The 'Most goals in a Stanley Cup Playoffs' quiz

Montreal Canadiens News / Daily Faceoff / October 5

What is Ivan Demidov’s ceiling with the Canadiens as a rookie?

Ivan Demdiov is the odds-on favorite to win the Calder Trophy – but just how good can he be? The former KHL star joined the Montreal Canadiens for the team’s playoff run last year, making waves immediately.

NHL News / Yardbarker

The 20 NHL players under the most pressure for the 2025-26 season

Every NHL player faces some degree of pressure. Even Aleksander Barkov, who has captained the Florida Panthers to back-to-back titles. However, some players certainly face more pressure than most, and of course inherently some players are facing the most pressure.

Alexander Zharovsky News / Dose.ca / October 5

Alexander Zharovsky: third consecutive game with at least one point

Last season, Ivan Demidov’s performances in the KHL were being closely watched, and rightly so, given the young Russian’s talent and potential. This year, the KHL will again be closely watched, but for an entirely different player, Alexander Zharovsky.

Montreal Canadiens News / The Sick Podcast / October 5

Frustrating Night For Habs In Final Preseason Game

The Montreal Canadiens played their final preseason game on Saturday night, and it was a very frustrating offensive game for the Habs as they fell 3-1 to the Ottawa Senators.

Brendan Gallagher News / Dose.ca / October 5

'Gallagher will be 35 at the end of his contract, I don’t see the Habs keeping him.'

The Montreal Canadiens have really turned the corner in their rebuild, as evidenced by the presence of several top-notch young players on the team. The prospects we’ve been talking about in recent years have finally arrived, and they’re at the heart of the team, pushing veterans like Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson back onto a fourth line.

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / October 5

Martin St-Louis prefers to go with 13 forwards: Samuel Blais to be waived

Now that the preparatory schedule is finally over, the various NHL teams will be making their final cuts and adjustments in preparation for the regular season.

Noah Dobson News / Dose.ca / October 5

Noah Dobson clearly doesn’t play like a $9.5M guy

The Montreal Canadiens played their final pre-season game for the 2025-2026 season last night, and it was a game Martin St-Louis’ team lost 3-1 to the Ottawa Senators.It wasn’t a great game for the Habs, but at least now the pre-season is finally over and we can get on with the real business.

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / October 4

The Canadiens skip their final warm-up game

At last, the Habs’ final warm-up game was played tonight. Here are the lineups: Ottawa struck midway through the first period, Shane Pinto completing a superb move by Jake Sanderson to open the scoring.

Sidney Crosby News / Dose.ca / October 4

'Montreal would do everything in its power to obtain Sidney Crosby'

The Canadiens aren’t necessarily the favourites to win the Stanley Cup, we agree, but if Sidney Crosby were to come to town, it would be a game-changer.

Filip Mesar News / Dose.ca / October 4

Filip Mesar throws down the gauntlet during a Rocket prep game

Filip Mesar was the talk of the rookie camp. The CH’s first-round pick in 2022 said out of the blue that he intended to fight harder this year… which is surprising when you know the player.At least, it really surprised Pascal Vincent when he heard about it.

NHL News / The Sick Podcast / October 4

LJ Mooney Shows Off Moves In NCAA Debut

Montreal Canadiens prospect LJ Mooney started his NCAA hockey career on Friday night with the University of Minnesota Gophers. It didn’t take long for the small, shifty forward to put his elite skills on display.

Click here to get Yardbarker's Quiz of the Day emailed to you!

The 'MLB playoff debut strikeouts leaders' quiz

The 'MLB playoffs all-time hit leaders' quiz

The 'Active multiple 140-receiving-yard games' quiz

The 'Last 100-yard rusher by NFL team' quiz

Montreal Canadiens News / The Sick Podcast / October 4

Previewing The Final Habs Preseason Game

The Montreal Canadiens will play their final preseason game tonight at the Bell Centre, when they host the Ottawa Senators at 7 pm ET. The Canadiens will be looking to finalize a few roster spots with tonight’s game at forward.

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / October 4

Martin St-Louis: 'The Newhook-Kapanen-Demidov line has shown me enough'

The Canadiens’ season begins in just a few days’ time. The club will play its first game of the campaign on Wednesday night, when it takes on the Maple Leafs in Toronto.

Montreal Canadiens News / Athlon Sports / October 4

Where Canadiens' Lane Hutson Contract Talks Stand, According to Elliotte Friedman

The Montreal Canadiens have kept quiet on Lane Hutson’s next deal, but Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman believes the silence is deliberate. With the market

Montreal Canadiens News / The Hockey Writers / October 4

Canadiens Face Easy Choice Between Backup Goalies Dobes and Kahkonen

The Montreal Canadiens goalie signed Kaapo Kahkonen for a reason. While it was logically for additional depth in net and as insurance policy, it’s hard

Montreal Canadiens News / The Hockey Writers / October 3

Canadiens Need Early Wins to Solidify Playoff Hopes

The Montreal Canadiens enter the 2025-26 season with higher expectations than they’ve seen in years. The core is coming together, the front office has been aggressive in reshaping the roster, and fans are eager to see playoff hockey return to the Bell Centre for a second-straight season.

Lane Hutson News / NHL Trade Talk / October 3